Catullus 39 in Latin & English, Vocabulary, Grammar Notes: Egnatius, quod candidos habet dentes
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2021-10-10

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Catullus is giving “advice” to Egnatius, Clodia’s long-haired lover from Carmen 37. 

renidet: repeated four times! He shines, glistens, smiles, grins…

ventum est, lugetur: impersonal passive verbs, “if someone has come,” “if there is mourning.”

rei subsellium: the defendant’s bench; if Egnatius was there to support his friend in court, he needed to be serious! 

elegantem, urbanum: a fatal blow! In Catullus’ circle, being elegant, urbane, witty was of the utmost importance. 

monendum est te mihi: impersonal passive periphrastic with a dative of agent, “it is obligatory for me to warn you.”

bone Egnati: ironic perhaps?!

urbanus: the Urbs is Rome, so here urbanus means a person from Rome, but also with the other connotations of urbanus. 

si urbanus esses…nollem: imperfect subjunctive, “if you were…I wouldn’t…”

aut: (or) repeated 7 times for comic effect. 

Lanuvinus ater: black, dark, gloomy

atque dentatus: they also had teeth to be proud of :) 

Transpadanus: Catullus was from Verona, beyond the Po; his people weren’t granted full Roman citizenship until 49 BC. 

puriter: using clean water 

risu inepto: ablative after ineptior, “more inept THAN inept laughing”

Celtiber, Celtiberia: a part of Spain settle by Celts. 

russam gingivam: their gums were red from the harsh treatment. 

quo…hoc: ablative of “degree of difference”.

iste vester dens: the plural form of “your” used to suggest both Egnatius and his people. 

amplius loti: genitive, “more of urine”

bibisse: perfect infinitive, “to have drunk” 

praedicet (short I, accent on 1st syllable): subjunctive of praedico, -are, make publically known, announce, proclaim; NOT praedīcet (long I) future indicative of praedīco, -ere, say beforehand, predict, fortell. In this case the meter helps us know which verb it is. 


Pronunciation 

eNGnātius, quod candidōs habet dentēs,
Renīdet usque quāque. s(ī)ad Reī ventu(m e)st
subseLLiuNG, c(um)ōrātor excitat flētu(m),
Renīdet iLLe; s(ī)ad piī rogu(m) fīlī
lūgētur, oRba cu(m) flet ūnicum māteR,
Renīdet iLLe. quidquid est, ubicūNGqu(e)est,
quodcūNGqu(e)agit, Renīdet: hunc habet morbuN,
nequ(e)ēlegant(em),ut aRbitroR, nequ(e)uRbānu(m).
quārē monendu(m e)st tē mihī, bon(e)eNGnātī.
s(ī)uRbānus eSSēs aut sabīnus aut tībuRs
aut paRcus umber aut obēsus etRūscus
aut lānuvīnus āter atque dentātus
aut tRāñspadānus, ut meōs quoqu(e)aTTinga(m),
aut quilubet, quī pūriteR lāvit dentēs,
tamen Renīdēr(e)usque quāque tē nōLLe(m):
na(m) Rīs(ū)ineptō rēs ineptioR nūLLa(e)st.
nunc celtibēr es: celtibēri(ā)in teRRā,
quod quisque mīnxit, hōc sibi solet manē
dent(em)atque ruSSaN dēfRicāre gingīva(m),
ut, qu(ō)iste vester expolītioR dēñs est,
hōc t(ē)amplius bibiSSe pRaedicet lōtī.


Meter: 

Choliambic or limping iambs, same as Carmen 37

 x — u —  x — u —  u — — — 

Ēgnātĭūs quōd cāndĭdōs hăbēt dēntēs
rĕnīdĕt ūsquĕ quāquĕ. si ād rĕī vēntūm est
sūbsēllĭūm cum ōrātŏr ēxcĭtāt flētūm
rĕnīdĕt īllĕ. si ād pĭī rŏgūm fīlī
lūgētŭr ōrbă cūm flĕt ūnĭcūm mātēr
rĕnīdĕt īllĕ. quīdquĭd ēst, ŭbīcūmquē est,
quōdcūmque ăgīt, rĕnīdĕt. hūnc hăbēt mōrbūm
nĕque ēlĕgāntem ŭt ārbĭtrōr nĕque ūrbānūm.
quārē mŏnēndūm est tē mĭhī bŏne Ēgnātī.
si ūrbānŭs ēssĕs, aūt Săbīnŭs, aūt Tībūrs,
aūt pārcŭs Ūmbĕr, aūt ŏbēsŭs Ētrūscūs,
aūt Lānŭvīnŭs ātĕr ātquĕ dēntātūs,
aūt Trānspădānŭs, ūt mĕōs quŏque āttīngām,
aūt quīlŭbēt, quī pūrĭtēr lăvīt dēntēs,
tămēn rĕnīdēre ūsquĕ quāquĕ tē nōllēm.
nām rīsu ĭnēptō rēs ĭnēptĭōr nūllā est.
nūnc Cēltĭbēr ēs. Cēltĭbērĭā in tērrā
quōd quīsquĕ mīnxĭt hōc sĭbī sŏlēt mānē
dēntem ātquĕ rūssām dēfrĭcārĕ gīngīuām.
ūt, quō istĕ vēstĕr ēxpŏlītĭōr dēns ēst
hōc tē amplĭūs bĭbīssĕ praēdĭcēt lōtī.


Egnatius, since he has dazzling white teeth, 
smiles always and everywhere. 
If someone has come to the defendant’s bench, 
when the orator is bringing everyone to tears, 
that one is smiling.
If people are mourning 
at the funeral pyre of a devoted son, 
when the bereft mother is weeping for her only boy, 
that one is smiling.
Whatever it is, wherever it is, 
whatever he’s doing, he smiles. 
He has this disease, 
not elegant, as it seems to me, nor urbane. 
For this reason I’m obliged 
to advise you, my fine Egnatius. 
If you were from the city of Rome, 
or Sabine or Tiburtine,
or a frugal Umbrian or a well-fed Etruscan,
or a Lanuvian, swarthy and also with fine teeth,
or from beyond the River Po, 
to touch upon my people as well,
or whoever you like, 
who washes his teeth in a clean manner,
still I wouldn’t want you to smile 
always and everywhere,
for there is nothing more tasteless 
than inappropriate laughter. 
Now you are a Celtiberian. 
In the land of the Celtiberians
that which each person has peed, 
with this they’re accustomed 
in the morning to scrub their teeth and red gums,
so that the more polished those teeth of yours are, 
the more piss they proclaim you’ve imbibed. 

Marble portrait, Roman, 161-180 BC, Metropolitan Museum of Art, my photo, June 2021

Translation: DWA, 10/10/21, Fez