Through many lands and many seas
I come in mourning, brother
To finally bring and finally lay
My gift upon your grave,
And yet I know that gifts won't change
In any way your ashes.
What foul and stupid luck it is
That takes away a brother
And leaves instead this awful rage
And nothing else for me!
But still I'll place this funeral gift
Like gifts we gave our parents.
So take it now, my gift to you,
With tears I cannot quell.
And also keep forever true
My soul and my farewell.
Mar 23, 2015
Mar 23, 2015 at 9:25 AM UTC
Through many lands and many seas
I come in mourning, brother
To finally bring and finally lay
My gift upon your grave,
And yet I know that gifts won't change
In any way your ashes.
What foul and stupid luck it is
That takes away a brother
And leaves instead this awful rage
And nothing else for me!
But still I'll place this funeral gift
Like gifts we gave our parents.
So take it now, my gift to you,
With tears I cannot quell.
And also keep forever true
My soul and my farewell.
Catullus did not name his poems so they are numbered. This is 101. This is not an exact academic translation. I tried to be true to the feel of the poem by expressing it in my own way and in the English of today. If you have to translate this poem for a Latin class and you use my version, you will probably fail. It was done because, like Catullus, I had lost a loved one.
Copyright © 2015 by Fred Filios and Robert Filios ALL RIGHTS RESERVED