My Claudia, that Claudia, that same Claudia
(after Catullus 58)
My Claudia, that Claudia, that same Claudia
whom I love more than myself
or anything I have -- I have
met her in corners
and plazas, sucking off
those sweet sons of Rome.
To this, to this, my heart is dragged
(after Catullus 75)
To this, Claudia, to this, my heart is dragged --
I have fastened it to you and you have fallen.
I would despise you now if you were perfect.
I would love you now through every sin.
Odi et Amo
(after Catullus 85)
I hate, I love.
You ask: how is it possible.
It is not possible.
It is my heart tied
between two horses.
__________________
(I first titled this post "Claudia's downfall" -- but I couldn't resist. Sorry.)
It takes some chuzpah to attempt a new version of "Odi et Amo," possibly the most famous Latin poem out there. Especially a version which, like this one, is not literal. In Latin,with modern punctuation, etc, it goes: "Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris / nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior." (Pretty literally, that might be: "I hate and I love. Why would I do this, you may want to know. / I do not know, but I feel these and am tortured.") I cannot improve on that. And yet I try.....
I feel the urge to come to poor Claudia's defence -- she's his mistress, not his wife, and she's married to someone else. And, hey, Catullus, what about you and Juventius? He's a pretty sweet son of Rome, no?
Perhaps these are good, because I find them worth fiddling with. I have changed all three now:
My Claudia, that Claudia, that same Claudia
My Claudia, that Claudia, that same Claudia
whom I love more than myself
or anything I have -- I have
met her in nooks
and plazas,
sucking off those sweet sons of Rome.
To this, to this, my heart is dragged
To this, to this, my heart is dragged --
I have fastened it to you and you have fallen.
I would despise you now if you were perfect.
I would love you now
through every sin.
Odi et Amo
I hate, I love.
You ask: how is it possible.
It is not possible.
It is my heart
tied between two horses.