Catullus 53 in Latin & English: Risi nescio quem modo e corona
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2022-05-16

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Catullus 53 is a humorous compliment to his friend Licinius Calvus, whose brilliant speech against Vatinius continued to be studied by students of oratory for generations. (Tacitus Dial. 21)

Risi: I laughed

Nescio quem: someone (I don’t know who), somebody

Modo: just now

Corona: a circle of auditors, especially at a trial.

Mirifice: wonderfully, marvellously, causing wonder or admiration.

Vatiniana: of Vatinius, the same corrupt crony of Caesar mentioned in poem 52. He was prosecuted by Calvus three times. 

Crimina: crimes, the charges against Vatinius.

Meus: my, my own, my dear

Calvos: = Calvus, in early Latin O was sometimes used instead of U. Calvus, here around twenty-three years old, is Catullus’ friend mentioned in poem 14 and 50. 

Vatiniana meus crimina Calvos: note the ABAB word order.

Explicasset: (= explicavisset) had unfolded, set forth, explained; pluperfect subjunctive.

Admirans: being astonished at, regarding with admiration; note the repetition of the root MIR from “mirifice” above. 

Ait: he said, can be past tense (perfect) or present.

Haec: these things

Manus tollens: lifting up his hands in amazement.

Di = dei

Salaputium: a humorous, probably obscene word, possibly derived from “salax” (lustful, lecherous) and “putus” (a boy). It’s found only here in all of Latin literature, except when Seneca the Elder (54 BC-39 AD) quoted Catullus when discussing Calvus:
“erat enim parvolus statura, propter quod etiam Catullus in hendecasyllabis vocat illum 'salaputium disertum'” (for he was very small in stature, on account of which even Catullus in his hendecasylles calls him 'salaputium disertum'.) Controversiae 7.4. 

Disertum: skilled at speaking, the same word Catullus uses for Cicero in poem 49. Even Vatinius agreed with this assessment of Calvus’ ability: 
“…in media eius actione surgeret Vatinius reus et exclamaret: 'rogo vos, iudices: non, si iste disertus est, ideo me damnari oportet.'” (in the middle of his (Calvus’) speech Vatinius the defendent rose and exclaimed: I beg you, judges: if that man is skilled at speaking, it is not, for that reason, that I ought to be condemned.) Seneca Maior, Controversiae 7.4.


Pronunciation: 

Rīsī nescio quem mod(o) ē corōnā,
quī, cum mīrificē vatīniāna
meus cRīmina calvos explicāsset,
admīrāñs aït haec manūsque tollēñs,
“dī mañgnī, salapūtiumN diseRtu(m)!”

mod(o) ē: the O before another vowel was possibly 
pronounced as a soft W sound, which is how I’m 
trying to do it. 

Admīrāñs, tollēñs: N before S was nasalized.

Magni (mañgnī): the G before N was pronounded 
like a nasalized NG. 

Salapūtiu(m)N diseRtum: the M before D was 
pronounced N. 


Meter: Hendecasyllables

rīsī nēscĭŏ quēm mŏdo ē cŏrōnā,
quī cūm mīrĭfĭcē Vătīnĭānă
mĕūs crīmĭnă Cāluŏs ēxplĭcāssĕt,
ādmīrāns ăĭt haēc mănūsquĕ tōllēns,
dī māgnī, sălăpūtĭūm dĭsērtŭm.


I had to laugh just now 
at some guy from the spectators’ circle
who, when my friend Calvus 
had marvellously set forth the crimes of Vatinius,
gazing in admiration and raising his hands, said this,
“Great gods, the little runt is eloquent!”


Artwork:

Marble portrait bust, Roman, 1st century AD, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, public domain. 

The Orator, “Aule Metele,” Etruscan bronze, ca. 80 BC, National Archaeological Museum, Florence, public domain. 

Translation: David Amster, Fez, 5/16/22