Poor Catullus, you should stop playing the fool

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by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire

Language: Latin

Our translations: ENG SPA

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Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,
Et quod uides perisse perditum ducas.
Fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,
Cum uentitabas quo puella ducebat
Amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.
Ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant,
Quae tu uolebas nec puella nolebat.
Fulsere uere candidi tibi soles.
Nunc iam illa non uult: tu quoque inpotens, noli,
Nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser uiue,
Sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
Vale, puella! iam Catullus obdurat,
Nec te requiret nec rogabit inuitam:
At tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
Scelesta, uae te! quae tibi manet vita!
Quis nunc te adibit? cui uideberis bella?
Quem nunc amabis? cuius esse diceris?
Quem basiabis? cui labella mordebis?
At tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• C. Orff

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Text Authorship:

by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 8 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Carl Orff (1895 - 1982), "[XI]. Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire", 1940-43, published 1943, from cantata Catulli Carmina, no. 12 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation by Dominick Argento (1927 - 2019) [an adaptation] ; composed by Dominick Argento.
- Go to the text.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Mario Rapisardi) , no title, first published 1889
SPA Spanish (Español) (Saúl Botero Restrepo) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-12-17
Line count: 19
Word count: 110

Poor Catullus, you should stop playing...

Language: English after the Latin

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Poor Catullus, you should stop playing the fool,
And give up for lost that which you see has perished.
Once suns shone bright for you,
When you used to follow wherever the girl led,
The one we loved as much as none will ever be loved.
When you played there all those games
That you desired and the girl didn't refuse.
Truly suns shone bright for you. 
Now she desires no more: you too, being powerless, give up desiring,
Don't chase her who flees you, or live in misery, 
But carry on resolutely, hold firm.
Farewell, my girl! Catullus now holds firm,
And will not seek or court you if you are unwilling:
But you will be sorry when you are not courted at all.
You wretch, woe unto you! What a life remains to you!
Who now will approach you? Who will find you beautiful?
Whom now will you love? Whose will they say you are?
Whom will you kiss? Whose lip will you nibble?
But you, Catullus, hold firm and resolute.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"[XI]. Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire" = "[XI]. Poor Catullus, you should stop playing the fool"

Text Authorship:

Translation from Latin to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Latin by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 8
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This text was added to the website: 2026-08-09
Line count: 19
Word count: 173