Summary:

Lesbia's bird is dead. Does Catullus's melodrama hint at his sincerity or is he making fun?

1                   Mourn, oh Venuses and Cupids,

2                   and whatever there is of rather pleasing men:

3                   the sparrow of my girl has died,

4                   the sparrow, delight of my girl,

5                   whom she loved more than her own eyes.

6                   For he was honey-sweet and he had known his

7                   mistress as well as a girl knew her mother,

8                   nor did he move himself from her lap,

9                   but jumping around now to here now to there

10              continually chirping to his mistress alone:

11              who now goes through that dark journey

12              from where they denied anyone to return.

13              But may there be evil for you, evil shadows

14              of Orcus, which devour all pretty things:

15              You have taken away such a beautiful little bird from me.

16              Oh evil deed! Oh poor little bird!

17              Through your doing the swollen eyes of my girl

          become red with weeping.