Thursday, September 18, 2008

Catullus 12

Marrucinus Asinius, you do not use (your) left hand well in joke and wine, you steal the napkins of the too careless. You think that this is witty? It escapes you, gauche fellow: it is as tacky and graceless as you like. You do not believe me? Believe Pollio, (your) brother, who would like your thefts to be exchanged even for a talent; for he is a boy stuffed full of charms and wits. Therefore, either expect 300 hendecasyllables or return the napkin to me, which does not move me by its cost but is a keepsake of my comrade. For Fabullus and Veranius sent Saetaban cloths from Spain to me; it is necessary that I love these as my little Veranius and Fabullus.

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