Catullus 32 in Latin & English: Amabo, mea dulcis Ipsitilla; Pronunciation & Meter Notes
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2021-04-29

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

In Carmen 32 Catullus is entreating Ipsitilla to invite him for a postprandial “siesta.”

Amabo: please, I would love it if; there’s a play on the literal meaning (I will love/make love)

Ipsitilla: otherwise unknown, probably a high-class independent courtesan. It has been suggested that this may be a veiled attack on Julius Caesar’s mistress (Garrison in “The Students’ Catullus”). 

veniam, obseret, lubeat, maneas, pares: all subjunctives! 

meridiatum: the supine of meridio (to take a mid-day nap or siesta) to indicate purpose. From meridies, midday. 

iusseris: future perfect tense. Note that iusserīs, with a long I, is perfect subjunctive. Confusing!! 

adiuvato, iubeto: both future imperative 

domi: locative case

fututiones: Catullus created this humorous, exaggerated word from the verb futuo (to have “carnal connection”). Compare basiationes in Carmen 7. 

satur supinus: I think he’s playing with the similarly to satyrus/satyr and the p-word that sounds like supinus. A satyr is a lascivious forest deity, usually with goat’s feet. 

tunicam, pallium: a tunic is the main garment/undergarment, a pallium is a cloak, mantle or toga

-que.... -que: = et, et, both...and; giving a comic mock-heroic effect. 

Note the wonderful repetition of sound:

aMabo, Mea, Meae, Mei
meridiATÛ(m), adiuvATO
SI iuSSerIS quIS lImInIS
forAS, maneAS, continuAS
Nobis, Novem 
PRaNsus, SatuR SuPiNus
PeRtundo tuNicaMQUE PalliuMQUE


Pronunciation:

Amābō, mea dulcis IpsitiLLa,
meae dēliciae, meī lepōrēs,
iubē(a)d tē veniaM merīdiātû(m).
et sī iuSSeris, iLLud adiuvātō,
nē quis līminis obseret tabeLLâ(m),
neu tibī lubeat forās abīre,
sed domī maneās parēsque nōbīs
noveNG continuās futūtiōnēs.
vērû(m) sī quid agēs, statî(m) iubētō:
naM prā(n)sus iaceō(e)t satuR supīnus
peRtundō tunicaNGque paLLiuNGque.

iubē(a)d: I try to blend the two vowels 
iaceō(e)t: I blend the ōe by pronouncing the O as a soft W
R = trilled R


Meter: Phalaecean Hendecasyllables

⏓ ⏓ – ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏓ 

where ⏓ ⏓ is either a trochee – ⏑ , spondee – – , or iamb ⏑ –

ămābō mĕă dūlcĭs Īpsĭtīllă.
mĕaē dēlĭcĭaē. mĕī lĕpōrēs.
iŭbe ād tē uĕnĭām mĕrīdĭātŭm.
ēt sī iūssĕrĭs īllŭd ādiŭvātō
nē quīs līmĭnĭs ōbsĕrēt tăbēllăm.
neū tĭbī lŭbĕāt fŏrās ăbīrĕ.
sēd dŏmī mănĕās. părēsquĕ nōbīs
nŏuēm cōntĭnŭās fŭtūtĭōnēs.
uērūm sī quĭd ăgēs stătīm iŭbētō.
nām prānsūs iăcĕo ēt sătūr sŭpīnŭs
pērtūndō tŭnĭcāmquĕ pāllĭūmquĕ.

Note how Catullus uses 3 long syllables to begin a line 5 times. Seems to be for emphasis. 

Note too how with some words the meter corresponds with the natural stress (ămābō, dūlcĭs, lĕpōrēs) with others not (mĕaē dēlĭcĭaē, uĕnĭām, tĭbī lŭbĕāt fŏrās, dŏmī mănĕās). The latter seems to slow the reader down a bit and place more emphasis on these words. 


Stress/Accent, in caps, only for words with 3 syllables or more:

amĀbō, mea dulcis ipsiTILla,
meae dēLIciae, meī lePŌrēs,
iubē (a)d tē VEniam merīdiĀtu(m).
et sī IUSseris, illud adiuVĀtō,
nē quis LĪminis OBseret taBELla(m),
neu tibī LUbeat forās aBĪre,
sed domī MAneās paRĒSque nōbīs
nove(m)ng conTInuās futūtiŌnēs.
vēru(m) sī quid agēs, stati(m) iuBĒtō:
nam prâ(n)sus IAceō (e)t satur suPĪnus
perTUNdō tuniCANG(m)que palliUNG(m)que.


Artwork 

Satyr and Antiope, 3nd century Roman mosaic, Zeugma Museum, Gaziantep, photo Dick Osseman

Nymph and Satyr, terracotta, Claude Michel Clodion, 1764, Gulbekian Museum


Please, my sweet Ipsitilla, 
my darling, my delight,
invite me to come to you 
to share an afternoon siesta. 
And if you invite me, help bring that about,
lest anyone should lock the front door,
nor should you be inclined to go out,
but stay at home and prepare for us
nine continual copulas. 
Indeed if you are going to do something, 
invite me forthwith,
for having dined I lie here sated and supine, 
boring through both tunic and cloak. 

Translation, David Amster, Fez, 4/29/21