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by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE)
Translation by Mario Rapisardi (1844 - 1912)

Lugete, o Veneres, Cupidinesque
Language: Latin 
Lugete, o Veneres, Cupidinesque,
Et quantum est hominum venustiorum.
Passer mortuus est meæ Catullæ,
Passer, deliciæ meæ Catullæ,
Quem plus illa oculis suis amabat.
Nam mellitus erat, suamque norat
Ipsa tam bene quam Catulla matrem:
Nec sese a gremio illius movebat;
Sed circumsiliens modo huc, modo illuc,
Ad solam dominam usque pipilabat.
Qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum
Illuc unde negant redire quemquam.
At vobis male sit, malse tenebræ
Orci, quæ omnia bella devoratis:
Tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis.
O factum male! O miselle passer!
Tua nunc opera meæ Catullæ
Flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 3 [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 John Plant , "Lament on the death of a sparrow", first performed 2009 [ voice and piano ], from Babel is a blessing, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in English, a translation by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824) , "Translation from Catullus", subtitle: "Luctus de morte passeris" [an adaptation] ; composed by Maude Valérie White.
    • Go to the text.

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

  • ENG English (John Plant) , "Lament on the death of a sparrow", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Mario Rapisardi) , no title, first published 1889


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2013-07-06
Line count: 18
Word count: 94

Piangete, o Veneri, o amori, o voi
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the Latin 
Piangete, o Veneri, o amori, o voi
     Che avete un’anima venusta e pia:
     È morto il passere di Lesbia mia;
     E assai più amavalo degli occhi suoi.

Era uno zucchero: come bambina
     La mamma scernere suole, ei sapea
     Ben riconoscere la padroncina,
     E in grembo subito le s’accogliea.

Or qua saltandole or là, píando,
     Giochi e tripudj faceale intorno;
     Ed ora a un tramite scuro, esacrando
     Move, onde lecito non è il ritorno.

Voi male abbiatene, o inesorate
     Ombre del Tartaro, che con funeste
     Fauci ogni amabile cosa ingojate,
     E un sì bel passere a me toglieste.

O danno! O misero passere! E intanto
     Che vai per l’orrida funerea via,
     Gli occhiuzzi languidi di Lesbia mia
     Rosseggian tumidi dal pianger tanto.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Mario Rapisardi (1844 - 1912), no title, first published 1889 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Latin by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 3
    • Go to the text page.

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

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2019-05-03
Line count: 20
Word count: 121

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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