DL - Latin Lit - Carmina - Catullus Poems

Catullus' Poems

DEDICATION TO CORNELIUS

Cui dono lepidum novum libellum
arida modo pumice expolitum?
Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
meas esse aliquid putare nugas
iam tum, cum ausus es unus Italorum
omne aevum tribus explicare cartis
doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis.
quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli
qualecumque: quod, o patrona virgo,
plus uno maneat perenne saeclo.

Now look and listen to the poem with the long syllables in bold print.

Cui (one syllable) do / no le pi / dum no / vum li / bel lum
a ri / da mo do / pu mi / c(e)ex po / li tum?

Note the elision between pumice and expolitum. When a word ends with a vowel and the next begins with a vowel, the first vowel tends to be suppressed. For more about elision go to the scansion section of Carmina found on the Navigation Bar to the left of this page.

Cor ne / li, ti bi: / nam que / tu so / le bas
me as / es s(e) a li / quid pu / ta re / nu gas
iam tum, / cu(m) au sus es / un us/ I ta / lo rum

Note elision between cum and ausus. A syllable with a final 'm' is treated similar to a lost vowel. Pronounce here as cmau-sus.

om n(e) ae / vum tri bus / ex pli /ca re /car tis

Note elision between omne and aevum. Two vowels run together to make 'omnaevum,' with three syllables only.

doc tis, / Iup pi ter, / et la / bo ri / o sis.
qua r(e) ha / be ti bi / quid quid / hoc lib / el li
qua le / cum que: quod, / o pa / tro na / vir go,
plu s u / no ma ne / at per / ren ne / sae clo.

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