Translation:Catullus 24

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Catullus 24
by Catullus, translated from Latin by Wikisource

The Juventii are a distinguished family from Tusculum, a large Roman city in the Alban Hills, and the boy ("flosculus Iuventiorum") is a boy with whom Catullus has a sexual relationship, referred to in other Catullus poems (15, 21, 23, 24, 48, 81, 99). "divitias Midae" refers to the wealth of Midas, or endless wealth. "isti, qui neque servus est neque arca" refers back to Furius in poem 23. Hendecasyllabic.

1949356Catullus 24WikisourceCatullus


Literal English Translation Original Latin Line

Oh you who are the little bloom of the Juventian race,
not only of those now, but of however many there were,
or however many will be in coming years,
I'd prefer you give the wealth of Midas
to that man for whom there is neither a slave nor a coffer,
than that you suffer yourself to be loved by him.
"Why?" you ask "Is he not a good man?" He is;
but there is neither a slave nor a coffer to this fine man.
Joke and dismiss this as much as it please you;
nevertheless, he has neither a slave nor a coffer.

O qui flosculus es Iuventiorum,
non horum modo, sed quot aut fuerunt
aut posthac aliis erunt in annis,
mallem divitias Midae dedisses
isti, cui neque servus est neque arca,
quam sic te sineres ab illo amari.
"qui? non est homo bellus" inquies. est;
sed bello huic neque servus est neque arca.
Hoc tu quam lubet abice elevaque;
nec servum tamen ille habet neque arcam.

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