Catullus 55 Translation

Classical

Introduction

In Catullus 55, the poet is busy searching for his friend Camerius. In the first two lines, he asks his friend to show him what dark corner he is hiding in. In lines three through five, he tells where he has already looked, including the Campus, the Circus, bookstores, and Jove’s temple. Then, he makes a mockery of Pompey’s porch by saying he asked about his friend and women replied by showing him their breasts. They, the women said that his friend was hiding between the bare bosoms.

In line 13, Catullus compares the search to a Herculean task. Interestingly, this line comes after the women saying he is hiding between their breasts. Keep in mind that Hercules was known to be quite a womanizer, and slept with 50 women in one night! In lines 14 through 17, Catullus makes allusions to important mythological locations and figures. He talks about the warder of Crete, Talos. He also mentions Pegasus and how he would like to soar aloft like the winged horse. He also mentions Ladas and Perseus, who could fly with his winged shoes. He also mentions a snow-white pair of Rhesus that could overtake him. All of these creatures have features that would help Catullus find his friend, and he mentions their features in lines 18 and 19.

In line 20, the poet thinks that Camerius has used these and that he would like his friend to let him use them. At this point, Catullus is exhausted looking for his friend; he mentions his tiredness in lines 21 and 22 as he is tired to the depths of his marrow and frequently faints. Then, in line 24, he asks Camerius why he is denying himself of Catullus’s company. He then asks him to tell and to trust him.

Catullus then asks if women are holding him hostage. But, if he is not saying where he is, then he is denying himself the joys of love that Venus would give him if he would just share his love with Catullus.

Carmen 55

Line	Latin text	English translation
1	ORAMVS, si forte non molestum est,	I beg you, if I may without offence,
2	demonstres ubi sint tuae tenebrae.	show me where is your dark corner.
3	te Campo quaesiuimus minore,	I have looked for you in the lesser Campus,
4	te in Circo, te in omnibus libellis,	in the Circus, in all the booksellers’ shops,
5	te in templo summi Iouis sacrato.	in the hallowed temple of great Jove.
6	in Magni simul ambulatione	And when I was in Pompey’s portico,
7	femellas omnes, amice, prendi,	I stopped all the women there, my friend,
8	quas uultu uidi tamen sereno.	who, however, faced me with untroubled look.
9	a, uel te, sic ipse flagitabam,	You it was that I kept asking them for:
10	”Camerium mihi pessimae puellae!"	"Give me my Camerius, you wicked girls!“
11	quaedam inquit, nudum reducta pectus,	One of them, baring her naked bosom, says
12	”en hic in roseis latet papillis."	"Look here, he is hiding between my rosy breasts.”
13	sed te iam ferre Herculi labos est.	Well, to bear with you is now a labour of Hercules.
14	non custos si fingar ille Cretum,	Not though I should be moulded in brass like the fabled warder of Crete,
15	non si Pegaseo ferar volatu,	not though I were to soar aloft like flying Pegasus,
16	non Ladas ego pinnipesve Perseus,	not if I were Ladas or wing-footed Perseus,
17	non Rhesi niveae citaeque bigae:	not if I were the swift snow-white pair of Rhesus could I overtake you:
18	adde huc plumipedas volatilesque,	add to these the feather-footed gods and the winged,
19	ventorumque simul require cursum;	and with them call for the swiftness of the winds;
20	quos iunctos, Cameri, mihi dicares,	though you should harness all these, Camerius, and press them into my service,
21	defessus tamen omnibus medullis	yet I should be tired out to my very marrow,
22	et multis langoribus peresus	and worn away with frequent faintness,
23	essem te, mi amice, quaeritando.	my friend, while searching for you.
24	tanto te in fastu negas, amice.	Do you deny yourself so haughtily, my friend?
25	dic nobis ubi sis futurus, ede	Tell us where you are likely to be, out with it boldly,
26	audacter, committe, crede luci.	trust me with it, give it to the light.
27	nunc te lacteolae tenent puellae?	Do the milk-white maids detain you?
28	si linguam clauso tenes in ore,	If you keep your tongue shut within your mouth,
29	fructus proicies amoris omnes.	you will waste all the gains o flove;
30	uerbosa gaudet Venus loquella.	Venus loves an utterance full of words.
31	uel, si uis, licet obseres palatum,	However, if you will, you may lock up your lips,
32	dum uestri sim particeps amoris.	so long as you let me be a sharer in your love.