Catullus 76


Sī qua recordantī benefacta priōra voluptās

est hominī, cum sē cōgitat esse pium,

nec sanctam violasse fidem, nec foedere nullō

dīvum ad fallendōs nūmine abūsum hominēs,

multa parāta manent in longā aetāte, Catulle,

ex hōc ingrātō gaudia amōre tibi.

nam quaecumque hominēs bene cuiquam aut dīcere possunt

aut facere, haec ā tē dictaque factaque sunt.

omnia quae ingrātae periērunt crēdita mentī.

quarē iam tē cūr amplius excruciēs?

quīn tū animō offirmās atque istinc tēque redūcis,

et dīs invītīs dēsinis esse miser?

difficile est longum subitō dēpōnere amōrem,

difficile est, vērum hōc quā lubet efficiās:

ūna salūs haec est, hōc est tibi pervincendum,

hōc faciās, sīve id nōn pote sīve pote.

ō dī, sī vestrum est miserērī, aut sī quibus umquam

extrēmam iam ipsā in morte tulistis opem,

mē miserum aspicite et, sī vītam pūriter ēgī,

ēripite hanc pestem perniciemque mihi,

quae mihi subrēpens īmōs ut torpor in artūs

expulit ex omnī pectore laetitiās.

nōn iam illud quaerō, contrā mē ut dīligat illa,

aut, quod nōn potis est, esse pudīca velit:

ipse valēre optō et taetrum hunc dēpōnere morbum.

ō dī, reddite mī hōc prō pietāte meā.


If there is any pleasure for a person in recalling previous good deeds, when he thinks how he has acting properly, and not violated sacred trust, and not misused the divinity of the gods to deceive people in any agreement, many joys remain in store for you in long future time, Catullus, after this thankless love-affair. For whatever people can say or do for anyone’s benefit, these things have been said and done by you. They have all been wasted, entrusted to a thankless mind. So why crucify yourself any longer now? Why not be determined in your mind, and draw yourself back from there, and stop being wretched against the will of the gods? It’s difficult to lay aside a long-standing love-affair all at once – it’s difficult, but manage it however you can. This is your only hope, you must succeed in this, do this, whether you can or you can’t. O gods, if it is yours to pity, or if you have ever brought help at the last moment to people just when they are facing death, look at wretched me and, if I have lived a pure life, snatch this plague and destruction away from me. Creeping into my inmost limbs like a lethargy it has driven joys right out of my breast. I’m not now asking that she should love me in return or be willing to be faithful, a thing of which she is incapable. I want to be healthy myself and to lay aside this disgusting disease. O gods, grant me this in return for my piety.



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