Catullus Poem 75: Hūc est mēns dēducta tuā mea, Lesbia, culpā; Latin & English
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2023-10-07

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

In Carmen 75, Catullus tries to explain to Lesbia/Clodia how her behavior has had a profound effect on his feelings and loss of respect for her. Note how carefully the poem is crafted, so that the sound fits with the emotional tone of the poem: the repeated “A” sounds in the first line and FIVE examples of elision reflect Catullus’ distress. 

Hūc: to this, to this point, to this extent, to this place.

est dēducta: has been led down, has been weighed down, has been diminished; perfect passive.

mēns mea: my mind, feeling, heart, soul; nom. sing. fem. 

tuā culpā: by your fault, crime, sexual misconduct; ablative “of means”.

Lesbia: the name Catullus uses for his mistress, the beautiful, brilliant and promiscuous Clodia Metelli, wife of senator and consul Metellus Celer. He called her “Lesbia”, woman of Lesbos, in honor of Sappho, one of his favorite poets. 

mēns tuā mea, Lesbia, culpā: note ABAB interlocking word word order, “tua mea” emphasizing the connection between them and the conflict between his state of mind and her behavior. 

Hūc est mēns dēducta tuā mea, Lesbia, culpā
Hūc est mēns dēducta tuā, mea Lesbia, culpā

Mens mea or Mea Lesbia? There is no punctuation in the original manuscript, so some scholars put the comma after mea and some after tua. The argument for “mens mea” is that it’s preferable to have an adjective with mens, the interlocking word order is classic Catullus style, the meter suggests a slight pause after tua mea, and, finally, “mea Lesbia” seems a bit inappropriate given his anger; “Lesbia” alone is much more icy. But it’s possible that Catullus means for it to be ambiguous!

atque: and, and also, and even

ita: so, thus, in such a way; anticipates “ut”, that, in the next clause. 

sē: itself; accusative, referring to “mens ipsa”. 

perdidit: has wasted, destroyed, utterly lost; perfect

ipsa: itself, fem. nominative, subject of perdidit, refering to mea mens.

officiō suō:, duty, kindness; ablative. 

ut: that, so that; introduces a result clause with the subjunctive:

HUC est mēns dēducta mea atque ITA sē perdidit ipsa UT iam nec bene velle QUEAT tibi.

Ita fatigatus sum ut non ambulare possim! I am so tired that I can’t walk. 

iam: now

nec: nor, and not, not even; nec….nec: neither….nor.

bene velle: like, respect, have good intentions toward, have friendly feelings toward; infinitive of bene volo. Cf. Catullus 72: 

“Quod amantem iniuria talis cogit amare magis, sed bene velle minus.”
(Because an offense such as this compels a lover to love more, but care about less.)

(mea mens) queat: it is not able, it cannot, it would not be able; subjunctive in result clause after UT. 

tibi: you, for you, with respect to you; dative object of bene velle or dative of “respect”. 

sī: if

optima: the best (woman), most excellent, finest, extremely good; fem. sing referring to Lesbia. 

fīās: you were to become, you should become; subjunctive in “future less vivid” condition. 

dēsistere: (to) stop; infinitive after queat.

amāre: loving, to love; infin. after desistere. 

omnia: all things, all (immoral terrible unspeakable) things!

faciās: you were to do, should do; subjunctive. 

PRONUNCIATION:

hūc est mē(n)s dēducta tuā mea, leSbia, culpā
     atqu(e) ita s(ē) oFFiciō peRdidit ipsa suō,
ut ia(N) nec bene veLLe queat tibi, s(ī) optima fīās,
     nec dēsister(e) amār(e), omnia sī faciās.

METER: Elegiac Couplets

hūc ēst mēns dēdūctă tŭā mĕă Lēsbĭă cūlpā
     ātque ĭtă se ōffĭcĭō || pērdĭdĭt īpsă sŭō
ūt iām nēc bĕnĕ uēllĕ quĕāt tĭbĭ si ōptĭmă fīās
     nēc dēsīstĕre ămāre || ōmnĭă sī făcĭās.

REPETITION OF SOUND:

hUc est MEns DeDUcTA TUA MEA, LesbiA, culpA
     atque ita se officiO PerDIDIt IPSa SuO,
Ut iam NEC bENE vEllE quEat tibi, SI OptIMA FIAS,
     NEC desisteRE amaRE, OMnIA SI FAcIAS.

All the As in the first line are quite striking, as is the wonderful similarity of sound in “SI OptIMA FIAS” and “OMnIA SI FAcIAS”.