Catullus poems

Question 1

hesterno, Licini, die otiosi
multum lusimus in meis tabellis,
ut convenerat esse delicatos:
scribens versiculos uterque nostrum
ludebat numero modo hoc modo illoc,
reddens mutua per iocum atque vinum.

Answer 1

Yesterday, Calvus, on a day of leisure,
we amused ourselves a lot with my writing-tablets,
as we had agreed to be frivolous;
writing short verses each of us
was amusing himself sometimes with this metre sometimes with that,
replying in return through a joke and wine.

Question 2

atque illinc abii tuo lepore
incensus, Licini, facetiisque,
ut nec me miserum cibus iuvaret
nec somnus tegeret quiete ocellos,
sed toto indomitus furore lecto
versarer, cupiens videre lucem,
ut tecum loquerer simulque ut essem

Answer 2

And from there I went away inflamed with your charm,
Calvus, and wit,
with the result that neither food was pleasing to wretched me
nor could sleep cover my eyes with slumber,
but wild with excitement, I was tossing and turning across the whole bed,
wanting to see daylight
so that I could speak with you and be together with you

Question 3

at defessa labore membra postquam
semimortua lectulo iacebant,
hoc, iucunde, tibi poema feci,
ex quo perspiceres meum dolorem

Answer 3

But, after my limbs, tired with fatigue,
were lying half-dead on my bed,
I composed this poem for you, dear friend,
from which you may observe my pain

Question 4

cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me
paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus,
si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam
cenam, non sine candida puella
et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis.
haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,
cenabis bene; nam tui Catulli
plenus sacculus est aranearum

Answer 4

You will dine well, my Fabullus, at my house
in a few days, if the gods favour you,
if you bring with you a good and great meal,
not without an attractive girl
and wine and wit/salt and all sorts of fun.
If, I say, you bring these, my charming friend,
you will dine well; for the purse of your Catullus
is full of cobwebs.

Question 5

sed contra accipies meros amores,
seu quid suavius elegantiusve est:
Nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae
donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque,
quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,
totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.

Answer 5

But in return you will receive undiluted affection,
or anything which is sweeter or more exquisite:
for I will give you perfume which
Venuses and Cupids gave to my girl,
when you smell this you will ask the gods
to make you, Fabullus, all nose.