1, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

10, 11, 12, 13, 14a, 14b, 15, 16, 17

Poem 8:  Now Catullus is tough

Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,

et quod uides perisse perditum ducas.

fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,

cum uentitabas quo puella ducebat

amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.

ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant,

quae tu uolebas nec puella nolebat,

fulsere uere candidi tibi soles.

nunc iam illa non uult: tu quoque impotens, noli

nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser uiue,

sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.

uale puella, iam Catullus obdurat,

nec te requiret nec rogabit inuitam.

at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.

scelesta, uae te, quae tibi manet uita

quis nunc te adibit? cui uideberis bella?

quem nunc amabis? cuius esse diceris?

quem basiabis? cui labella mordebis?

at tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.

Wretched Catullus, cease from playing the fool:

deduce that what you see as lost is lost.

There was a time when suns shone bright for you,

when you always went where the girl would lead

(loved by me like no-one will ever be loved).                   5

Then when those many pleasantries went on

(which you wanted, nor was the girl averse),

unquestionably those suns shone bright for you!

Right now, she’s averse; weakling, be also averse!

Don’t chase a girl who flees, nor live wretched;            10

be resolute, put up with it, be tough!

Girl, fare you well. Now Catullus is tough;

he’ll not seek you, or woo you against your will;

but you’ll be sorry when you’re never wooed.

Poor you, scoundrel – what’s life got left for you?         15

Who now will visit? To whom will you seem lovely?

Whom now will you love? Who will call you his own?

Whom will you kiss? Whose little lips will you nip?

But you, Catullus, stay steadfast – be tough!

Notes
A change of mood, following up on the ‘Why don’t you toughen your heart and pull away from this’ in line 11 of Thankless love (Poem 76). Catullus repeats phrases he likes and ‘loved by me like no-one will ever be loved’ is repeated in A salacious inn and its clientele (Poem 37).

The Latin metre is choliambics; the English metre is iambic pentameters.