CLASSICAL LATIN POETRY

Gaius Valerius Catullus (CATULLUS) born Verona 28 BC died 52 BC

Quintia is beautiful, many will tell you; to me She is white; she is straight, she is tall: to all this I agree, But does this make her beautiful? though she be found without fault, Can you find in the whole of her body the least pinch of salt? But Lesbia is beautiful: hers is the secret alone. To steal from all beauty its beauty, and make it her own. Carmen LXXXVI (Song number 86) Translated by Arthur Symons, c

Carmen XLIII (Song number 43) Translated by Mary Stewart c Pshaw, little girl, you're much too small, You've scarcely any nose at all. Your feet are shapeless, fingers too, Your eyes a dull and faded blue, With lips as parched as last year's peas, And silly tongue, untaught to please. They say that Formian calls you fair, And that they praise you everywhere. A dull and worthless age, - ah me, If they could Lesbia's beauty see.

Carmen VIII (Song number 8) Translated by Louis Zukofsky c. 1968) Miserable Catullus, stop being foolish, And admit that it's over. The sun shone on you those days When your girl had you. When you gave it to her like nobody else ever will. Everywhere together then, always at it. And you liked it and she can't say she didn't. Yes, those days glowed. Now she doesn't want it: why should you, washed out, Want to. Don't trail her. Don't eat yourself up alive. Show some spunk, stand up and take it. So long, girl, Catullus can take it.

Carmin CI (Song number 101) Translated by Quintin Hogg, Lord Hailsham.c Over sea and land come I, Brother dear, to say goodbye; To hear the ancient words I dread Muttered softly o'er the dead: 'Ash to ash, and dust to dust' Though you hear not, speak I must And tell your silent body how in bitter grief I mourn you now. Custom's servant, not her slave, Stand I weeping at your grave. Take this wreath, as tolls the bell; Brother dear, a long farewell.

Publius Vergilius Maro (VIRGIL ). Born Mantua 70 BC, died 19 BC.

The Opening Lines of the Aeneid Translated by John Dryden. Arms, and the man I sing, who, forc'd by fate, And haughty Juno's unrelenting hate, Expell'd and exil'd, left the Trojan shore. Long labors, both by sea and land, he bore, And in the doubtful war, before he won The Latian realm, and built the destin'd town; His banish'd gods restor'd to rites divine, And settled sure succession in his line, From whence the race of Alban fathers come, And the long glories of majestic Rome. O Muse! the causes and the crimes relate; What goddess was provok'd, and whence her hate; For what offense the Queen of Heav'n began To persecute so brave, so just a man; Involv'd his anxious life in endless cares, Expos'd to wants, and hurried into wars!

Aeneas escapes from Troy with his family.

Quintus Horatius Flaccus (HORACE) Born Venusia 65 BC died 8 BC.

Liber III Carmin XIII Spring of Bandusia, more sparkling than glass, deserving (offerings of) sweet wine together with flowers, tomorrow you will be given a kid, whose forehead, swelling with its first horns, marks it out for battles of love; in vain! for the child of the wanton flock will stain your cool stream with red blood. You the cruel hour of the burning Dogstar cannot touch, you give coolness welcome to the oxen worn out by the plough and the wandering flock. You too will become one of the famous springs, when I tell of the ilex tree which stands upon the hollow rocks from which your chattering waters leap down.

Liber III Carmin XVIII Faunus, who loves the nymphs and makes Them scamper, leap my boundary stakes, Lightly and benignly pass Across the sunny fields of grass, Leave behind your blessing on My lambs and kids, and so be gone. In return receive your due: A goat shall die to honour you At the year's end the ancient shrine Smoke wih thick incense, and the wine, Liberally poured, keep filling up Venus's friend, the drinking cup. When the December Nones come round, All the farm beasts on the green ground Gambol, and with time to spare The world enjoys the open air, Countrymen and unyoked ox Together, in among the flocks Unfeared the wolf strolls; from the copse The leaf, to be your carpet, drops; And in three- time the son of toil Jigs on his enemy the soil.

multas per gentes et multa per aequora vectum advenio has miseras, frater, ad inferias ut te postremo donarem munere mortis et mutam nequiquam alloquerer cinerem quandoquidem fortuna mihi tete abstulit ipsum heu miser indigne frater adempte mihi nunc tamen interea haec prisco que morae parentum tradita sunt tristi munere ad inferias. accipe, fraterno multum manantia fletu atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.

Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram; multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem, inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum, Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae. Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso, quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?

Liber III carmin XVIII Faune, Nympharum fugientum amator, per meos finis et aprica rura lenis incedas abeasque paruis aequus alumnis, si tener pleno cadit haedus anno larga nec desunt Veneris sodali uina craterae, uetus ara multo fumat odore. Ludit herboso pecus omne campo, cum tibi Nonae redeunt Decembres, festus in pratis uacat otioso cum boue pagus; inter audacis lupus errat agnos, spargit agrestis tibi silua frondes, gaudet inuisam pepulisse fossor ter pede terram.

What is 'poetry'?

Oxford English Dictionary: literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; Origin: late Middle English: from medieval Latin poetria, from Latin poeta 'poet'.

My mother said I never should Play with the gypsies in the wood. If I did, she would say, Naughty little girl to disobey.

4 beats to each line: My moth er said I ne ver should Play with the gyp sies in the wood. If I did, she would say, Naugh ty li ttle girl to dis o bey. Rhythm 1 and a 2 3 and a 4 1 and a 2 and 3 and 4 1 and 2 3 and 4 1 e and a 2 and 3 and 4.

The Beverley Hillbillies This here's a story 'bout a man called Jed, a poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin' at some food, And up through the ground came a'bubblin' crude.....oil that is.. This here's a story 'bout a man called Jed, a poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin' at some food, And up through the ground came a'bubblin' crude.....oil that is.. 1 and a 2 and a 3 and 4

"1 and a" is written as : _ u u "1 and 2" is written as: - -

Greek and Latin poetry is: measured syllables of language.

Dactylic hexameter - 'heroic verse' - u u| - u u| - || - | - - | - u u | - ^ Arma virumque canō, Trō iae quī prīmus ab ōrīs, - u u|- -|- u u|- || - |- u u| - ^ Ītaliam, fātō profugus, Lāvīniaque vēnit - u u| - -| - || - | - -| - u u |- ^ lītora, mult(um)_ill(e)_et terrīs iactātus et altō - u u |- - | - u u | - || - |- u u | - ^ vī superum saevae memorem Iūnōnis ob īram;

- - | - - |-||- | - u u | - u u| - ^ Multās per gentēs et multa per aequora vectus - u u | - u u|- || - u u |- u u|- adveni(o)_hās miserās, frāter, ad īnferiās - -| - -|-||-|- - | - u u| - ^ ut tē postrēmō dōnārem mūnere mortis - -|- u u| -||- u u|- u u|- et mūtam nequiquam adloquerer cinerem,