22.04.26; Level 3+; Subjunctive [25] independent uses [5] optative [ii] pluperfect subjunctive

[1] Compare:

Present subjunctive: Utinam veniat │ If only he would come (referring to the future)

Imperfect subjunctive: Utinam venīret │ If only he were coming (now i.e. referring to the present)

Pluperfect subjunctive: Utinam vēnisset │ If only he had come (referring to the past)

The pluperfect subjunctive in this context expresses a contrary to fact idea i.e. it is a wish for something that did not happen:

Utinam tē vīdissem │ If only I had seen you (but I didn’t)

Utinam vēnissēs │ If only you had come (but you didn’t)

[2] From the authors:

Ō utinam in thalamōs invīsī Caesaris īssem (Lucanus) │ O, if only I had gone into the chambers of hated Caesar.

Utinam tēcum fuissem, pater (Seneca the Elder) │ If only I had been with you, father

Utinam intervēnissem (Seneca the Elder) │ If only I had intervened

Utinam et illōs servāre potuissem (Seneca the Elder) │ Would that I had been able to save them too.

Sed utinam tantum ego eī prōdesse potuissem … (Cicero) │ But would that I had been able to help him as much …

Utinam … propius tē accessissem (Cicero) │ How I wish I had got nearer to you

Sīc faciendum est, tibi enim ipsī (cui utinam semper pāruissem!) sīc videō placēre (Cicero) │ It must be done this way, for I see it thus pleases you yourself (whom I wish I had always obeyed).

Ruere et aequārī solō utinam arcuissem (Seneca the Younger) │ Would that I had prevented (it) from collapsing and being leveled to the ground.

Utinam iam ante vīdissēs neque tōtum animum tuum errōrī mēcum simul dedissēs (Cicero) │ If only you had seen (it) before, and had not given your whole mind to error together with me

Utinam mē mortuum vīdissēs (Cicero) │ Would that you had seen me dead

Utinam crēdibilia fīnxissēs! (Quintilianus) │ If only you had made up credible (things / stories)!

… mihi vērō mēns integra est. Atque utinam tam in perīculō fuisset (Cicero) │ My mind, indeed, is pure. And would that it had been so in such danger

Quod utinam ipse fēcisset (Quintilianus) │ If only he had done it himself.

Utinam istuc pugnī fēcissent tuī (Plautus) │ If only your fists had done that

Utinam illud nōn verē respondissent (Apuleius Madaurensis) │ If only they had not answered that truthfully

Rōmānīs utinam patuissent castra puellīs! (Propertius) │ If only camps had been open to Roman girls! [ = Would that camps admitted Roman girls!]