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Catullus 109
A pact for life
Catullus, Carmina: selections. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōCat. 109.1Iūcundum, mea vīta, mihi prōpōnis amōrem
hunc nostrum inter nōs perpetuumque fore.
My life, you promise me that this love of ours between us will be delightful and everlasting.
Note. mea vīta: 'my life', a lover's endearment. prōpōnis … fore: 'you promise that … will be'; fore = futūrum esse.
Cat. 109.3Dī magnī, facite ut vērē prōmittere possit
atque id sincērē dīcat et ex animō,
5ut liceat nōbīs tōtā perdūcere vītā
aeternum hoc sānctae foedus amīcitiae.
Great gods, make her able to promise truly, and say it sincerely and from her heart, so that we may be allowed to keep this everlasting pact of sacred friendship all our lives.
Note. facite ut … possit: 'make it so that she can'. ex animō: 'from the heart'. tōtā … vītā: 'for all our life'. aeternum hoc sānctae foedus amīcitiae: 'this everlasting pact of sacred friendship', the language of a treaty, applied to love.
Vocabulary
| iūcundus, -a, -um | sweet, pleasant |
| meus, -a, -um | my, mine |
| vīta, -ae, f. | life |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| prōpōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | put or set before, offer, propose; set forth, say |
| amor, -ōris, m. | love |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| nōs | plur. of ego |
| perpetuus, -a, -um | continuous, perpetual; in perpetuum, for all time, forever |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| deus, -ī, m. | god |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| vērē (adv.) | truly, really |
| prōmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send or put forth, promise |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| sincērē (adv.) | honestly, truthfully |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| licet, -ēre, -uit or -itum est, impers. | is lawful or permitted |
| tōtus, -a, -um | all the, the whole or entire |
| perdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring through, lead, bring |
| aeternus, -a, -um | everlasting, eternal |
| sānctus, -a, -um | consecrated, sacred |
| foedus, -eris n. | treaty, alliance |
| amīcitia, -ae f. | friendship, alliance |