Translation Assignment 1 (Sulpicia)
Translate the following passages and parse the bold nouns and adjectives (case, number, gender) and verbs (tense, person, number, voice).
Sulpicia was an aristocratic Roman woman who composed poetry during the reign of Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE). Her six extant Carmina are the only poems written by a Roman woman to survive. They describe a poet who likes to socialize, loves the city, and would rather be read than respectable.
1: Magnus amor venit quem nōn possum tegere. Fama enim mihi est clārior pudōre. Meae Camēnae movērunt Venerem, quae eum in meum sinum contulit; quod volō mundum totum audīre! Nolō autem carmina mea voluptatēsque tabellīs signatīs tegī. Licet ullī hominī quod scripsī legere etiam priusquam meus amor. Et iuvat errāvisse et taedet simulāre. Sed tamen digna cum dignō esse habēbor.
2: Tristis natalis adest qui mihi nōn placet; nec enim in urbe nec cum Cerinthō sum. Nam quid est dulcius urbe? Autne decet puellae sine amicīs in hāc villā semper manēre? Nolī agere curam tantum dē mē, Messalla. Neque illae ex urbe viae neque terra ipsa mihi placent. Quamquam ad villam ā tē trahor (nam vetās mē quō volō īre!), animum totum in urbe relinquō.
3: Ipsum iter triste ex animō puellae lātum est! Iam licet mihi natalī Romae esse. Ille natalis, quī nunc ad mē fortē refert, magnā cum voluptate cum omnibus amicīs agetur.
Notae
clārior pudōre = “brighter than modesty”
Camēnae, -ārum f. pl. - The Camenae were native Italian muses.
Venus, -eris f. - Venus, the goddess of love and sexual desire.
eum: Sulpicia intentionally suppresses the name of her lover in this poem.
sinum - “lap” (acc. s. masc.)
lātē: “widely”
tabellīs signatīs: “sealed tablets” (abl. pl. fem.)
taedet - it is boring, tiring (impersonal verb)
simulō (1) - to pretend
Cerinthus, -ī m. - Cerinthus, Sulpicia’s boyfriend.
dulcius urbe: “sweeter than the city”
villa, -ae f. - country house, villa
Messalla, ae m. - Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus (64 BC – 8 AD) was a Roman politician, military leader, historian, poet, and patron of poets.
forte - by chance