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.
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
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