Carmen 3
Lugete, o Veneres Cupidinesque,
et quantum est hominum venustiorum:
passer mortuus est meae puellae,
passer, deliciae meae puellae,
quem plus illa oculis suis amabat.
nam mellitus erat suamque norat
ipsam tam bene quam puella matrem,
nec sese a gremio illius movebat,
sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc
ad solam dominam usque pipiabat.
qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum
illuc, unde negant redire quemquam.
at vobis male sit, malae tenebrae
Orci, quae omnia bella devoratis:
tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis
o factum male! o miselle passer!
tua nunc opera meae puellae
flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli.
Poem 3
Mourn, o Venuses and Cupids
and all you beautiful people.
My girlfriend’s sparrow has died,
that sparrow, my girlfriend’s delight,
whom she loved more than her own eyes.
For he was sweet as honey and knew
my girlfriend like she knew her own mother.
Nor did he ever move from her lap,
but hopping about now here now there
went chirping all the way to his mistress.
And now he goes along the gloomy path,
there whence they say none ever returns.
May evil yet befall you, evil darkness of Orcus
that devours all beautiful things—
You robbed me of so beautiful a sparrow.
O evil deed! O wretched little sparrow!
It’s your fault now my girlfriend’s swollen
little eyes grow red with weeping.