How Many Kisses, Catullus? Catullus 7

 

Lesbia, you ask me how many kisses I want—and how many are too many for me. I want as great a number as sands in the Saharan desert Between the Oracle of Ammon And the sacred tomb of ol’ Battus. As great a number of stars in the dead of night That watch over the meetings of secret lovers. That’s the number of kisses your Catullus wants to kiss, Enough kisses that nosy people cannot count Nor evil tongues can curse. --Catullus 7

Quaeris, quot mihi basiationes tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque. quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis oraclum Iovis inter aestuosi et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum; aut quam sidera multa, cum tacet nox, furtivos hominum vident amores: tam te basia multa basiare vesano satis et super Catullo est, quae nec pernumerare curiosi possint nec mala fascinare lingua.

CATULLUS	MAP:
Name:  Gaius Valerius Catullus Date:  84 – 54 BCE Works:  Poems	REGION  1
BIO:	Timeline:
Catullus was a Roman statesman born in Verona  (Cisalpine Gaul, located in northern Italy) who lived during the tumultuous last days of the Roman Republic.  His poetry offers rare insight into the mores of the time period. Like Propertius and Tibullus, Catullus used a pseudonym for the objects of his attention; many of his love poems were addressed to either “Lesbia” or “Juventius.”	GOLDEN AGE