Catullus 51 in Latin & English: Ille mi par esse deo videtur, Pronunciation & Meter Notes
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2021-04-18

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Catullus 51 is a free translation or adaptation of a Greek poem by Sappho (Sappho 31), from ca. 600 BC. Sappho was addressing a young woman she was in love with; Catullus adapts the poem to express his feelings when he sees Clodia/Lesbia with another man, possibly her husband. While the first three stanzas are based on Sappho’s poem, the fourth is his own, where he concludes that excessive ‘otium’ (idleness, leisure) is the cause of his lovesickness. 

NB: This video has been made in conjunction with my colleague Matthaeus’ excellent Latin Poetry Lesson on Catullus 51:

https://www.reddit.com/r/latin/comments/mydjzg/poetry_lesson_iv_catullus_li/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Pronunciation

ILLe mī pār eSSe deō vidētuR,
iLLe, sī fās est, superāre dīvōs,
quī sedê(N)s adveRsus identidemN tē
     spectat et audit
dulce rīdenteM, miserō quod omnīs
ēripit sē(N)sūs mihi: nâ(m) simul tē,
LeSbi(a), aspexī, nihil est supeR mī
     [vōcis in ōre],
liNGgua sed toRpet, tenuīs sub aRtūs
flaMMa dēmānat, sonitū suōpte
tintinant aurēs, geminā teguntuR
     lūmina nocte.
ōtiumNG, CatuLLe, tibi molest(ûm) est:
ōti(ō) exsultās nimiumNGque gestīs:
ōti(ûm) et Rēgēs pRius et beātās
     peRdidit uRbēs. 

To Pause or not to Pause? 

No pause at end of line: 8 times 
Pause: 4 times, the first 2 lines of stanza 1 and 4
Note that there’s not much of a pause at the end of the 1st stanza. 


Accents

Ille mī pār esse deō vidĒtur,
ille, sī fās est, superĀre dīvōs,
quī sedēns adVERsus iDENtidem tē
     spectat et audit
dulce rīDENtem, MIserō quod omnīs
Ēripit sēnsūs mihi: nam simul tē,
LESbia, aSPExī, nihil est super mī
     [vōcis in ōre],
lingua sed torpet, TEnuīs sub artūs
flamma dēMĀnat, SOnitū suŌPte
TINtinant aurēs, GEminā teGUNtur
     LŪmina nocte.
Ōtium, CaTULle, tibi moLEStum est:
Ōtiō exSULtās nimiUMque gestīs:
Ōtium et rēgēs prius et beĀtās
     PERdidit urbēs. 


Meter

The Sapphic stanza (or strophe), named after Sappho of Lesbos, is used in Catullus 11 and 51. There are three hendecasyllablic lines (Sapphic hendecasyllable), followed by a shorter final line, called an Adonic. 

– ∪ – x – ∪ ∪ – ∪ – –
– ∪ – x – ∪ ∪ – ∪ – –
– ∪ – x – ∪ ∪ – ∪ – –
– ∪ ∪ – –

– ∪ (trochee) – x (spondee/tr) – ∪ ∪ (dactyl) – ∪ (tr) – – (sp)
– ∪ ∪ (dactyl) – – (spondee)

īllĕ mī pār ēssĕ dĕō uĭdētūr,
īllĕ sī fās ēst sŭpĕrārĕ dīuōs,
quī sĕdēns āduērsŭs ĭdēntĭdēm tē
     spēctăt ĕt aūdīt

– ∪ – – – ∪ ∪ – ∪ – – : 11 times
– ∪ – ∪ – ∪ ∪ – ∪ – – : Only once, ōtĭūm Cătūllĕ tĭbī mŏlēstūm est

Caesura

A caesura is a break in the middle of a metrical foot, usually indicating a pause in the middle of a line. In a Sapphic stanza a pause after the 5th syllable, splitting the dactyl, is very common...8 times in this poem. 

īllĕ sī fās ēst || sŭpĕrārĕ dīuōs,
dūlcĕ rīdēntēm, || mĭsĕrō quŏd ōmnīs
Lēsbĭa āspēxī || nĭhĭl ēst sŭpēr mī
līnguă sēd tōrpēt. || tĕnŭīs sŭb ārtūs
flāmmă dēmānāt. || sŏnĭtū sŭōptē
tīntĭnānt aūrēs. || gĕmĭnā tĕgūntūr
ōtĭūm Cătūllĕ || tĭbī mŏlēstūm est.
ōtĭo ēxsūltās || nĭmĭūmquĕ gēstīs.

Please note that the 4th line of the second stanza is missing in the manuscripts. Based on Sappho’s poem “vocis in ore” was suggested by Ritter in 1828. 

Artwork

Sappho of Eresos, Roman copy of 5th century BC Greek original, Capitoline Museum, Rome, photo Marie-Lan Nguyen, public domain. 

Sappho and Alcaeus, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1881, Walters Art Museum, public domain. 

“Sappho”, fresco from Pompeii, ca. 50 AD, Museo Archeologico Nationale, Naples, photo Wolfgang Rieger, public domain. 

Sappho 31, translation and background:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sappho_31?wprov=sfti1

Two beautiful musical recitations of Sappho 31:

https://youtu.be/F195sQoy1Bo

https://youtu.be/mOlIqozu3Fg


That man to me seems to be equal to a god,
that man, if it is possible, to surpass the gods,
who sitting across from you again and again 
looks at you and listens to you 

sweetly laughing, which siezes 
all senses from me, miserable. 
For as soon as I have gazed upon you, 
Lesbia, no voice is left in my mouth,

but my tongue lies paralyzed, 
a subtle flame spreads throughout my limbs,
my ears are ringing with their own sound,
my eyes enshrouded in a double night. 

Idleness, Catullus, for you is treacherous. 
You exult in idleness and enjoy far too much. 
Idleness has in former times devastated
both kings and prosperous cities. 

Translation DWA, April 18, 2021
Fez