Catullus Poem 13 - Translation

cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me

paucis, si tibi do favent, diebus,

si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam

cenam, non sine candida puella

et vino et sale at omnibus cachinnis.

You will dine well at my house, my Fabullus,

Within a few days, if the gods are favourable to you,

If you bring a good and substantial meal with you,

As well as a pretty girl,

Wine, wit and all kinds of laughter.

haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,

cenabis bene; //

If you bring these, I declare, my charming fellow,

You will dine well; //

// nam tui Catulli

plenus sacculus est aranearum.

// for the money bag of your Catullus

Is full of cobwebs.

sed contra accipies meros amores,

seu quid suavis elegantiusve est:

But in return, you will receive true love

Or whatever is more pleasant or elegant:

nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae

donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque,

quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,

totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.

For I shall give you perfume, which all the goddesses of love

And the gods of desire have given to my girlfriend,

And when you smell this, you will ask the gods,

Fabullus, to make you all nose.