All Otium Latin Verse GCSE OCR Translation

hesterno, Licini, die otiosi

multum lusimus in meis tabellis,

ut convenerat esse delicatos;

Yesterday, Licinius, being at leisure, we played a lot on my tablets, as it had suited us to be frivolous:

scribens versiculos uterque nostrum

ludebat numero modo hoc modo illoc,

reddens mutua per iocum atque vinum.

each of us writing trivial verses, played now in this metre, now in that, exchanging lines between us amid jokes and wine.

atque illinc abii tuo lepore

incensus, Licini, facetiisque,

And indeed, I went away from there, fired by your charm and witticisms, Licinius,

ut nec me miserum cibus iuvaret

nec somnus tegeret quiete ocellos…

so that neither did any food help me in my wretchedness, nor did sleep cover my dear eyes with rest…

sed toto indomitus furore lecto

versarer, cupiens videre lucem,

ut tecum loquerer simulque ut essem.

but, uncontrollable because of my frenzy, I tossed about over the whole bed, desiring to see the daylight, so that I could talk to you and be together with you.

at defessa labore membra postquam

semimortua lectulo iacebant,

hoc, iucunde, tibi poema feci,

But, when my limbs, tired by suffering, were lying half-dead in my little bed, I composed this poem for you, dear chap,

ex quo perspiceres meum dolorem.

from which you might perceive my pain.

nunc audax cave sis, precesque nostras,

oramus, cave despuas, ocelle,

ne poenas Nemesis reposcat a te.

Now take care that you are not proud, and, light of my life, we beg, do not despise our prayers, lest Nemesis demand punishment from you.

est vemens dea. laedere hanc caveto.

She is a violent goddess. Beware of offending her.

cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me

paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus,

You will dine well at my house, my Fabullus, within a few days, if the gods are favourable to you

si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam

cenam, non sine candida puella

et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis.

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,

cebabis bene; nam tui Catulli

plneus sacculus est aranearum.

If you bring these, I declare, my charming fellow, you will dine well, for the money bag of your Catullus is full of cobwebs.

sed contra accipies meros amores

seu quid suavius 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,

for I shall give you perfume which all the goddesses of love and the gods of desire have given to my girlfriend,

quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,

totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.

and when you smell this, you will ask the gods, Fabullus, to make you all nose.