The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/3

=Text & Translation=

Meter - Hendecasyllabic

=Connotations of The Text=

Line 1

 * Veneres Cupidinesque

This was a favourite phrase of Catullus's. He also uses it in poem 13.

Lines 3-4

 * passer... meae puellae - sparrow... of my girl

This anaconda conveys a rhetorical tone, something Catullus uses frequently.

Line 9

 * modo huc modo illuc - now here now there

The sound of this set of words imitates the way the little bird would have hopped around when it was alive.

Line 10

 * pipiabat - chirped

The sound of this word imitates the sound the little sparrow would have made. Written in scanned form - pǐpǐābǎt - the combination of longs and shorts reflect the little bird's voice.

=Vocabulary=

Line 1

 * lugeo, lugere, luxi, luctus - to mourn
 * Venus, Venus, Veneris f. (third declension) - Venus
 * Cupido, Cupido Cupidinis m. (third declension) - Cupid

Line 2

 * homo, homo hominis m.  man, human
 * venustiorus, venustiorus venustiora venustiorum  - sweeter/more delightful

Line 3

 * passer, passeris, m. - sparrow
 * meus, mea, meum - my
 * puella, puella, puellae f.  - girl

Line 4

 * delicia, deliciae f. - delight

Line 5

 * plus, plus + Ablativus - more than
 * ille, illa, ille, illud  - she
 * oculus, oculi m.  - eye
 * suus, suus, sua, suum  - her
 * amo, amare, amavi, amatum - Indicative Praeteritum Active  - she/he/it loved

Line 6

 * mellitus, mellita, mellitum - honey sweet
 * novi, novisse --> Plusquamperfect noveram --> no(ve)rat+contraction norat - to acknowledge as

Line 7

 * tam - so
 * bene - well
 * mater, matris f. - matrem -> accusativus singularis  - mother

Line 8

 * gremium, gremii, n. - lap, bosom, female interior
 * moveo, movere, movi, motum - Indicative Praeteritum Active  - she moved
 * a, a+ablativus  - from

Line 9

 * sed  - but
 * circumsilio, circumsilio, circumsilire, circumsiliui  - jump, hop around
 * hoc - here
 * illuc - there
 * modo - once

Line 10

 * ad, ad+accusativus  - about
 * solus, solus, sola, solum  - only
 * domina, domina, dominae f. - akkusativus singularis  - mistress
 * usque  - constantly, continually
 * pipio, pipio, pipiare, pipiavi, pipiatum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - the passer sang / was singing

=External Links=


 * Catullus 3 A Translation of Catullus 3
 * Catullus 3 Another Translation of Catullus 3