I have a few questions about this poem. But first, here’s my non-literal translation
Cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me
paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus
si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam
cenam, non sine candida puella
et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis.
Haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,
cenabis bene: nam tui Catulli
plenus sacculus est aranearum.
Sed contra accipies meros amores,
seu quid suavius elegantiusvest:
nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae
donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque;
quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis
totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.
In a few days, if the gods favor you,
you will dine well, my Fabullus, at my house,
if you bring with you a good and large
dinner, not without a fair-skinned girl,
wine, wit, and all sorts of laughter.
I say, if you bring these things, my charming fellow,
you will dine well: for the wallet of your Catullus
is full of cobwebs.
But in return you will receive pure loves
or if there is anything sweeter or more elegant:
for I will give perfume, which the Venuses and the Cupids
gave to my girl,
which when you smell, you will ask the gods,
that they make you all nose, Fabullus.
Why is the plural of Venus and Cupido used? (meros amores also seems a bit awkward)
Why does Catullus use “venuste noster?” (doesn’t that literally say “our charming one/fellow”?)
I knew of contractions in poetry for verbs (such as using donarunt for donaverunt), but are seu (sive) and elegantiusvest (elegantiusve est) common contractions?
Is my translation of “apud me” ok? (Is it literally at the house of me?)
poetic plural; I would also venture that is somewhat endearing and suggests all the forces of love, besides just Cupid and Venus, who are of course the foremost deities in that domain.
Why does Catullus use “venuste noster?” (doesn’t that literally say “our charming one/fellow”?)
poets often refer to themselves in the first person plural, with verbs, pronouns, possessives, etc. A little amusing to see a possessive adjective used in the vocative, nonetheless.
I knew of contractions in poetry for verbs (such as using donarunt for donaverunt), but are seu (sive) and elegantiusvest (elegantiusve est) common contractions?
seu is a very common contracted form of sive and should be listed in its dictionary entry. similarly, neve contracts to neu. most editions would print elegantiusve est, though it would be pronounced elegantiusvest.
Is my translation of “apud me” ok? (Is it literally > at the house of me> ?)
apud often means “at the house of ___” when used with a person.
Although I would probably say “at my place” or “at my house” when it is “apud me”.
I have also seen “apud” used as meaning where, say, an army troop is stationed as well as a person’s house (and I think it was in Caesar’s Civil War but as I am not at home I can’t give you a reference or check this) so it depends on the context.
Isn’t this a charming poem? One of my favourites.
Later … I looked this up in Allen & Greenough:
4. Apud, at, by, among, with the accusative.
a. Of place (rare and archaic): as, - apud forum, at the forum (in the marketplace).
b. With reference to persons or communities: as, - apud Helvétiós, among the Helvetians; apud populum, before the people; apud aliquem, at one’s house; apud sé, at home or in his senses; apud Cicerónem, in [the works of] Cicero.