Three takes, consistently improving [though I still can’t hear or parse the rhythm of “Otium, Catulle, tibi molestum est” as clearly as I’d like]
Ille mī pār esse deō vidētur,
ille, sī fās est, superāre dīvōs,
quī sedēns adversus ĭdentidem tē
spectat et audit
dulce rīdentem, miserō quod omnīs
ēripit sēnsūs mihi: nam simul tē,
Lesbia, aspexī, nihil est super mī
vōcis in ōre.
Lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artūs
flamma dēmānat, sonitū suōpte
tintinant aurēs, geminā teguntur
lūmina nocte.
Ōtium, Catulle, tibī molestum est:
ōtiō exsultās nimiumque gestīs.
Ōtium et rēgēs prius et beātās
perdidit urbēs.
—
That man seems to me to be equal to a god.
That man, if it's not sacrilege, [seems] to surpass the gods
Who, sitting across from you, time and again
Watches and listens to you
laughing sweetly, which snatches away
all senses from poor me: for as soon as
I saw you, Lesbia, nothing remained
of the voice in my mouth.
But my tongue is stiff, a delicate flame runs
under my limbs, my ears ring
with their own sound, my eyes are covered
with twin darkness.
Leisure, Catullus, is trouble for you:
In leisure you become overjoyed and too passionate:
Leisure has destroyed kings before
And blessed cities.
(text and trans. wikisource)
[NB: In the interest of familiarizing myself with this longer poem and accurately practicing quantitative verse meters, I’ve included the clapping pattern that denotes one “mora” (shortest unit of metrical time in classical verse) for short syllables and two morae for long, so that a spondee or dactyl consists of four claps, an iamb or trochee of three, a choriamb of six, etc. THESE ARE PRACTICE VIDEOS DEMONSTRATING MY LEARNING PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDES MISTAKES and, crucially, stopping to address them. There’s one I didn’t stop to address in the moment, in which I erroneously pronounce “TER-ris” with a short first syllable; ditto “HAE-sit”.)
Iam satis terris nivis atque dirae
grandinis misit pater et rubente
dextera sacras iaculatus arces
terruit urbem,
terruit gentes, grave ne rediret 5
saeculum Pyrrhae nova monstra questae,
omne cum Proteus pecus egit altos
visere montis
piscium et summa genus haesit ulmo,
nota quae sedes fuerat columbis, 10
et superiecto pavidae natarunt
aequore dammae.
vidimus flavom Tiberim retortis
litore Etrusco violenter undis
ire deiectum monumenta regis 15
templaque Vestae,
Iliae dum se nimium querenti
iactat ultorem, vagus et sinistra
labitur ripa Iove non probante u-
xorius amnis. 20
audiet cives acuisse ferrum,
quo graves Persae melius perirent,
audiet pugnas vitio parentum
rara iuventus.
quem vocet divum populus ruentis 25
imperi rebus? prece qua fatigent
virgines sanctae minus audientem
carmina Vestam?
cui dabit partis scelus expiandi
Iuppiter? tandem venias precamur 30
nube candentis umeros amictus
augur Apollo;
sive tu mavis, Erycina ridens,
quam Iocus circum volat et Cupido;
sive neglectum genus et nepotes 35
respicis auctor,
heu nimis longo satiate ludo,
quem iuvat clamor galeaeque leves
acer et Marsi peditis cruentum
vultus in hostem; 40
sive mutata iuvenem figura
ales in terris imitaris almae
filius Maiae patiens vocari
Caesaris ultor,
serus in caelum redeas diuque 45
laetus intersis populo Quirini,
neve te nostris vitiis iniquum
ocior aura
tollat: hic magnos potius triumphos,
hic ames dici pater atque princeps, 50
neu sinas Medos equitare inultos
te duce, Caesar.
[haven’t found literal translation; will try to add]
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