Catullus 86
Catullus 86 is a Latin poem of six lines in elegiac couplets by the Roman poet Catullus.
Latin Text
[edit]Quintia formosa est multis, mihi candida, longa,
recta est. haec ego sic singula confiteor,
totum illud “formosa” nego: nam nulla venustas,
nulla in tam magno est corpore mica salis.
Lesbia formosa est, quae cum pulcherrima tota est,
tum omnibus una omnis subripuit Veneres.
Translation
[edit]Quintia is beautiful to many, to me she is fair, tall,
And upright. I thus confess all these things individually,
I deny all this "beautiful": for no charm,
Not a grain of salt is in so great a body.
Lesbia is beautiful, who is not only wholly the most beautiful,
But has alone stolen every charm from all women.
Analysis
[edit]On the inferiority of Quintia to Lesbia, Catullus further treats in 43.1ff.[1] Quintia is evidently not the Sister of the Quintius of 82.1ff. and 100.1ff; for this poem dates from the time of the faith of Catullus in Lesbia, at which time Quintius was his friend.[1]
References
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Sources
[edit]- Merrill, Elmer Truesdell, ed. (1893). Catullus. College Series of Latin Authors. Boston, MA: Ginn and Company. pp. 205–6.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Further reading
[edit]- Papanghelis, T. D. (1991). "Catullus and Callimachus on Large Women: A Reconsideration of c.86". Mnemosyne. 44: 372–386. doi:10.1163/156852591X00062.
- Rankin, H. D. (1976). "Catullus and the Beauty of Lesbia (Poems 43, 86 and 51)". Latomus. 35: 3–11.
- Symons, Arthur (1913). Knave of Hearts. 1894–1908. London: William Heinemann. p. 140.
External links
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Works related to Translation:Catullus 86 at Wikisource- Latin Wikisource has original text related to this article: Catullus 86
- "C. Valerius Catullus, Carmina, Poem 86". Perseus Digital Library.
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