Here are some poems written by Catullus that I have translated. Each one includes both the original Latin and my translation into English.
I aim for fidelity to the meaning, tone, and structure, and try not to create awkwardness where there wasn’t any, but I do not try to edit the original, nor explicate while translating, nor do I reproduce the meter.
Catullus 3 | A passerine passes. (Or bye-bye birdie.) | |
Catullus 5 | Love, mortality, kisses, jealousy, and maybe an abacus. | |
Catullus 7 | More kisses, by Jove. | |
Catullus 13 | A dinner invitation scent. | |
Catullus 15 | A strange dish of fish & veggies. Explicit. | |
Catullus 16 | Dissing the reviewers. Explicit. | |
Catullus 27 | Brandy, you’re a fine girl. | |
Catullus 33 | Partners in crime and a missing bath towel? Explicit. | |
Catullus 85 | Frame thy fearful symmetry. |
My goals are fidelity and natural English idiom, which are goals in tension, and that makes translation fun and challenging.