6. Dicebas quondam, Lesbia - Icebreaker you were saying||| 6. Du hast einmal gesagt: „Lesbia – Eisbrecherin“. 6. You said once, Lesbia - Icebreaker 6. Vous avez dit un jour : Lesbia – brise-glace

1  dicebas quondam, Lesbia, you said||

te nosse solum Catullum, |to know|only|Catullus to know you only Catullus,

2  nec velle nor|to want nor to wish

tenere Iovem prae me . to hold|Jupiter|before| to hold Jupiter before me.

3  dilexi te tum I loved|| I loved you then

non tantum ut vulgus amicam, not|only|as|the crowd|girlfriend not only as the common people love a friend,

4  sed ut pater diligit gnatos et generos. |as|father|loves|sons||sons-in-law but as a father loves his sons and daughters-in-law.

5  nunc cognovi te : now|I have known|

quare etsi uror impensius , why|even if|I burn|more intensely

6  tamen mi es but|my|is 6 however you are to me

multo vilior et levior. much|cheaper||lighter much cheaper and lighter.

7  qui potis est? |able| 7 who is able? inquis. you inquire

quod talis iniuria ||injury that such an injury

8  cogit amantem amare magis, thinks||to love| 8 compels a lover to love more,

9  sed bene velle minus. 9 but to wish well less.