Catullus 71 in Latin & English- Si cui iure bono sacer alarum obstitit hircus

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latinpoetry

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In poem 71 Catullus returns to the theme of smelly goats that we met in Carmen 69. It’s possible this poem is adressed to a third party, but I think it makes more sense that “aemulus tuus”, your rival, is Catullus’ rival, Caelius Rufus, who did indeed have an affair with Clodia, as well as a smelly-goat problem. In this case he’s also suffering from gout (podagra). I suspect the “illam” of the last line refers to Clodia, but we can’t be certain.

Cui = aliqui, anyone. “After SI, NISI, NUM, and NE ALI takes a holiday!” Cui is the dative object of obstitit.

Iure bono: with good justice, justification, justly

Sacer: holy, sacred; detestable, accursed, abominable.

Alarum: of the wings, of the underarms

Obstitit: has stood in the way, thwarted, blocked

Hircus: a he-goat, buck; a goatish smell, the rank smell of the armpits; in poem 69 Catullus used “caper alarum”.

Quem = aliquem, anyone; direct object of secat. I’ve put the direct object of the verb at the beginning of the sentence in English to correspond more closely to the Latin.

Merito: deservedly, justly, justifiably, with good reason.

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David Amster

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