The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/109

=Text And Translation=

Meter - Elegiac distych

=Connotations of the Text=

This is the poem Catullus himself chose as the 109th segment of his published set of poems. It is addressed to Catullus's mistress Lesbia. This poem joins the ranks of the many others that demonstrate his conflicting feelings for Lesbia.

Line 1

 * mea vita - lit. my life

This translates literally to "my life" but a more natural English translation would be "my love" or "my dear". It pertains to the common cliché that one's love becomes their whole life - and is as relevant today as in the time of Catullus.

=Vocabulary=

Line 2

 * fore - the future infinitive of the verb to be, sometimes seen as "futurunesse" lit: to be about to be.

Line 5

 * liceat - an impersonal verb that requires a dative. "liceat nobis" literally translates as "it may be permissable for us".

Line 6

 * foedus, -eris; n - pact; bond; treaty

=External Links= Catullus 109 Translation of Catullus 109

Catullus 109 Another Translation of Catullus 109