Catullus Poem 12
 
 
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Perseus text of Catullus 12
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MARRVCINE Asini, manu sinistra  1 Asinius Marrucinus, you do not make a pretty use 
non belle uteris: in ioco atque uino  2 of your left hand when we are laughing and drinking:
tollis lintea neglegentiorum.  3 you take away the napkins of people who are off their guard.
hoc salsum esse putas? fugit te, inepte: 4 Do you think this a good joke? You are mistaken, you silly fellow; 
quamuis sordida res et inuenusta est.  5 it is ever so ill-bred, and in the worst taste. 
non credis mihi? crede Pollioni  6 You don't believe me? Believe your brother Pollio, 
fratri, qui tua furta uel talento  7 who would be glad to have your thefts redeemed 
mutari uelit: est enim leporum  8 at the cost of a whole talent; for he is a boy 
differtus puer ac facetiarum. 9 who is a master of all that is witty and amusing. 
quare aut hendecasyllabos trecentos  10 So now either look out for three hundred hendecasyllables, 
exspecta, aut mihi linteum remitte,  11 or send me back my napkin,
quod me non mouet aestimatione,  12 which does not concern me for what it is worth, 
uerum est mnemosynum mei sodalis.  13 but because it is a keepsake from my old friend; 
nam sudaria Saetaba ex Hiberis  14 for Fabullus and Veranius sent me some Saetaban napkins
miserunt mihi muneri Fabullus 15 as a present from Hiberia. 
et Veranius: haec amem necesse est  16 How I help being fond of these,
ut Veraniolum meum et Fabullum. 17 as I am of my dear Veranius and Fabullus ?