Catullus I

Gaius Valerius Catullus (c. 84-54 BC)
cui dono lepidum novum libellum
arido modo pumice expolitum
corneli tibi namque tu solebas
meas esse aliquid putare nugas
iam tum cum auses es unus Italorum
omne aevum tribus explicare chartis
doctis Iuppeter et laboriosis
quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli
qualecumque quod o patrona virgo
plus uno maneat perenne saeclo

[in honor of the new blog template, this poem by Catullus]

To whom (shall) I dedicate this clean, new, little bookk
Dry already from by the pumice stone being polished?*
Cornelius, to you, for you always used to
consider my trifles to be something,
all the while when you with initiative are, of all Italians,
writing the history of Italy in a paper
most scholarly, by Jupiter, and laborious!
Therefore, have whatever kind of book
this is of whatsoever sort! Because, O Patron Virgin,
More than one century may it remain.

*The ends of a volume were smoothed with pumice.