Cleostrata Confides in Myrrhina and Rejects Lysidamus — Plautus, Casina, lines 158–233, Latin & English

158

flágiti persequentem†

pursuing shameful deeds,

stabulúm nequitiae.

that stable of wickedness.

160

nunc húc meas fortúnas eo quéstum¹ ad vicínam.

Now I am going hither to my neighbor to complain about my fortunes.

séd foris concrépuit, atque eápse eccam egreditúr foras:

But the door has creaked, and look, she herself is coming out:

non pól per tempus iter húc mi incepi.

by Pollux, I did not begin my journey hither out of season.

Sequimíni, comites, in próxumum me huc. heus vós, ecquis haec quae lóquor audit?

Follow me, companions, hither to the house next door. Ho there, does anyone hear what I am saying?

ego hic éro, vir si aut quispiám quaeret.

I shall be here, if my husband or anyone else should look for me.

nam úbi domi sóla sum, sópor manus cálvitur.²

For when I am alone at home, sleep eludes my hands.

iussín colum ferrí mihi?

Did I not order my distaff to be brought to me?

Myrrhína, salve.

Myrrhina, greetings.

Salvé mecastor. séd quid tu es tristís, amabo?

Greetings, by Castor. But why are you sad, pray tell me?

Itá solent omnes quae súnt male nuptae:

Thus are all accustomed to be who are badly married:

domi ét foris aegre quód siet, satis sémper est.

there is always enough trouble, both at home and abroad.

nam ego íbam ad te.

For I was going to you.

Et pol ego ístuc ad te.

And by Pollux, I was going thither to you.

sed quíd est quod tuo nunc ánimo aegrest?

But what is it that troubles your mind now?

nam quód tibi est aégre, idem mi ést dividiae.

For whatever is painful to you, the same is a grief to me.

Credo écastor, nam vícinam nemínem amo merito mágis quam te

I believe it, by Castor; for deservedly I love no neighbor more than you,

nec † qua in plura sint mihi quae ego velim.

nor is there any with whom I share more of my wishes.

Amó te, atque istúc expetó scire quíd sit.

I love you, and I long to know what that is.

Péssumis mé modis déspicatúr domi.

I am treated with the greatest contempt at home.

Hém, quid est? díc idem (nám pol hau sátis meocórde accepí querellas tuas) ópsecro.

Ah, what is it? Say it again, pray (for by Pollux, I did not fully receive your complaints in my heart).

Vír me habet péssumis déspicatám modis,

My husband treats me with the greatest contempt,

190

néc mihi iús meum óptinendi optio est.

nor do I have the power to assert my own rights.

Míra sunt, véra si praédicas, nám viri

That is strange, if you speak the truth, for husbands

iús suom ad múlieres óptinere haúd queunt.

are unable to assert their rights against their wives.

Quín mihi ancíllulam ingrátiis póstulat,

Why, against my will he demands that a little handmaid,

quaé mea est, quaé meo edúcta sumptú siet,

who is mine, and who was brought up at my expense,

195

vílico suo sé dare,

be given to his bailiff;

séd ipsus eam amat.

but he himself is in love with her.

Obsecro

Pray,

táce.

be silent.

Nam hic nunc licet dícere:

For it is safe to speak here now:

nós sumus.

we are alone.

Ita est. unde éa tibi est?

That is true. From where did you get her?

nám peculí probam níl habere áddecet

For it is not fitting for an honest woman to have any private property

200

clám virum, ét quae habet, pártum ei haud cómmode est,

unbeknownst to her husband; and what she does have, it is not likely to have been acquired properly,

quín viro aut súbtrahat aut stupro invénerit.

without her either stealing it from her husband or obtaining it through unchastity.

hóc viri cénseo esse ómne, quidquíd tuom est.

I hold that whatever is yours belongs entirely to your husband.

Tu quidem advorsum tuam amicam omnia loqueris.

Indeed, you speak entirely against your friend.

Tace sís, stulta, et mi auscúlta. nolí sis tu illi advórsari,

Be silent, foolish woman, and listen to me. Do not oppose him, please,

sine amét, sine quod libet íd faciat, quandó tibi nil domi délicuom est.

let him love, let him do what he pleases, since you lack nothing at home.

Satin sána es? nam tu quidem ádvorsus tuam istaéc rem loquere.

Are you quite sane? For you indeed speak against your own interest.

Insípiens,

Foolish woman,

sempér tu huic verbo vítato abs tuo víro.

always avoid this word from your husband.

Cui verbo?

Which word?

Ei fóras, mulier.

’Go out of doors, woman.’

St, táce,

Sh, be silent,

Quid est?

What is it?

Ém.

Look.

Quis est, quém vides?

Who is it, whom do you see?

Vir

My husband

eccum ít; intro ábi, adpropera, áge amabó.

is coming; go inside, hurry, please do.

Impetrás, abeo.

You win, I am going.

Mox mágis cum otium mi et tibi érit, igitur

Later, when there is more leisure for you and me, then

tecúm loquar. nunc vale.

I will talk with you. Now farewell.

Váleas.—

Farewell. —

Omnibus rebus ego amorem credo et nitoribus nitidis antevenire,

I believe that love surpasses all things and shining splendors,

nec potis quicquam commemorari³ quod plus salis plusque leporis hodie

nor can anything be mentioned today that has more wit and charm;

habeat; cocos equidem nimis demiror, tot qui utuntur condimentis,

indeed, I wonder greatly at cooks, who use so many seasonings,

220

eos eo condimento uno non utier, omnibus quod praestat.

that they do not use that one seasoning which surpasses them all.

nam úbi amor condiméntum inerit, cuivís placituram escam crédo;

For where love is in the seasoning, I believe the food will please anyone;

neque sálsum neque suave ésse potest quicquam, úbi amor non admíscetur:

nor can anything be salty or sweet where love is not mixed in:

fel quód amarumst, id mél faciet, hominem éx tristi lepidum ét lenem.

what is bitter gall, love will make honey, and a man from gloomy into charming and gentle.

hanc égo de me coniécturam domi fácio magis quam ex aúditis;

This conjecture I make about myself at home, rather than from hearsay;

225

qui quóm amo Casinam, mágis niteo, mundítiis munditiam ántideo:

since I love Casina, I shine more, and surpass neatness itself in neatness:

myropólas omnes sollicito, ubicúmque est lepidum unguéntum, unguor,

I trouble all the perfumers, and wherever there is a delightful ointment, I am anointed,

ut illí placeam; et placeo, út videor. sed uxór me excruciat, quía vivit.

to please her; and I do please her, as it seems. But my wife tortures me, because she lives.

tristem ástare aspició. blande haec mihi mála res appellánda est.

I see her standing sad. This bad trouble must be addressed gently by me.

uxór mea meaque amoénitas, quid tu agis?

My wife and my delight, what are you doing?

Abi atque abstine manum.

Go away and keep your hand off.

230

Heiá, mea Iuno, nón decet esse té tam tristem tuó Iovi.

Come, my Juno, it does not become you to be so sad to your Jupiter.

quo núnc abis?

Where are you going now?

Mítte me.

Let me go.

Mane.

Stay.

Non máneo.

I will not stay.

At pol ego té sequar.

But by Pollux, I will follow you.

Óbsecro, sanun est?

Pray, are you sane?

Sánus quom téd amo.

I am sane since I love you.

Nólo ames.

I don’t want you to love.

Syntax notes3 items

160meas fortunas eo questum
questum is the accusative supine of the verb queror, used with the verb of motion eo to express purpose ('I am going to complain').
167sopor manus calvitur
calvitur is the third-person singular of the deponent verb calvor ('to deceive, elude, delay'). 'Sleep eludes my hands' indicates that drowsiness prevents her hands from working properly.
218nec potis quicquam commemorari
potis stands for potis est (equivalent to potest) with the omission of est. The passive infinitive commemorari depends on it, meaning 'nor can anything be mentioned'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi006.humanitext-lat2:158-233