Calenus:
Nothing is known of his family or his life other than his successful marriage
to Sulpicia, nor is there any evidence that the couple had children.
mollis, -e
tender, gentle,
easy, voluptuous; the word order invites translating tibi
as a dative of interest, but it may also be the object of
indulsit.
quindecim numeral
fifteen; translate with
iugales annos.
iugalis, -e
yoked together;
nuptial
indulgeo,
-ere, indulsi + dative
indulge; concede to; takes
tibi and quos as its objects.
perago, -ere, -egi, -actum
complete; accomplish.
omnis, -e
every
noto (1)
mark, write, observe
carus, -a, -um
costly;
dear; beloved.
litus, -oris n.
shore, beach, coast
Indicus, -a, -um
of
India, i.e., a semi-precious stone, either because it comes from far away
or is of some valuable material obtainable from the waters around India, stone,
marble or pearls.
lapillus,
-i m.
stone, pebble. Click
here for a description of national holidays and
"black" days on the calendar. Verses from Catullus (who refers to his birthday
in
Carmina 68.148: lapide illa diem
candidiore notat and Porphyrio's gloss to this line) and Horace (refers to
his friend Numidia's safe return
Carmina I.36.10: Cressa ne careat
pulchra dies nota, where Cressa nota is understood to be white
chalk) suggest that, as do we, people marked personal lucky days and
anniversaries on calendars in their home of stone or painted on their walls
(the authors thank JMP "Peperino" for the citations and the gloss).
proelium, -i n.
battle,
conflict; the reference to lovers’ activities as military engagement
is a poetic conceit.
utrimque adverb
on both sides, on either
side
pugna, -ae f.
fight, battle
lectulus, -i m.
a small couch; a
bed
lucerna, -ae f.
oil lamp; lucernae were small, made of bronze
or terracotta, usually with a handle so they could be carried around indoors to
provide light at night.
nimbus, -i m.
pouring rain, storm;
cloud.
ebrius, -a,
-um
drunk, full; a poetic description of the perfumed oils
contained in the lamp.
Nicerotianus, -a, -um
of Niceros, a
perfumer.
lustrum, -i
n.
the ceremony of purification of the Roman people which closed the
census which was taken every five years;
classical authors used the term to refer to a five-year period, as
does Martial here
(for more information, see lustrum)
aetas, -tatis f.
age; life;
time
computo (1)
reckon, number; translate tota as predicate
after the verb.
numero (1)
count, number
maritus, -i m.
a married man, husband; that
is, the days lived as a husband.
illis:
understand diebus
si + subjunctive:
contrary to
fact, present time with the imperfect subjunctives redderet,
malles
Atropos, -i f.
one of the three Parcae or Fates, her
name in Greek means not to be turned; her job was to cut the thread of
life for each mortal, which resulted in death (for more about the fates, see
Moirai).
lux, lucis f.
day light; modified by
diu rogatam.
vel adverb
even
mallo, malle, malui + quam
prefer
to; object understood eam unam lucem
Pylius, -a, -um
of or belonging to
Pylos; the Pylian, a term usually signifying Nestor, the aged
Homeric hero.
quater adverb
four times
senecta, -ae f.
old age
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