New nothings, built to last (Catullus 1)
Catullus 1, read, translated, and discussed by Scott Verna
CVI dono lepidum novum libellum
arida modo pumice expolitum?
Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
meas esse aliquid putare nugas.
iam tum, cum ausus es unus Italorum
omne aevum tribus explicare cartis,
doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis!
quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli—
qualecumque, quod, o patrona virgo,
plus uno maneat perenne saeclo!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
latin-poetry-podcast Said,
May 10, 2011 @ 11:04 am
Well done, Scott! I think you translate this poem about as well as it can be translated: very faithful to the Latin, but hitting just the right notes in English. The intro. is right on, and the Latin sounds great. Nice job on the elisions (and semi-elisions) especially.