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Catullus 9
Veranius is home
Catullus, Carmina: selections. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōCat. 9.1Vērānī, omnibus ē meīs amīcīs
antistāns mihi mīlibus trecentīs,
vēnistīne domum ad tuōs penātēs
frātrēsque ūnanimōs anumque mātrem?
Veranius, to me the first of all my friends, ahead of three hundred thousand, have you come home to your household gods, your loving brothers and your old mother?
Note. Vērānī: vocative of Vērānius. antistāns mihi mīlibus trecentīs: 'standing ahead, in my eyes, of three hundred thousand'; antistō takes a dative. vēnistīne: vēnistī + -ne, a question. Penātēs: the household gods, i.e. home. anum … mātrem: 'your old mother'; anus is used like an adjective.
Cat. 9.5Vēnistī!
You have come!
Note. A one-word answer to his own question, full of delight.
Cat. 9.5Ō mihi nūntiī beātī!
O happy news for me!
Note. Ō mihi nūntiī beātī: 'O happy news for me', a nominative of exclamation.
Cat. 9.6Vīsam tē incolumem audiamque Hibērum
narrantem loca, facta, nātiōnēs,
ut mōs est tuus, applicānsque collum
iūcundum ōs oculōsque sāviābor.
I shall see you safe and sound, and hear you telling of the places, deeds and peoples of the Spaniards, as your custom is, and drawing your neck to me I shall kiss your lovely face and eyes.
Note. Vīsam … audiamque … sāviābor: three futures. Hibērum = Hibērōrum, the shorter genitive plural. applicāns collum: drawing your neck toward me, an embrace. sāviābor: future of the deponent sāvior, 'I shall kiss'.
Cat. 9.10Ō, quantum est hominum beātiōrum,
quid mē laetius est beātiusve?
O, of all the happy people there are, who is happier or more blessed than I?
Note. quantum est hominum beātiōrum: the same construction as in poem 3, 'of all the happy people there are'. mē: ablative of comparison, 'than me'. beātiusve: beātius + -ve, 'or more blessed'.
Vocabulary
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| meus, -a, -um | my, mine |
| amīcus, -ī, m. | friend |
| antistō, -āre, -stetī | stand before; surpass, excel (+ dat.) |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| mīlle, indecl. adj. | a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands; |
| trecentī, -ae, -a | three hundred |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| domus, -ūs, f. | house, home |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| tuus, -a, -um | thy, thine, your |
| frāter, frātris, m. | brother |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| ūnanimus, -a, -um | of one mind, loving, devoted |
| anus, -ūs f. | old woman |
| māter, mātris, f. | mother |
| ō (interj.) | O! oh! |
| nūntius, -ī, m. | messenger; message |
| beātus, -a, -um | happy, blessed |
| vīsō, -ere, vīsī, vīsum | go to see, visit; look at |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| incolumis, -e | unhurt, safe |
| audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | hear; listen or attend to |
| narrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | tell, relate, narrate |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| factum, -ī n. | deed, act |
| nātiō, -ōnis f. | people, nation; birth |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| mōs, mōris, m. | way, manner, habit, custom |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| applicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | attach; (with sē) lean against |
| collum, -ī, n. | neck |
| iūcundus, -a, -um | sweet, pleasant |
| ōs, ōris, n. | mouth |
| oculus, -ī, m. | eye |
| sāvior, -ārī, -ātus sum | kiss |
| quantus, -a, -um | how great or much? |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| quis, quid, interrog. pron. | who? which? what? |
| laetus, -a, -um | glad, joyful |