Catullus: the Poems

Since their rediscovery around 1305 the poems of Catullus have proved endlessly fascinating to generations of readers. The small collection that has come down to us covers an extraordinary range of voices from extreme sexual crudity, through the passion and bitterness of an often frustrated lover to astonishing lyricism and beauty. Catullus has become as famous for his obscene invective as for his love affair with the woman he called Lesbia.Nick Langford's translation seeks to hold as close to the original as possible, providing the Latin and the translation side-by-side for easy comparison. It is a translation for the modern age, endeavouring to find English equivalents for otherwise untranslatable words and concepts. A few essential notes are provided, and a more detailed index of proper names.