Passer, deliciae meae puellae,
quicum ludere, quem in sinu tenere,
cui primum digitum dare appetenti
et acris solet incitare morsus,
cum desiderio meo nitenti
carum nescio quid libet iocari
et [solacium]1 sui doloris -
credo, ut tum gravis acquiescat ardor:
tecum ludere sicut ipsa possem
et tristis animi levare [curas]2 
[...]
tam gratum est mihi quam ferunt puellae,
pernici aureolum fuisse malum,
quod zonam soluit diu ligitam.

J. Novák sets lines 1-10
R. Beckett sets lines 11-14

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Note: some text has been lost from the original as indicated by "[...]".

¹ Novák: "solaciolum"
² Novák: "curas,/ et tristis animi levare curas./ Passer, deliciae meae puellae."

Text Authorship:

• by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 2 [author's text not yet checked 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 Ronald A. Beckett , "Atalanta picks up the apples", 2001, published 2008, lines 11-14 [ voice and piano ], from Three Latin Poems by Catullus, no. 2, Edition Arcady ; in Songs and Arias, Volume 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Michael Linton , "Passer, deliciae meae puellae ", first performed 2014 [ baritone and piano ], from Carmina Catulli, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Jan Novák (1921 - 1984), "Passer", lines 1-10, from Cantica latina, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in English, a translation by Richard Le Gallienne (1866 - 1947) , "Weep, Mother of Love!", appears in New Poems, first published 1910 [an adaptation] ; composed by John Woods Duke.
  • Go to the text.
    

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

• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Mario Rapisardi) , no title, first published 1889

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 66