Catullus, Poem 3: On the Death of a Pet Sparrow
One of Romes best-known and best-loved poets, Catullus wrote on a wide range of
topics, using various styles, tones, and meters. He was equally comfortable with and skillful at
writing erotic or satiric lyrics, witty or abusive epigrams, polished hymns and learned epyllia
(little epics).
Born around 84 B.C. to a wealthy family from Verona, Catullus soon settled into the
fashionably elegant and educated circles in Rome and fell in love with a rich married woman,
Clodia, whom he refers to as Lesbia in many of his poems. Although not mentioned by name
in the following poem, she is likely the puella of this poem and the loss of her pet sparrow, the
topic.
Perhaps the scene of his recitation might be in the company of his admirers (Veneres
Cupidinesque) who have pleaded with him to sing a little song for their entertainment. If so, what
is Catullus tone and what creates it? Is this simply about the death of a pet or does it hint at
something more complex, even provocative?
Text and Translation
Lugete, O Veneres Cupidinesque
Mourn, O Venuses and Cupids
et quantum est hominum venustiorum.
and however great (the number) is of people (who are) rather charming.
Passer mortuus est meae puellae,
The sparrow of my girlfriend is dead,
passer, deliciae meae puellae,
the sparrow, delight of my girlfriend,
quem plus illa oculis suis amabat.
whom that girl loved more than her own eyes.
Nam mellitus erat, suamque norat
For it was sweet-as-honey, and knew its own
(continued on the next page)
ipsam tam bene quam puella matrem;
mistress herself as well as a girl (knows) her own mother;
nec sese a gremio illius movebat,
nor was it moving itself from that girls lap,
sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc
but jumping around now here, now there
ad solam dominam usque pipiabat.
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and was constantly chirping to its mistress alone.
Qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum
Now it goes along the shadowy path
illuc unde negant redire quemquam.
to that place where they say that no one returns from.
At vobis male sit, malae tenebrae
But may it be bad for you, evil darkness(es)
Orci, quae omnia bella devoratis;
of Orcus, you who devour all beautiful things;
tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis.
you took away from me such a pretty sparrow.
O factum male! Io miselle passer!
O evil deed! Farewell, poor little sparrow!
Tu nunc oper meae puellae
Now thanks to you, my girlfriends
flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli.
little swollen eyes are red with weeping.
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Catullus: Death of a Pet Sparrow Worksheet
a. The questions below pertain to the forms underlined in the passage
b. When youre asked to change a word from one form to another, change only that form of the
word. For instance, if youre asked to change habet to the passive voice, make habet passive but
leave it in the 3rd person singular, present indicative.
1. Make lugete singular. _________________________________________________________
2. What case is Cupidines and why? _______________________________________________
3. Change passer to ablative plural. ________________________________________________
4. What case is deliciae and why? __________________________________________________
5. Change suis to genitive plural. ___________________________________________________
6. What case is mellitus and why? _________________________________________________
7. Change norat to perfect passive (fem). ____________________________________________
8. Make ipsam dative. ___________________________________________________________
9. Change gremio to nominative plural. _____________________________________________
10. Change movebat to a perfect infinitive. __________________________________________
11. Change circumsiliens to future passive. _________________________________________
12. Change solam dominam to genitive. ____________________________________________
13. Change pipiabat to future passive second person plural. _____________________________
14. What case is Qui and why? ____________________________________________________
15. Change negant to a passive infinitive. ___________________________________________
16. What mood is redire and why? _________________________________________________
17. Make quemquam plural. _____________________________________________________
[continued on the next page]
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18. Make vobis vocative. _________________________________________________________
19. What case is malae and why? __________________________________________________
20. Make omnia singular. ________________________________________________________
21. Change devoratis to a perfect passive participle modifying bella. ______________________
22. Make mihi plural. ___________________________________________________________
23. Make tu plural. ____________________________________________________________
24. Change ocelli to vocative singular. ______________________________________________
25. Change rubent to a present active participle modifying puellae. _______________________
Catullus: Death of a Pet Sparrow Notes and Vocabulary
Line
Note/ Vocabulary
1.
lugete: lugeo, -ere, luxi, luctum: mourn
Veneres: Venus, -eres, f.: Venus, goddess of love, wife of Vulcan, mother of Cupid; here,
plural perhaps referring to the women present
Cupidines(que): Cupido, -inis, m.: Cupid, god of love; here, plural perhaps referring the
young men in the gathering
2.
quantum: quantus, -a, -um: how great
quantum est hominum: literally, how much of people there is = however great the
number of people (who are)
venustiorum: venustus, -a, -um: full of Venus; here, charming
3.
passer: passer, -eris, m.: sparrow (a bird sacred to Venus)
mortuus: mortuus, -a, -um: dead
4.
deliciae: deliciae, -arum, fem. pl.: delight
5.
oculis: oculus, -i, m.: eye
6.
mellitus: mellitus, -a, -um: sweet-as-honey
norat: noverat (from nosco, -ere, -novi, notum: to be acquainted with; in perfect tenses =
know)
7.
suam ipsam: its very own (mistress) herself
tam...quam: as...as
8.
sese: sese = se (acc.)
gremio: gremium, -ii, n.: lap
9.
circumsiliens: circumsilio, -ire, -ivi, -itum: jump around
modo...modo: (adverb) now...now
huc: (adverb) from this place; here, here
illuc: (adverb) to that place; here, there
10.
dominam: domina, -ae, f.: mistress
usque: (adverb) constantly
pipiabat: pipio (1): chirp
11.
qui nunc: (relative pronoun + adverb) who now; here, now it
it: eo, ire, ivi or ii, itum: go; it is third singular present.
iter: iter, itineris, n.: path
tenebricosum: tenebricosus, -a, -um: shadowy
12.
unde: (adverb) whence; here, from
redire: redeo, redire, redii, reditum: return (red- + eo)
quemquam: quisquam, quaequam, quidquam: anyone, anything; here, no one
13.
sit: present subjunctive of sum, third person singular = may be (the subjunctive mood
expresses a wish or uncertainty)
tenebrae: tenebrae, -arum, fem. pl.: darkness
14.
devoratis: devoro (1): devour
Orci: Orcus, -i, m.: Orcus, the underworld
15.
abstulistis: aufero, auferre, abstuli, ablatum: irregular verb (ab + fero); carry off; here,
took away
16.
Io: exclamation of pain; here, Farewell!
miselle: misellus, -a, -um: poor little (diminutive of miser)
17.
opera: opera, operae, f.: effort; tu_ oper_: literally, your efforts; here, thanks to you
18.
flendo: fleo, -ere, flevi, fletum: weep; here, the form is ablative gerund (verbal noun) =
with weeping
turgiduli: turgidulus, -a, -um: slightly swollen (diminutive of turgidus, swollen)
rubent: rubeo, -ere: to be red
ocelli: ocellus, -i, m.: little eye (diminutive of oculus)
