Kimberly Hirsh

I’m a Latin teacher, so it’s only fitting that I post Latin poems.  From now on, you can expect from me for poetry Friday a Latin poem, and my English translation/adaptation of it.  All Latin texts will come from The Latin Library.  We’ll start with Catullus.

I. to Cornelius To whom am I giving this clever little new book just polished with dry pumice? To you, Cornelius: for you were accustomed to consider my trifles to be something already then, when you dared to explain the whole history of the Italians in your three books, Jupiter, books learned and laborious! Therefore have you whatever of this book, for what it’s worth; o patron virgin, may it remain enduring for more than one age.

I. ad Cornelium

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