#catullus 3

[thetiredprometheus]

Catullus 2: Awww my girl has a sparrow! Lowkey kinda jealous ngl

Catullus 3: NOOOOO my girl's sparrow is DEAD 😭😭 It was so adorable and it loved her so much and she loved it so much guys 💔💔💔💔 Now she's crying and I'm crying, curse the shadows of the underworld for taking such a sweet baby bird!!! Fly high little guy🕊🥀 #MyGirlsSparrow

Catullus 16:

[terrorignitis]

at uobis male sit, malae tenebrae Orci, quae omnia bella deuoratis— tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis. o factum male! o miselle passer! tua nunc opera meae puellae flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli.

Catullus 3

[madamemachikonew]

Who loves beauty

veil her statues

veil Venus

her attendant Cupids

Lesbia's plaything

Lesbia's sparrow is dead

dearer to her than her two eyes

sweeter than honey

closer (even) than the young girl to her mother,

in her lap or at her breast

hopping from one shoulder to another

cheeping continually

to its mistress alone

...has now hopped solitarily

down that dark alleyway of no return

evil shadows of the underworld

Orcus

who swallows up all beautiful things

needless act! a small bird!

to close in on Lesbia's sparrow,

and swelling my girl's veiled eyes

which redden with tears.

~ Gaius Valerius Catullus, translated by Peter Whigham

[aescheretalks]

At vōbīs male sit, malae tenebrae orcī, quae omnia bella dēvorātis: tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis

Ō, factum male! Ō, miselle passer!

But may it go badly for you, evil shadows of hell, who devour all beautiful things: you have taken from me so beautiful a sparrow.

Oh, evil deed! Oh, wretched little sparrow!

[domina-suggestions]

Keep a strangely phallic pet

[patsykes-blog]

Catullus 3- In this poem Catullus sees his lover sad and distraught over something about him that he can not fix. These emotions are seen in the lines "tua nunc opera, meae puellae, flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli" (This is similar to the song "Wedding" by Mac Miller when Mac says that "the smile that she's faking's so tragic, hate looking at it, that magic I try to grasp it, she's had it with the dramatics". Both writers are sad about the fact that their lovers are sad and it is driving them crazy.

[ayliffe]

My first translation in roughly three years!

Mourn, o Venus and Cupid, and as many beautiful people as exist: my girlfriend’s sparrow is dead, the sparrow, my girlfriend’s delight, which she loved more than her own eyes: for it was so sweet and it knew her as a girl knows her mother: and it didn’t move itself away from her lap, but jumped about here and there, and would chirp only at its mistress. Now it goes on a journey through the darkness, to that place whence, they say, nobody returns. But! may it be your downfall, o evil darknesses of Orcus, who devours everything beautiful: you took away from me such a beautiful sparrow. Alas at this evil! Alas, poor sparrow! Now, due to your work, my girlfriend’s little swollen eyes are red with tears.

[ukdfofficial-blog]

Catullus 3

Mourn, oh Cupids and Venuses, and whatever there is of rather pleasing men: the sparrow of my girlfriend has died, the sparrow, delight of my girl, whom she loved more than her own eyes. For it was honey-sweet and it had known its mistress as well as a girl knew her mother, nor did it move itself from her lap, but jumping around now here now there he used to chirp continually to his mistress alone: who now goes through that gloomy journey from whence they denied anyone returns. But may it go badly for you, bad darkness of Orcus, you who devour all beautiful things: and so beautiful a bird you taken away from me o bad deed! o miserable sparrow! Now on account of your work my girl's slightly swollen little eyes are red from weeping.

© copyright 16-8-1997 by Walter Sullivan