| CENABIS BENE, MI FABULLE, APUD ME ... |
WITH LUCK, IN A FEW DAYS YOU'LL EAT WELL ... |
| Catullus (Gaius Valerius Catullus) | tr. Arthur McHugh |
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. 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. | With luck, in a few days you'll eat well at my place, dear Fabullus - provided you bring me a good big dinner with you - not to mention a gorgeous girl, wine, wit and all kinds of laughter. If, as I say, you bring these with you, you old smoothie, you'll eat well, because there's nothing but cobwebs in old Catullus' wallet. But in return you'll get pure love, or something that's even more agreeable and fragrant, because I'll give you the unguent Venus and Cupid gave my girl-friend, and when you smell it, Fabullus, you'll ask the Gods to change you into one huge nose. |
Transl. Copyright © Arthur McHugh 2008