The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/109
Text And Translation
[edit | edit source]Meter - Elegiac distych
| Line | Latin text | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iucundum, mea vita, mihi proponis amorem | My life, you promise me that this love |
| 2 | hunc nostrum inter nos perpetuumque fore. | of ours, among us, will be pleasant and everlasting. |
| 3 | Di magni, facite ut vere promittere possit, | Great gods, make it that she is able to promise truly, |
| 4 | atque id sincere dicat et ex animo, | And that she may say it sincerely and from her heart, |
| 5 | ut liceat nobis tota perducere vita | That we might be allowed to extend |
| 6 | aeternum hoc sanctae foedus amicitiae. | This life-long pact of holy-friendship our whole life. |
Connotations of the Text
[edit | edit source]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
[edit | edit source]- 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
[edit | edit source]Line 2
[edit | edit source]- fore - the future infinitive of the verb to be, sometimes seen as "futurunesse" lit: to be about to be.
Line 5
[edit | edit source]- liceat - an impersonal verb that requires a dative. "liceat nobis" literally translates as "it may be permissable for us".
Line 6
[edit | edit source]- foedus, -eris; n - pact; bond; treaty
External Links
[edit | edit source]Catullus 109 Translation of Catullus 109
Catullus 109 Another Translation of Catullus 109