tibullus poem help.

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littlewoy
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tibullus poem help.

Post by littlewoy »

need some help with this line:

servitium sed triste datur, teneorque catenis,

but he/she/it is being to sad love, i am being held by chains,??


I have enough trouble understanding english poetry sometimes, doing it in latin just is t3h suck.

Skylax
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Post by Skylax »

I think it could be "but a sad servitude is given (to me)", thus "but I am given a sad servitude", and the rest is correct.

Turpissimus
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Post by Turpissimus »

Is this a fragment of a larger sentence?

I have:

Slavery is given but (only) sadly, I am held in chains.

But I'd like to see if those words are part of a larger whole before committing to that translation.

littlewoy
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Post by littlewoy »

here's the whole sentence:

servitium sed triste datur, teneorque catenis,
et numquam misero vincla remittit Amor,
et seu quid merui seu nil peccavimus, urit.

I was give to sad slavery would make sense cos the guy is talking about himself in the poem. So either he's missed out the to me or he's using the 3rd person singular for poetic effect or something gay - damn poets.

Turpissimus
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Post by Turpissimus »

So either he's missed out the to me
I should think this is what happened.

I would say:

But slavery/servitude is given (to me) sadly, and I am held in chains.
And love never loosens the fetters for the sad one,
and whether I have merited it (?) or whether we have done nothing, it chafes.

I rather like that. Mind you, I am quite fond of Roman neoteric poets. Very easy to understand as well.

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benissimus
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Post by benissimus »

that's a beautiful little poem. Another translation:
servitium sed triste datur, teneorque catenis,
et numquam misero vincla remittit Amor,
et seu quid merui seu nil peccavimus, urit.
but enslavement is sorrowfully taken up, and I am gripped in chains,
and never does Love take back its bonds from the wretched,
and whether I deserve it or we've not sinned at all, it scorches.
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

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