Catullus 40 in Latin & English; Vocabulary & Grammar Notes: Quaenam te mala mens, miselle Ravide
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2021-10-23

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Catullus is threatening to hurl iambic retribution at Ravidus, who has been flirting with his beloved. He seems here to be inspired by a Greek poem by Archilochus, the seventh-century father of iambic verse: “Who has driven you out of your wits? You will be a laughing-stock to the whole populace.”

Please see the excellent article on Archilochus and Catullus by G. L. Hendrickson:

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/360659

Who is “meos amores” in this poem, Clodia or Juventius? Because Catullus never refers to Clodia using this expression, but does use it for Juventius, I think he is probably talking here about the latter. Note too the similarity in vocabulary between this poem and Carmen 15 (about Juventius):

meos amores: meos amores
qualubet: qua lubet
mala mens: mala mens 
vecordem: vecors
miselle: miserum

Quaenam: Quisnam is an emphatic interrogative; What, I ask? Who/what exactly?! 

Miselle: diminutive of miser, used here to show contempt, or mock pity. 

Ravide: pronounced with two syllables, so that there are only 11 syllables in the line. 

Note the similarity in sound between Ravidus and “rabidus,” raving, mad, rabid, and how Catullus emphasizes this with mala mens and vecordem. 

Meos iambos: iambic verses, iambics being a general term for all verses of personal satire.  

Quis deus: “qui” is normally the interrogative adjective, but “quis” is very common as an adjective with words denoting a person.

Tibi: can be understood simultaneously with advocatus and excitare. 

Non bene advocatus: invoked with an incorrect formula; any slight error of ritual could spoil a prayer and incur the god’s wrath. Catullus suggests that Ravidus has sought a god’s help in arranging this love affair. 

Vecordem: senseless, foolish, mad, insane

Rixam: violent quarrel, dispute, contest, strife, battle

An: or, or rather, or indeed, or perhaps 

Ut pervenias: ut is elliptical here: “are you doing this in order to…?” Pervenias (come to, reach, arrive) is subjunctive. 

Quālubet: as you please, by any means whatsoever, at all costs. 

Eris: it’s the future of “sum”, but since Catullus’ readers would be fluent in Greek, could the emphatic position of this word also allude to Eris, the Greek goddess of strife, discord, contention? 

Quandōquidem: since, seeing that; note the O has become short for the sake of the meter. 

Poena: punishment, penalty, vengeance. 

Note possible puns: cum longa amare poena
Amare (to love) sounds like amara (bitter, harsh, rough).
Longa poena: several scholars suggest that to a Roman this would have sounded very much like “pene”!  


Pronunciation:

quaenaN tē mala mēñs, miseLLē rāvide,
agit pRaecipit(em) iM meōs iambōs?
quis deus tibi nōM ben(e)advocātus
vēcoRdem parat excitāre rixa(m)?
an ut peRveniās in ōra vulgī?
quid vīs? quālubet eSSe nōtus optās?
eris, quandoquidem meōs amōrēs
cu(m) longā voluist(ī)amāre poenā.

quaenaN tē: M before T = N

mēñs: N before S is nasalized

iM meōs: N before M = M 

vēcoRdem: R = trilled R


Meter: Phalaecean Hendecasyllables

⏓ ⏓ – ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏓ 

quaēnām tē mălă mēns mĭsēllĕ Rāvĭde
ăgīt praēcĭpĭtem īn mĕōs ĭāmbōs?
quīs dĕūs tĭbĭ nōn bĕne ādvŏcātŭs
vēcōrdēm părăt ēxcĭtārĕ rīxăm?
ăn ūt pērvĕnĭās ĭn ōră vūlgī?
quīd vīs? quālŭbĕt ēssĕ nōtŭs ōptās?
ĕrīs quāndŏquĭdēm mĕōs ămōrēs
cūm lōngā vŏlŭīsti ămārĕ poēnā.


What sort of sick mind, poor little Ravidus,
hurls you headlong into my iambs? 
What god, improperly invoked, 
contrives to stir up for you an insane quarrel? 
Or is it, perhaps, so you might reach
the mouths of the masses? 
What do you want? Do you wish, 
by any means whatsoever, to be well known? 
You shall be, seeing that you attempted 
to love my beloved, 
with protracted punishment. 


Artwork:

Fayoum portrait, 2nd century AD, Pushkin Museum, Moscow. 

Eris, goddess of discord, Athenian black-figure kylix 6th century BC, Antikensammlung, Berlin. 


Translation: 

DWA, Fez 10/22/21