Miser Catulle , desinas ineptire ,
et quod vides perisse perditum ducas .
Fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles ,
cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat
amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla ;
ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant
quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat ,
fulsere vere candidi tibi soles .
Nunc iam illa non volt ; tu quoque , impotens , noli ,
nec quae fugit sectare , nec miser vive ,
sed obstinata mente perfer , obdura .
Vale puella ! Iam Catullus obdurat ,
nec te requiret , nec rogabit invitam .
At tu dolebis , cum rogaberis nulla .
Scelesta , vae te ! Quae tibi manet vita ?
Quis nunc te adibit ? Cui videberis bella ?
Quem nunc amabis ? Cuius esse diceris ?
Quem basiabis ? Cui labella mordebis ?
At tu , Catulle , destinatus obdura .

Sad Catullus , stop playing the fool ,
and let what you know leads you to ruin , end .
Once , bright days shone for you ,
when you came often drawn to the girl
loved as no other will be loved by you .
Then there were many pleasures with her ,
that you wished , and the girl not unwilling ,
truly the bright days shone for you .
And now she no longer wants you : and you
weak man , be unwilling to chase what flees ,
or live in misery : be strong-minded , stand firm .
Goodbye girl , now Catullus is firm ,
he doesn’t search for you , won’t ask unwillingly .
But you’ll grieve , when nobody asks .
Woe to you , wicked girl , what life’s left for you ?
Who’ll submit to you now ? Who’ll see your beauty ?
Who now will you love ? Whose will they say you’ll be ?
Who will you kiss ? Whose lips will you bite ?
But you , Catullus , be resolved to be firm .

Woe-full Catullus ! cease to play the fool
And what thou seest dead as dead regard !
Whilòme the sheeniest suns for thee did shine
When oft-a-tripping whither led the girl
By us beloved , as shall none be loved .
There all so merry doings then were done
After thy liking , nor the girl was loath .
Then certès sheeniest suns for thee did shine .
Now she ' s unwilling : thou too ( hapless ! ) will
Her flight to follow , and sad life to live :
Endure with stubborn soul and still obdure .
Damsel , adieu ! Catullus obdurate grown
Nor seeks thee , neither asks of thine unwill ;
Yet shalt thou sorrow when none woos thee more ;
Reprobate ! Woe to thee ! What life remains ?
Who now shall love thee ? Who ' ll think thee fair ?
Whom now shalt ever love ? Whose wilt be called ?
To whom shalt kisses give ? whose liplets nip ?
But thou ( Catullus ! ) destiny-doomed obdure .

Siqua recordanti benefacta priora voluptas
est homini , cum se cogitat esse pium ,
nec sanctam violasse fidem , nec foedere nullo
divum ad fallendos numine abusum homines ,
multa parata manent in longa aetate , Catulle ,
ex hoc ingrato gaudia amore tibi .
Nam quaecumque homines bene cuiquam aut dicere possunt
aut facere , haec a te dictaque factaque sunt :
omnia quae ingratae perierunt credita menti .
Quare iam te cur amplius excrucies ?
Quin tu animo offirmas atque istinc teque reducis ,
et dis invitis desinis esse miser ?
Difficile est longum subit deponere amorem ;
difficile est , verum hoc qua lubet efficias .
Una salus haec est , hoc est tibi pervincendum ;
hoc facias , sive id non pote sive pote .
O di , si vestrum est misereri , aut si quibus umquam
extremam iam ipsa in morte tulistis opem ,
me miserum aspicite et , si vitam puriter egi ,
eripite hanc pestem perniciemque mihi ,
quae mihi subrepens imos ut torpor in artus
expulit ex omni pectore laetitias .
Non iam illud quaero , contra me ut diligat illa ,
aut , quod non potis est , esse pudica velit :
ipse valere opto et taetrum hunc deponere morbum .
O di , reddite mi hoc pro pietate mea .

If recalling past good deeds is pleasant to a man ,
when he thinks himself to have been virtuous ,
not violating sacred ties , nor using the names of gods
in any contract in order to deceive men ,
then there are many pleasures left to you , Catullus ,
in the rest of life , due to this thankless passion .
Since whatever good a man can do or say
to anyone , has been said and done by you .
All , that entrusted to a thankless heart is lost .
Why torment yourself then any longer ?
Why not harden your mind , and shrink from it ,
and cease to be unhappy , since the gods are hostile ?
It’s difficult to suddenly let go of a former love ,
it’s difficult , but it would gratify you to do it :
That’s your one salvation . That’s for you to prove ,
for you to try , whether you can or not .
O gods , if mercy is yours , or if you ever brought help
to a man at the very moment of his death ,
gaze at my pain and , if I’ve lived purely ,
lift this plague , this destruction from me ,
so that the torpor that creeps into my body’s depths
drives out every joy from my heart .
I no longer ask that she loves me to my face ,
or , the impossible , that she be chaste :
I choose health , and to rid myself of this foul illness .
O gods , grant me this for all my kindness .

If any pleasure is for man remembering former good deeds ,
when he thinks he is loyal ,
nor to have violated a sacred trust , nor has he abused the divine power of the gods
in any contract to deceive man ,
many joys remain for you
in this long lifetime , from this ungrateful love to you .
For whatever man can say or do
well for anyone , these things are said and done by you ,
All things which have been entrusted to an ungrateful mind have perished ,
So why do you torture yourself more ?
Why don’t you harden your mind and bring yourself back from that point ,
and cease to be miserable since the gods are unwilling .
It is difficult to suddenly set aside a long love ,
it is difficult , but you will do this no matter what ;
This is your one redemption . This must be overcome by you ,
you should do this , whether this is impossible or possible .
O gods , if it is within you to have mercy , or if you have ever brought a final help
in death itself ,
look upon miserable me and , if I live my life purely ,
take away this plague and ruin from me ,
which creeping down into my deepest limbs as numbness
has driven out happiness from my heart .
Now I do not ask that so she may love me in return ,
or , that which is impossible , that she wants to be chaste .
I myself choose to be strong and to put down this foul disease .
O gods , return this to me in exchange for my loyalty/piety .