Best Poem Ever! - Catullus XI

Catullus XI :-
Furius & Aurelius, bound to Catullus
Though he penetrate to the ends of the Indies
Where the eastern ocean crashing in echoes Pours up the shore

Or into Hyrcania, soft Arabia,
Among Tartars or the archers of Parthia,
Or where the Nile current, seven times the same, Colours the waters,

Or through the beetling Alps, by steep passes, should come
To look on the monuments of great Caesar,
Gaul, the Rhine, and at the world's bitter end The gruesome Britons.

Friends, both prepared to share with me all these
Or what else the will of heaven may send,
To my mistress take these few sentiments,
Put none too nicely:

Let her spread for her lechers and get her pleasure,
Lying wide to three hundred in one heat,
Loving none truly, but leaving them every one
Wrung out & dropping;

But as for my love, let her not count on it
As once she could: by her own fault it died
As a flower at the edge of a field, which the plough Roots out in passing.

Words by W.S. Merwin

(Unfortunately YouTube does not retain the original printed form of the poem- Also [I don't know why] I have substituted British spelling!

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Catullus
• Latin Poetry
• Roman Empire
• Ancient Britons
• Lyric Poetry
• Love Poetry
• Mateship
• Anger
• Betrayal

[kungfuasgaeilge]

That was trippy! I was looking for the poem in latin, but I couldn't stop watching once I started. Lovely (Scottish?) lilt you have there too :)

[gruntlesnoot]

@kungfuasgaeilge Sorry for not replying sooner. I did consider reciting the poem in Latin at the time I first made this video but was a bit worried that Gaius Valerius might pursue my for copyright violation..... I might just do it for the hell of it sometime. I do have a copy in the original Latin if you are interested.... (apply within)

[kungfuasgaeilge]

@paronomeister

which lady?

[paronomeister]

@kungfuasgaeilge

yes and the lady's tonal picture merits the term

[paronomeister]

@kungfuasgaeilge

yes and the lady's tonal picture merits the term

[kungfuasgaeilge]

@paronomeister

Graphic originally meant 'written' or 'drawn'...

[kungfuasgaeilge]

@gruntlesnoot Hahaha, you should do! I don't really know the English translations of Catullus, as I study them in Latin, translating them bit by bit. The poem seems to have lost a bit of its beauty and meaning in translation, but the fact that it's still a brilliant poem is a testament to Catullus and the poetic traditions of Italy. ROMA INVICTA!

[StanleyPacion]

Hey, I enjoyed your reading. I mean you have a very nice, subtle voice which well serves the true vindictive of Catullus' verse. Your quiet tone, and exacting delivery serves to convey his grand spleen. i simply wanted to see the words, how WS Merwin transcribed the poem. Thanks, again PS I could not find this particular translation online. Maybe if I mount a more serious search? Yours, Stanley

[paronomeister]

That accented long "a" in your delivery (which, being from the ends of the earth like you, I share) adds a lot too. It really belongs.

[paronomeister]

Your animation is graphic in the original sense of the word. You never cease to astound.