Catullus 52 in Latin & English:  Quid est, Catulle? Quid moraris emori?
Channel: David Amster
Date: 2022-05-08

#catullus
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation

Catullus is expressing his disgust and despair over the level of corruption in Rome, probably around 55 BC. His attack is aimed at two of Caesar’s political allies. 

Quid: what; for what, why? 

Moraris: do you delay, put off, hesitate; a deponent verb, passive in form but active in meaning. 

Emori: to die, die off; deponent verb.

Sella in curuli: in the curule seat, a folding chair reserved for high-level officials: dictators, consuls, praetors, etc. 

Struma: a tumor, especially in the neck. Cicero uses this word several times to describe Vatinius. Catullus is using it here for Nonius, perhaps to emphasize the similarity between the two. 

Nonius: a corrupt supporter of Caesar, but we don’t know who he was for sure. 

Vatinius: an ally of Caesar, prosecuted by both Cicero and Catullus’ friend Calvus. He was “elected” praetor in 55 BC and promised a consulship by Caesar, which occurred in 47 BC. See Cicero’s “Against Publius Vatinius.”  

Per: through, throughout; on account of, for the sake of. 

Consulatum: the office of consul, consulship. 

Peierat: he swears falsely, perjures himself. 



Meter: Iambic Trimeter 

Iambic trimeter consists of three iambic units, each of two “feet”. (iamb = u — ). The three pairs of iambs are broken by a caesura (pause) in the middle of the third foot. A spondee ( — — ) may be substituted for an iamb in the first and third feet.

x –  u –  x || –   u –  u –  u – 

quĭd ēst Cătūllĕ? || quīd mŏrārĭs ēmŏrī?
sēlla īn cŭrūlī || strūmă Nōnĭūs sĕdēt,
pēr cōnsŭlātūm || pēiĕrāt Vătīnĭūs.
quĭd ēst Cătūllĕ? || quīd mŏrārĭs ēmŏrī?


Repetition of Sound:

QUID est, CatULLe? QUID MORaris eMORi?
SELLa in CURULi stRUma nonius SEdet,
PER consulatum PEieRat vatinius:
quid est, catulle? quid moraris emori?

The first verse is identical to the last here and in Catullus 16 and 36. 


Pronunciation:

quid est, catuLLe? quid morāris ēmorī?
seLL(ā) iñ curūlī stRūma nōnius sedet,
peR cōñsulātum peierat vatīnius:
quid est, catuLLe? quid morāris ēmorī?

iñ curūlī: N before C pronounced “NG”

cōñsulātum: N before S is nasalized. 

R: trilled r


Artwork:

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

Roman bronze portrait, 50 BC - 54 AD, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, public domain. 

Aureus of Augustus, 15 BC, Tiberius and Drusus hand Augustus, sitting on a sella curulis, symbols of victory (laurel branches). Copenhagen, National Museum, public domain. 

Translation: 
David Amster
Fez, May 8, 2022