Goodreads helps you follow your favorite authors. Be the first to learn about new releases!
Start by following Catullus.
Showing 1-30 of 74
“Odi et amo. quare id faciam, fortasse requiris?
nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.”
― The Complete Poems
nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.”
― The Complete Poems
“I hate and I love
Why do I, you ask ?
I don't know, but it's happening
and it hurts”
―
Why do I, you ask ?
I don't know, but it's happening
and it hurts”
―
“Let us live and love, nor give a damn what sour old men say.
The sun that sets may rise again, but when our light has sunk into the earth it is gone forever.”
―
The sun that sets may rise again, but when our light has sunk into the earth it is gone forever.”
―
“I hate and I love. And if you ask me how, I do not know: I only feel it, and I am torn in two.”
―
―
“I hate and love. And why, perhaps you’ll ask.
I don’t know: but I feel, and I’m tormented.”
―
I don’t know: but I feel, and I’m tormented.”
―
“Godlike the man who
sits at her side, who
watches and catches
that laughter
which (softly) tears me
to tatters: nothing is
left of me, each time
I see her...”
―
sits at her side, who
watches and catches
that laughter
which (softly) tears me
to tatters: nothing is
left of me, each time
I see her...”
―
“Odi et amo; quare fortasse requiris, nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.
(my translation: I hate and I love, you ask why I do this, I do not know, but I feel and I am tormented)”
― The Complete Poems
(my translation: I hate and I love, you ask why I do this, I do not know, but I feel and I am tormented)”
― The Complete Poems
“In perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale. (Forever and ever, brother, hail and farewell.)”
― The Complete Poems
― The Complete Poems
“Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt;
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum;
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.”
― The Complete Poems
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt;
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum;
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.”
― The Complete Poems
“Ave Atque Vale
Hail and farewell”
―
Hail and farewell”
―
“Better a sparrow, living or dead, than no birdsong at all.”
―
―
“Atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.”
―
―
“Oh, this age! How tasteless and ill-bred it is.”
―
―
“We should live, my Lesbia, and love
And value all the talk of stricter
Old men at a single penny.
Suns can set and rise again;
For us, once our brief light has set,
There's one unending night for sleeping.
Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred,
Then another thousand, then a second hundred,
Then still another thousand, then a hundred;
Then, when we've made many thousands,
We'll muddle them so as not to know
Or lest some villain overlook us
Knowing the total of our kisses.
(Translated by Guy Lee)”
― The Complete Poems
And value all the talk of stricter
Old men at a single penny.
Suns can set and rise again;
For us, once our brief light has set,
There's one unending night for sleeping.
Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred,
Then another thousand, then a second hundred,
Then still another thousand, then a hundred;
Then, when we've made many thousands,
We'll muddle them so as not to know
Or lest some villain overlook us
Knowing the total of our kisses.
(Translated by Guy Lee)”
― The Complete Poems
“soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit breuis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda. ”
― Carmina
nobis cum semel occidit breuis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda. ”
― Carmina
“I have lost you, my brother
And your death has ended
The spring season
Of my happiness,
our house is buried with you
And buried the laughter that you taught me.
There are no thoughts of love nor of poems
In my head
Since you died.”
― I Hate and I Love
And your death has ended
The spring season
Of my happiness,
our house is buried with you
And buried the laughter that you taught me.
There are no thoughts of love nor of poems
In my head
Since you died.”
― I Hate and I Love
“Come boy, and pour for me a cup
Of old Falernian. Fill it up
With wine, strong, sparkling, bright, and clear;
Our host decrees no water here.
Let dullards drink the Nymph's pale brew,
The sluggish thin their blood with dew.
For such pale stuff we have no use;
For us the purple grape's rich juice.
Begone, ye chilling water sprite;
Here burning Bacchus rules tonight!”
― Selections From Catullus: Translated into English verse with an Introduction on the theory of Translation
Of old Falernian. Fill it up
With wine, strong, sparkling, bright, and clear;
Our host decrees no water here.
Let dullards drink the Nymph's pale brew,
The sluggish thin their blood with dew.
For such pale stuff we have no use;
For us the purple grape's rich juice.
Begone, ye chilling water sprite;
Here burning Bacchus rules tonight!”
― Selections From Catullus: Translated into English verse with an Introduction on the theory of Translation
“What a woman tells her lover in desire
should be written out on air & running water.”
― I Hate and I Love
should be written out on air & running water.”
― I Hate and I Love
“I hate and I love. Why do I do this, you may ask? I do not know, but I feel it, and I am tortured.”
―
―
“I hate and I love. And if you ask me how, I do not know: I only feel it, and I'm torn in two.”
― I Hate and I Love
― I Hate and I Love
“I hate & love. And if you should ask how I do both,
I couldn't say; but I feel it , and it shivers me.”
― The Complete Poems
I couldn't say; but I feel it , and it shivers me.”
― The Complete Poems
“Nothing is left of me
Each time I see her”
―
Each time I see her”
―
“Through many countries and over many seas
I have come, Brother, to these melancholy rites,
to show this final honour to the dead,
and speak (to what purpose?) to your silent ashes,
since now fate takes you, even you, from me.
Oh, Brother, ripped away from me so cruelly,
now at least take these last offerings, blessed
by the tradition of our parents, gifts to the dead.
Accept, by custom, what a brother's tears drown,
and, for eternity, Brother, 'Hail and Farewell'.”
―
I have come, Brother, to these melancholy rites,
to show this final honour to the dead,
and speak (to what purpose?) to your silent ashes,
since now fate takes you, even you, from me.
Oh, Brother, ripped away from me so cruelly,
now at least take these last offerings, blessed
by the tradition of our parents, gifts to the dead.
Accept, by custom, what a brother's tears drown,
and, for eternity, Brother, 'Hail and Farewell'.”
―
“Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem. Difficile est, verum hoc qua lubet efficias,” which is Latin for
“It is difficult suddenly to put aside a long-standing love; it is difficult, but somehow you must do it.”
―
“It is difficult suddenly to put aside a long-standing love; it is difficult, but somehow you must do it.”
―
“But your own tears blind you to mine.
I am not neglectful of friendship,
but we two squat in the same coracle,
we are both swamped by the same stormy waters,
I have not the gifts of a happy man. . . Often enough.”
― I Hate and I Love
I am not neglectful of friendship,
but we two squat in the same coracle,
we are both swamped by the same stormy waters,
I have not the gifts of a happy man. . . Often enough.”
― I Hate and I Love
“Driven across many nations, across many oceans
I am here, my brother, for this final parting,
to offer at last those gifts which the dead are given
and to speak in vain to your unspeaking ashes,
since bitter fortune forbids you to hear me or answer,
O my wretched brother, so abruptly taken!
But now I must celebrate grief with funeral tributes
offered the dead in the ancient way of the fathers;
accept these presents, wet with my brotherly tears, and
now and forever, my brother, hail and farewell.”
―
I am here, my brother, for this final parting,
to offer at last those gifts which the dead are given
and to speak in vain to your unspeaking ashes,
since bitter fortune forbids you to hear me or answer,
O my wretched brother, so abruptly taken!
But now I must celebrate grief with funeral tributes
offered the dead in the ancient way of the fathers;
accept these presents, wet with my brotherly tears, and
now and forever, my brother, hail and farewell.”
―
“Już wiosna z ciepłym powraca powiewem,
Już marcowego nieba i mórz gniewy
Wesoły Zefir koi pieszczotami.
Wnet ziemie Frygii zostaną za nami,
Katullu, pola Nicei uprawne -
Polećmy do miast azjatyckich sławnych!
Już do włóczęgi myśl zrywa się lotem,
Nogi się prężą z radosnej ochoty.
A więc żegnajcie, towarzysze mili!
W podróż daleką wspólnieśmy ruszyli,
Różnymi szlaki wrócimy z powrotem.”
―
Już marcowego nieba i mórz gniewy
Wesoły Zefir koi pieszczotami.
Wnet ziemie Frygii zostaną za nami,
Katullu, pola Nicei uprawne -
Polećmy do miast azjatyckich sławnych!
Już do włóczęgi myśl zrywa się lotem,
Nogi się prężą z radosnej ochoty.
A więc żegnajcie, towarzysze mili!
W podróż daleką wspólnieśmy ruszyli,
Różnymi szlaki wrócimy z powrotem.”
―
“To whom shall I offer this book, young and sprightly,
Neat, polished, wide-margined, and finished politely?
To you, my Cornelius, whose learning pedantic,
Has dared to set forth in three volumes gigantic
The history of ages—ye gods, what a labor!—
And still to enjoy the small wit of a neighbor.
A man who can be light and learned at once, sir,
By life's subtle logic is far from a dunce, sir.
So take my small book—if it meet with your favor.
The passing of years cannot dull its sweet savor.”
― Selections From Catullus: Translated into English verse with an Introduction on the theory of Translation
Neat, polished, wide-margined, and finished politely?
To you, my Cornelius, whose learning pedantic,
Has dared to set forth in three volumes gigantic
The history of ages—ye gods, what a labor!—
And still to enjoy the small wit of a neighbor.
A man who can be light and learned at once, sir,
By life's subtle logic is far from a dunce, sir.
So take my small book—if it meet with your favor.
The passing of years cannot dull its sweet savor.”
― Selections From Catullus: Translated into English verse with an Introduction on the theory of Translation
“Id Faciam
What I hate I love. Ask the crucified hand that holds
the nail that now is driven into itself, why.”
―
What I hate I love. Ask the crucified hand that holds
the nail that now is driven into itself, why.”
―
