C. Valerius Catullus, Carmen 101: Ave Atque Vale: Farewell to his Brother
Catullus speaks at the grave of his brother, who died and was buried far from home in the Troad, the region around Troy (as poems 65 and 68 tell). The poem is set at the offerings made to the dead.
Tier 1
frāter, adveniō ad hoc fūnus, ego vectus per multōs populōs et per multa maria,
ut dōnārem tē ultimō dōnō mortis et frūstrā loquerer cum mūtā cinere.
quod fortūna ēripit tē ipsum ā mē.
heu miser frāter, indignē raptus ā mē,
nunc accipe haec dōna, quae trādita sunt antīquō mōre parentum, trīste dōnum ad fūnus,
accipe haec dōna hūmidiōra frāternīs lacrimīs,
et frāter, avē atque valē in perpetuum.
Tier 2
frāter, adveniō ad hās īnferiās, vectus per multās gentēs et per multa aequora,
ut dōnārem tē postrēmō mūnere mortis et nēquīquam alloquerer mūtam cinerem.
quandoquidem fortūna abstulit tētē ipsum mihi.
heu miser frāter indignē adempte mihi,
tamen nunc intereā accipe haec, quae trādita sunt prīscō mōre parentum trīstī mūnere ad īnferiās,
[accipe haec] mānantia multum frāternō flētū,
atque frāter avē atque valē in perpetuum.
Tier 3 - Carmen Ipsum
- multās per gentēs et multa per aequora vectus
- adveniō hās miserās, frāter, ad īnferiās,
- ut tē postrēmō dōnārem mūnere mortis
- et mūtam nēquīquam alloquerer cinerem.
- quandoquidem fortūna mihi tētē abstulit ipsum.
- heu miser indignē frāter adempte mihi,
- nunc tamen intereā haec, prīscō quae mōre parentum
- trādita sunt trīstī mūnere ad īnferiās,
- accipe frāternō multum mānantia flētū,
- atque in perpetuum, frāter, avē atque valē.
Original draft written by Robert Amstutz
