View source for Catullus 7

{{Short description|Latin poem by Catullus}}
[[File:Catullus 7 in Latin English Quaeris, quot mihi basiationes tuae, Lesbia.webm|thumb|Catullus 7 in Latin and English]]
[[File:Catullus 7.webm|thumb|Catullus 7 in Latin]]
'''Catullus 7''' is a poem by [[Catullus]] addressed to his [[Mistress (lover)|mistress]] [[Lesbia]].  Similar to [[Catullus 5]], this poem revels in counting [[kiss]]es, with a touch of [[star|stellar]] voyeurism.

The [[meter (poetry)|meter]] of this poem is [[hendecasyllabic verse|hendecasyllabic]], a common form in Catullus' poetry.

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==Latin text and translation==
{{Verse translation|
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 
|
You ask how many kisses 
Of yours, [[Lesbia]], would be enough and more for me.
As great as the number of [[Libya]]n sands
That lie at [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]]  producing [[Silphium (antiquity)|silphium]]
Between the [[oracle]] of sweltering [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]]
And the sacred tomb of old Battus,{{efn|There are several mythological and historical figures called [[Battus (disambiguation)|Battus]], and it is unclear to which one Catullus was referring.}}
Or as many as the stars that, when the night is silent,
See the secret love affairs of men: 
For you to kiss so many kisses 
is more than enough for crazy Catullus, 
These kisses which neither the curious can count 
Nor an evil tongue bewitch. }}

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Wikisourcelang|la|Catullus 7|Catullus 7}}
{{Wikisourcelang|en|Catullus 7|Catullus 7}}

* {{cite journal | last = Johnston | first = PA | title = Love and Laserpicium in Catullus 7 | journal = Classical Philology | volume = 88 | pages = 328–329 | doi = 10.1086/367376 | year = 1993| issue = 4 | s2cid = 162290715 }}
* {{cite journal | last = Arkins | first = B | year = 1979 | title = Catullus 7 | journal = L'Antiqué Classique | volume = 48 | issue = 2 | pages = 630–635| doi = 10.3406/antiq.1979.1954 }}
* {{cite journal | last = Segal | first = C | year = 1974 | title = More Alexandrianism in Catullus VII? | journal = Mnemosyne | volume = 27 | issue = 2 | pages = 139–143 | doi = 10.1163/156852574X00836}}
* {{cite journal | last = Segal | first = C | year = 1968 | title = Catullus 5 and 7: A Study in Complementaries | journal = American Journal of Philology | volume = 89 | issue = 3 | pages = 284–301 | doi = 10.2307/293446| jstor = 293446 }}
* {{cite journal | last = Moorhouse | first = AC | year = 1963 | title = Two Adjectives in Catullus 7 | journal = American Journal of Philology | volume = 84 | issue = 4 | pages = 417–418 | doi = 10.2307/293237| jstor = 293237 }}

==External links==
* [http://la.wikibooks.org/wiki/Carmina Carmina] for some of the texts in Latin.
* [http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/l7.htm Gaius Valerius Catullus]

{{Catullus}}
{{poem-stub}}

[[Category:Poetry by Catullus|C007]]
[[Category:Love poems]]
[[Category:Kissing]]