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For both the university-educated person of the 1930s and the 1940s,1 and the mid-eighteenth century, though, wide reading and an easy habit of quotation were natural attributes. It’s therefore a natural notion for Jamie to have inscribed in Claire’s ring a brief phrase from Catullus—while it’s likewise natural for Claire to quote Housman and Coleridge.

Being neither British nor a classics scholar myself, I asked and browsed, in order to come up with appropriate poetry, expressions, etc. Some poems and quotations were sent to me by friends online who knew what I was doing and came across something they thought might suit now and then; some I found in the course of the research for the novels—and some came ready to hand, given that while not a literary scholar, I do read a lot.

I also used frequent Biblical quotation and allusion, because of the common usage of such allusion in the eighteenth-century style, because it was suited to the metaphysical and spiritual concerns of the books—and because it’s beautiful.2

Now, I’m not sure whether I should feel slighted or not, but I don’t get a lot of mail from prisons. You’d think long books would be appealing in that venue, but maybe not.

So far, I believe I’ve only received three letters from incarcerated persons (not that I’m complaining, mind you). One of these, though, was from a gentleman who requested the entire text of the Catullus poem that Jamie refers to in Outlander. He said that the concept struck him as most romantic, and he would like to letter the poem in calligraphy as a present for his wife—adding that she had been through a lot, and he would like to make it up to her.

I couldn’t refuse a request like that, so I sent the poem. I’ve since had many requests for the text of the poem—and some others quoted in the Outlander novels—and so have decided to list the sources for poetry and quotations used in the novels,3 for the benefit of the curious.

In some cases, where copyright (and the author’s energy) permits, I’ve included the whole text of short poems. Where a poem was unavailable or too long to type out in its entirety, only the portion quoted is given.

LATIN POETRY

A working knowledge of Latin and Greek and an appreciation for the major works of the ancient philosophers were hallmarks of a “man of worth”—a gentleman—in the eighteenth century. Jamie, grandson of a noble (even if illegitimate), and nephew of a clan chieftain, has certainly been well educated, and thus well versed in ancient languages and writings. Small wonder that he turns to these both as expressions of his love for Claire, and as tutoring for his beloved nephew Ian.

The Catullus poem referred to in Outlander is titled “Lesbia,” and was translated in the seventeenth century by Richard Crashaw;4 both the original Latin and the English translation (with original spelling) are shown here.

Both versions were sent to me originally by Janet McConnaughey, an online friend from the CompuServe Literary Forum, whose knowledge of poetry and lyrics is simply staggering. Having read the scene in which Jamie gives Claire the silver ring, Janet suggested that perhaps da mi basia mille would be appropriate as an inscription.

I liked the notion, but wanted to use somewhat more of the poem than would fit inside the average ring. I therefore used small quotations from the poem in the course of the dialogue in Outlander, referring to the inscription only later, in Dragonfly in Amber.

LESBIA

Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,

rumoresque senum severiorum

omnes unius aestimemus assis.

soles occidere et redire possunt:

nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,

nox est perpetua una dormienda.

da mi basia mille, deinde centum,

dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,

deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum,

dein, cum mia multa fecerimus,

conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,

aut nequis malus invidere possit,

cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

—Catullus (84?—54 B.C.)

Come and let us live my Deare, Let us love and never