Catullus 50 in Latin & English: Hesterno, Licini, die otiosi, Vocabulary notes
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2022-04-28

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Carmen 50 is addressed to Licinius Calvus, a close friend and fellow poet, with whom Catullus had spent the day in poetic improvisation. Catullus is clearly impressed with his friend’s intelligence and wit. They had agreed that their “poetry contest” would consist of writing love poems, and this  poem indeed reads like one. But I think Catullus is writing it in jest, keeping with their chosen theme, but in an exaggerated manner for humorous effect. He certainly valued the friendship of Calvus, but I don’t think he was seriously suggesting that they be lovers.

Hesterno die: yesterday

Licini: Gaius Licinius Calvus (82–47 B.C.), famous orator, Neoteric poet, and dear friend of Catullus. In poem 14 as a joke he sent Catullus an anthology of the worst new poems he could find. We get a glimpse there of their close friendship: “Ni te plus oculis meis amarem, iucundissime Calve…” (If I didn’t love you more than my own eyes, most delightful Calvus) 

Otiosi: at leisure, without official employment, idle. Otiosi describes the subject of “lusimus,” but may also loosely describe “die.” Compare “otium,” used several times in Carmen 51. 

Lusimus: we played, amused ourselves, composed poetry. 

Tabellis: wooden writing tablets

Punctuation: I am punctuating after “tabellis,” and not after “delicatos,” because “delicatos” refers to the type of poems they are writing, not the poets themselves, in my opinion. 

Ut convenerat: as had been agreed 

Delicatos: that gives pleasure, voluptuous, amatory, erotic; cf. “deliciae,” beloved. 

Versiculos: diminutive of versus; little verses, such as epigrams. 

Uterque: each one 

Nostrum: of us 

Numero: in meter 

Modo…modo: now…now 

Hoc…illoc: this…that.  Cf. Carmen 3: “circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc”. 

Reddens mutua: giving back like for like, reciting in return. 

Illinc: from there 

Abii: I went away

Tuo lepore: by your charm, pleasantness, politeness, wit, humor. 

Incensus: set ablaze, inflamed, burning. 

Facetiis: witty/clever sayings, sense of humor. 

Miserum: miserable, wretched; cf. Carmen 8: “Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire.” 

Cibus: food 

Ut nec iuvaret: so that it would/could not help; imperfect subjunctive. 

Tegeret: would cover; imperfect subjunctive. 

Ocellos: diminutive of oculus, little eyes; it makes the situation more emotionally charged and pathetic. 

Indomitus: unrestrained, ungoverned, wild

Furore: raging, madness, fierce passion, vehement desire. 

Toto…lecto: on the whole bed

Versarer: was tossed and turned; imperfect subjunctive, passive. 

Ut loquerer: so that I could speak; imperfect subjunctive, deponent.
NB: loquerer, the accent is on the 1st syllable. Mea culpa! 

Simul: together, at the same time. 

Ut essem: so that I could be; imperfect subjunctive. 

Defessa: exhausted, having grown weary. 

Labore: by exertion, suffering, pain, distress. 

Membra: limbs, members of the body 

Lectulo: on the small bed or couch; diminutive of lectus. 

Iacebant: were lying 

Iucunde: a term of endearment; pleasant, delightful, pleasing; from iocus. 

Hoc poema: Catullus uses the Greek “poema” here instead of the usual “carmen,” which may suggest he’s referring to Carmen 51, his adaptation of Sappho’s poem. But of course it’s very possible he’s referring to poem 50.  

Perspiceres: you might perceive clearly, ascertain; imperfect subjunctive. 

Dolorem: pain, distress, affliction, anguish. 

Audax: presumptuous, proud, arrogant, aloof.  

Cave sis: take care lest you be, beware of being; present subjunctive. 

Preces: prayers, requests, entreaties. 

Oramus: we pray, beg, beseech; Catullus is using the “royal we” here. 

Cave despuas: take care that you not spit out, despise, reject. 

Ocelle: “little eye,” a term of endearment, oddly in the midst of threats; it echos “ocellos” in line 10. Cf. Carmen 31: “Paene insularum, Sirmio, insularumque ocelle…”

Nemesis: the goddess of retribution, punishing hubris and arrogance. Is Catullus alluding to Narcissus, punished by Nemesis for cruelly rejecting the love of the nymph Echo? 

Ne reposcat: lest she demand, exact, require; present subjunctive. 

A te: a pun, perhaps, referring to the Greek goddess Ate, who leads humans to rash and inconsiderate actions and thus suffering and ruin. 

Vehemens: violent, impetuous, vehement. 

Laedere caveto: you must take care not to offend her. Caveto is the more formal future imperative, giving a mock-solemn, and thus humorous, effect. 

Artwork:

“The Remorse of Nero After the Murder of His Mother,” John William Waterhouse, 1878, private collection, public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Not historically appropriate, but I think it would make Catullus chuckle. 

“Nemesis,” engraving, Albrecht Dürer, 1502, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Wikimedia Commons. 

Translation: David Amster, Fez, 4/27/22