C. Valerius Catullus, Carmen 116: To Gellius: The Last Word
Catullus addresses Gellius, the target of poems 88-91, about the poems of Callimachus, the Greek poet, that he had hoped to send him.
Tier 1
saepe requīrēbam tē studiōsō animō meō ut possem dare carmina Battiadae tibi,
ut facerem tē laetiōrem ad mē, et nē tū mitterēs tua hostīlia tēla in caput meum,
nunc videō hunc labōrem esse frūstrā mihi, Gellī,
et videō precēs nostrās nōn validās fuisse hīc.
ego movēbō mē ab istīs tēlīs tuīs iactīs contrā mē
sed tū dabis poenam, mea tēla tē fīgent.
Tier 2
saepe requīrēns studiōsō animō vēnante utī possem mittere carmina Battiadae tibi,
quī lēnīrem tē nōbīs, neu cōnārēre mittere tēla īnfesta ūsque in caput,
nunc videō hunc labōrem sūmptum esse frūstrā mihi, Gellī,
nec precēs nostrās valuisse hīc.
ēvītābimus ista tēla tua ācta contrā nōs
at tū dabis supplicium fīxus nostrīs.
Tier 3 - Carmen Ipsum
- saepe tibi studiōsō animō vēnante requīrēns
- carmina utī possem mittere Battiadae,
- quī tē lēnīrem nōbīs, neu cōnārēre
- tēla īnfesta ⟨meum⟩ mittere in ūsque caput,
- hunc videō mihi nunc frūstrā sūmptum esse labōrem,
- Gellī, nec nostrās hīc valuisse precēs.
- contrā nōs tēla ista tua ēvītābimus ācta
- at fīxus nostrīs tū dabis supplicium.
Original draft written by Robert Amstutz
