Catullus 30 in Latin & English: Alfene immemor atque unanimis false sodalibus
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2021-03-23

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Alfenus has betrayed Catullus and thus offended Fides, the goddess of trust and loyalty. “tui dulcis amiculi,” your sweet little friend, probably a term of endearment used by Alfenus, is bitterly ironic. 

NB: This video has been made in conjunction with my colleague Matthaeus’ excellent Latin Poetry Lesson on Catullus 30:

https://www.reddit.com/r/latin/comments/mh662m/poetry_lesson_iii_catullus_xxx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

This poem is very similar in language and tone to Catullus 64, where Ariadne is outraged at Theseus, who abandoned her after she helped him escape from her brother, the Minotaur. 

Meter: greater Asclepiadean, a 16-syllable line built around three choriambs (– u u –). Catullus uses this meter only in poem 30.

– –  - u u -  - u u -  - u u -  u x 

Ālfēne, īmmĕmŏr ātque ūnănĭmīs fālsĕ sŏdālĭbŭs.

Pronunciation Notes: 

Alfēn-immemor atqu-ūnanimīs falsē sodālibus,
Two short E’s are elided

iaN tē nīl miseret, dūrē, tuī dulcis amīculī?
iam te: M pronounced as N before T

iam mē prōdere, iaN nōn dubitās fallere, perfide?
iam me: M pronounced as M before M; iam non: M as N before N

nec fact-impia fallācû-hominuNG caelicolīs placent.
fact(a)impia: short A elided; fallāc(um)hominum: the M is not pronounced and the U becomes a consonant before HO; hominum caelicolīs: M before C = NG

quae tū neglegis ac mē miseruN dēseris iM malīs.
miserum dēseris: M before D = N; in malīs: N before M = M

ēheu quid faciant, dīc, hominēs cuiv-habeant fidê(m)?
cuiv(e)habeant: short E is elided; fidê(m): E nasalized and M not pronounced 

certē tūte iubēbās animaN trāder-, inīque, mē
animam trādere: M before T = N; trāder(e) inīque: short E elided

indūcê(n)s in amōreNG, quasi tūt-omnia mī forent.
indūcê(n)s: N before S not pronounced, E nasalized; tūt(a)omnia: short A elided

īdeN nunc retrahis t(ē)ac tua dict-omnia factaque
īdem nunc: M before N = N; t(ē)ac: long Ē and A are blended; dict(a)omnia: short A elided

ventōs irrita ferr-ac nebulās aëreās sinis.
ferr(e)ac: short E elided; aëreās: FOUR syllables! 

sī t(ū)oblītus es, at dī meminērunt, meminit Fidēs,
t(ū)oblītus: the long U as consonantal U “t-WO”

quae t(ē)ut paeniteat postmodo factī faciet tuī.
t(ē)ut: the long E and U are blended

Note the alliteration and repetition of key words, which unifies the poem. The root MEM (remember) is used at the beginning and end of the poem; FIDE (trust) three times; FAC (do/deed) five times:

AlFene imMEMor atque unanimis False sodalibus,
iam Te nil miseret, Dure, Tui DUlcis amiculi?
iam me PRodere, iam non DUbitas FALLere, PeRFIDE?
nec FACTA impia FALLacum HOMINum caelicolis placent.
quae tu neglegis ac Me Miserum deseris in Malis.
eheu quid FACIant, dic, HOMINes cuive habeant FIDEm?
certe TUTe iubebas animam tradere, INique, me
INducens IN amOREm, quasi TUTa OMNIA mi fOREnt.
idem nunc retrahis Te ac Tua dicta OMNIA FACTAque
ventos iRRita feRRe ac nebulas aereas sinis.
si tu oblitus es, at di MEMinerunt, MEMinit FIDEs,
quae Te ut Paeniteat Postmodo FACTi FACIeT Tui.

Artwork:

Roman mosaic, from Zeugma, Turkey, 200-300 AD
“Fides,” Edward Burne-Jones, 1871, Vancouver Art Gallery 
“Ariadne,” John William Waterhouse, 1898

Alfene immemor atque unanimis false sodalibus,
iam te nil miseret, dure, tui dulcis amiculi?
iam me prodere, iam non dubitas fallere, perfide?
nec facta impia fallacum hominum caelicolis placent.
quae tu neglegis ac me miserum deseris in malis.
eheu quid faciant, dic, homines cuive habeant fidem?
certe tute iubebas animam tradere, inique, me
inducens in amorem, quasi tuta omnia mi forent.
idem nunc retrahis te ac tua dicta omnia factaque
ventos irrita ferre ac nebulas aereas sinis.
si tu oblitus es, at di meminerunt, meminit Fides,
quae te ut paeniteat postmodo facti faciet tui.

Alfenus, forgetful and false to sympathetic comrades,
now do you, hard-hearted, take no pity on your dear, sweet friend? 
Now do you not hesitate to betray me, to deceive me, perfidious one?
The impious deeds of deceitful mortals are not pleasing to those who dwell above.
Which you disregard and abandon me, miserable, in the midst of troubles. 
Alas, tell me, what should people do, in whom should they have trust? 
Certainly you, unjust, were urging me to surrender my soul, without risk, leading me into love, as if everything would be secure for me. 
Yet now you draw yourself back and all your words and deeds 
allow the winds and ethereal clouds to carry off, useless. 
If you have forgotten, the gods remember, Fides remembers, 
who will make you, afterwards, regret what you have done. 

Translation DWA
Fez, 3/23/21