Catullus 101 + 85

[faith-less-one.livejournal.com]

I looked, and neither of these poems are under the "Catullus" tag, which made me sad. The first, (101) is one of my favourite poems, and I cried the first time I translated it. This is my own translation.

101

Carried through many lands and many waters,
I come, brother, to this sad funeral,
So that I might bestow funeral gifts at last
And, in vain, might talk to your silent ashes.
Since Fortuna snatched you away from me.
O wretched brother, taken undeservedly from me,
Now, however, take these sad funeral things,
In the ancient ways passed down from our ancestors,
All wet with a brother's tears.
And for all time, brother, hail, and farewell.


Multas per gentes et multa per aequora vectus
advenio has miseras, frater, ad inferias,
ut te postremo donarem munere mortis
et mutam nequiquam alloquerer cinerem.
Quandoquidem fortuna mihi tete abstulit ipsum.
Heu miser indigne frater adempte mihi,
nunc tamen interea haec, prisco quae more parentum
tradita sunt tristi munere ad inferias,
accipe fraterno multum manantia fletu,
atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

85 is one of the best known Catullus poems, and remarkable for it's ability to put forward a massive amount of emotion in only 2 lines. Again, this is my translation.

85

I hate and I love. Perhaps you are wondering why I do this?
I do not know, but I feel it happening, and I am tortured.

Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris.
nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

(BTW - go here, you will not be disappointed!)

Comments

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Ah, love Catullus, and especially this poem; thank you!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ananda_/]

Thanks very much.

[evilstorm.livejournal.com]

Learning Latin for the porn; very very nice to see some of its, ah, more refined uses. Thank you!

[faith-less-one.livejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong, the porn is awesome! I've learnt a lot. ;)

However, those Romans could be awfully eloquent on more delicate subjects too. :D Glad you like!

[evilstorm.livejournal.com]

The porn is AMAZING, but so is the rest of the literature. XD

[amorphic.livejournal.com]

I haven't touched my Latin for almost ten years now, but I still remember 85, I really do love that poem. Thanks for sharing! ♥

[elvenpiratelady.livejournal.com]

I read a lot of Catullus' dirtier poems before I first came across 101 and I was surprised to find him so serious. Nevertheless, it's a lovely poem.

[winterbymorning.livejournal.com]

I love Catullus. Once my Latin prof made me read and translate 97 in class... that was a fun way to start off the day!

I'm always glad to meet another Latin-lover on LJ too. I think I'll post some Martial now to follow up the theme of "usually vulgar poets writing a sweet, touching poem."