Catullus 6 in Latin & English: Flavi, delicias tuas Catullo
Channel: David Amster
Date: 03/08/2020

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Catulli Carmen VI  ad Flavium (N.B.: carmen VI = carmen sextum NON sextus...mea culpa!)

Flavi, delicias tuas Catullo,
ni sint illepidae atque inelegantes,
velles dicere nec tacere posses.
verum nescio quid febriculosi
scorti diligis: hoc pudet fateri.
nam te non viduas iacere noctes
nequiquam tacitum cubile clamat
sertis ac Syrio fragrans olivo,
pulvinusque peraeque et hic et ille
attritus, tremulique quassa lecti
argutatio inambulatioque.
nam inista prevalet nihil tacere.
cur? non tam latera ecfututa pandas,
ni tu quid facias ineptiarum.
quare, quidquid habes boni malique,
dic nobis. volo te ac tuos amores
ad caelum lepido vocare versu.

Flavius, were they not a bit rough and inelegant,
you would want to tell Catullus 
all about your sweetie
and would not be able keep quiet! 
Truth is you’ve fallen for some sort of feverish floozy, 
and you’re ashamed to admit it! 
The fact that you don’t spend lonely, celibate nights,
your bed, trying in vain to keep quiet, shouts out, 
fragrant with garlands and Syrian oil,
as does the cushion, here and there equally worn, 
and the shaking, creaking, moving all about of the trembling bed. 
It’s of no use to be silent about these things. 
Why? You wouldn’t be exposing a body so worn out from debauchery,
unless you were up to some sort of monkey business. 
Therefore, whatever you have going on, good and bad, 
tell me! I long to praise you and your truelove
to the skies in witty verse.

Artwork:

Female Faiyum portrait, Al Fayoum, Egypt, 1st century BC-1st century AD

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayum_mummy_portraits

Fresco, Pompeii, 1st Century CE

Couch and footstool with bone carvings and glass inlays,
Roman, 1st–2nd century A.D.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/249232

Male Faiyum portrait, Al Fayoum, Egypt, 1st century BC-1st century AD

Fresco, Pompeii, 1st Century CE

The Symmachi Panel, carved ivory, Roman, about 400 AD

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-symmachi-panel/

A note regarding gender in the poem: It is normally assumed that Flavius’ “deliciae” is female, and I have followed that convention in my choice of images. In the poem, however, there is no indication of gender, so it’s possible that the beloved may have been male or female, which would have been consistent with Roman culture and practice at the time, as well as with the poetry of Catullus.

Please note too that the images I’ve chosen are not like the person Catullus is describing, but hopefully more like the one Flavius is in love with!