01.05.24: review: imperfect tense [8]; the “imperfect” Catullus

In the first post reviewing the imperfect tense, I made up a little story based on Little Red Riding Hood to show how the imperfect tense is used.

Here are a few lines from the Roman poet Catullus (Catullus 8); we’re not studying the poem here, and so I shall give a translation and then focus on how he uses the imperfect tenses.

Don’t be concerned about other aspects of the grammar; the poem will be looked at again later.

Catullus has just broken up with his girlfriend, Lesbia. That’s a long story! In the poem he is sitting talking to himself:

1. Miser Catulle, dēsinās ineptīre, │ Miserable Catullus, stop playing the fool
2. et quod vidēs perīsse perditum dūcās. │ And what you see has perished, consider it lost
3. Fulsēre quondam candidī tibī sōlēs, │ Bright suns once shone for you
4. cum ventitābās quō puella dūcēbat │ When you would always come to wherever the girl led you.
5.  amāta nōbīs quantum amābitur nūlla. │ loved by us as no girl will ever be loved.
6. Ibi illa multa cum iocōsa fīēbant, │ There when those many playful things happened / took place
7. quae tū volēbās nec puella nōlēbat, │ which you wanted, nor did the girl refuse
8. fulsēre vērē candidī tibī sōlēs. │ bright suns truly shone for you.

[1] All of those imperfect tenses show what the relationship used to be like habitually and over a period of time.

[Line 4] …quō puella dūcēbat: to wherever the girl used to lead you / would lead you i.e. she kept leading him on…

[Line 4] cum ventitābās │ when you would always come; a small point to note: some Latin verbs can add a suffix: veniō, venīre [4]: come; ventitō, ventitāre [1]: often come i.e. the suffix can in itself imply repetition or intensity:

legō, legere [3]: read; lēctitō, lēctitāre [1]: read often; read eagerly

clāmō, clāmāre [1]: shout; clāmitō, clāmitāre [1]: yell, but it suggests more than a single shout; the yelling goes on and on

dictō, dictāre [1]: repeat; dictitō, dictitāre [1]: say (it again and again)

[Line 4] Ventitābās quō puella dūcēbat │ When you would always come to wherever the girl led you.

The impression I have of that line, and the imperfect tenses - especially 'ventitābās' - emphasise it, is that Catullus was completely smitten by her, and, almost like a little puppy, kept on following his “mistress”.

[Line 6] Ibi illa multa cum iocōsa fīēbant │ There when those many playful things used to take place; so, whatever “playful things” were happening, they were happening frequently! But they’re not happening now.

[Line 7] quae tū volēbās nec puella nōlēbat, │ which you wanted, nor did the girl refuse i.e. that was what they both felt over a period of time; whatever playful things they were up to, Catullus kept on wanting them, and she was not in the habit of refusing him!

[2] Three important verbs: [i] fiō, fieri (become; take place) [ii] volō, velle (want) and [iii] nōlō, nōlle: not want / refuse; they have been discussed in previous posts. There is also information in the files.

And I’ve posted an image of Lesbia looking utterly tired of him, and Catullus writing his poem.