Lysidamus Prepares a Rendezvous and Cleostrata's Counter — Plautus, Casina, lines 486–550, Latin & English

486

tantisper dum égo cum Casina faciam nuptias.

just for so long, until I have my wedding with Casina.

hinc tu ante lucem rus cras duces postea.

after that, tomorrow before dawn, you will lead her from here to the country.

satin docte?

Cleverly enough, isn’t it?

Astute.

Cunningly.

Age modo, fabricamini,

Go on, fabricate your plots,

malo hercle vestro tam vorsuti vivitis.

by Hercules, it is to your own ruin that you live so craftily.

490

Scin quid nunc facias?

Do you know what you should do now?

Loquere.

Speak.

Tene marsuppium,

Hold the purse,

abi atque obsona, propera, sed lepide volo,

go and buy provisions, hurry, but I want nice things,

molliculas escas, út ipsa mollicula est.

delicate food, just as she herself is delicate.

Licet.

Very well.

Emito sepiolas, lepadas, lolligunculas,

Buy small cuttlefish, limpets, tiny squids,

hordeías.¹

and barley-fish.

Immo triticeías, si sapis.

Rather wheat-fish, if you are wise.

495

Soleas.

Sole-fish.

Qui quaeso potius quam sculponeas,

How, I ask, rather than wooden shoes,

quibus báttuatur tíbi os, senex nequissime?

with which your mouth may be beaten, you most worthless old man?

Vin lingulacas?

Do you want tongue-fish?

Quid opust, quando uxor domi est?

What need is there, when your wife is at home?

ea lingulaca est nobis, nam numquam tacet.

She is our tongue-fish, for she never keeps silent.

In re praesenti ex copia piscaria

On the spot, from the fish supply,

500

consulere quid emam potero.

I shall be able to decide what to buy.

Aéquom oras, abi.

You ask what is fair; be off.

argento parci nolo, obsonato ampliter.

I do not want money to be spared; buy provisions generously.

nam mihi vicino hoc etiam convento est opus,

for I must also meet with this neighbor,

ut quod mandavi curet.

so that he may take care of what I commissioned.

Iamne abeo?

Shall I go now?

Volo.—

I wish it.—

Tribus nón conduci possum libertatibus,²

I cannot be hired by three manumissions,

505

quin ego illis hodie comparem magnum malum

from preparing a great evil for them today,

quinque hanc omnem rem meae erae iam faciam palam.

and from making this whole matter plain to my mistress now.

manifesto teneo in noxia inimicos meos.

I hold my enemies red-handed in their crime.

sed si nunc facere volt era officium suom,

But if my mistress now wants to do her duty,

nostra omnis lis est. pulchre praevortar viros.

the whole suit is ours. I will beautifully thwart the men.

510

nostro omine it dies; iam victi vicimus.

The day goes under our omen; though already defeated, we have conquered.

ibo intro, ut id quod alius condivit cocus,

I will go inside, so that what another cook seasoned,

ego nunc vicissim ut alio pacto condiam,

I may now in turn season in another way,

quo id quoi paratum est ut paratum ne siet

so that what was prepared for him for whom it was prepared may not be prepared,

sitque ei paratum quod paratum non erat.—

and that there may be prepared for him what was not prepared.—

515

Núnc amici ánne inimici sís imago, Alcésime,

Now, Alcesimus, whether you are the image of a friend or an enemy to me,

mihi sciam, nunc specimen specitur, nunc certamen cernitur.

I shall know; now the proof is tested, now the contest is decided.

cur amem me castigare, id ponito ad compendium,

To chide me as to why I am in love, set that aside as a saving,

cano capite aetate aliena eo addito ad compendium,

with my white head, at an unbefitting age, add that too to the saving,

cui sit uxor id quoque illuc ponito ad compendium.

one who has a wife, place that also there as a saving.

520

Miseriorem ego ex amore quam te vidi neminem.

I have seen no one more wretched from love than you.

Fac vacent aedes.

See that your house is vacant.

Quin edepol servos, ancillas domo

Indeed, by Pollux, the slaves and maidservants from the house

certum est omnis mittere ad te.

I am resolved to send them all to you.

Oh, nimium scite scitus es.

Oh, you are too cleverly clever.

sed facito dum merula † pervorsus quos cantat colas:

but see to it, while the blackbird sings perversely, that you look after them:

cum cibo suo quique facito ut veniant, quasi eant Sutrium.³

make sure each comes with their own food, as if they were going to Sutrium.

525

Meminero.

I will remember.

Em, nunc enim te demum nullum scitum scitiust.

Look, now indeed there is no one more clever than you.

cura, ego ad forum modo ibo: iam hic ero.

Take care of it, I will just go to the forum: I will be here soon.

Bene ambula.

Safe journey.

Fac habeant linguam tuae aedes.

Make sure your house has a tongue.

Quid ita?

Why so?

Cum veniam, vocent.

So that when I come, they may call me.

Attatae, caedundus tú homo es: nimias delicias facis.

Ah, you deserve a beating, man; you are being far too playful.

Quid me amare refert, nisi sim doctus ac dicaculus?

What does it matter that I am in love, unless I am clever and witty?

530

sed tu cave in quaesitione mihi sis.—

But take care you are not to be sought by me.—

Vsque adero domi.—

I shall be at home all the time.—

Hoc erat ecastor quod me vir tanto opere orabat meus,

By Castor, this was what my husband was begging me with such great effort,

ut properarem arcessere hanc huc ad me vicinam meam,

that I should hasten to summon this neighbor of mine here to me,

liberae aedes ut sibi essent, Casinam quo deducerent.

so that their house might be free for them, where they might lead Casina.

nunc adeo nequaquam arcessam, ne illis ignavissumis

Now, therefore, I will by no means summon her, lest those most worthless fellows,

535

liberi loci potestas sit, vetulis vervecibus.

those old wethers, should have the opportunity of a free place.

sed eccum égreditur, senati columen, praesidium popli,

But look, out he comes, the pillar of the senate, the defense of the people,

meus vicinus, meo viro qui liberum praehibet locum.

my neighbor, who provides the free place for my husband.

non ecastor vilis emptu est, modio qui venit salis.⁴

By Castor, he is not cheap to buy, who is sold for a peck of salt.

Miror huc iam non arcessi in proxumum uxorem meam,

I wonder why my wife is not already summoned here to next door,

540

quae iam dudum, si arcessatur, ornata exspectat domi.

who has been waiting at home, dressed up, for a long time, in case she is summoned.

sed eccam, opino arcessit. salve, Cleostrata.

But look, there she is, I think she is coming to summon. Greetings, Cleostrata.

Et tu, Alcesime.

And to you, Alcesimus.

ubi tua uxor?

Where is your wife?

Intus illa te, si se arcessas, manet;

She is waiting inside for you, in case you summon her;

nam tuos vir me orávit, ut eam ístuc ad te adiutum mitterem.

for your husband begged me to send her there to you to help.

vin vocem?

Do you want me to call her?

Sine eam nolo si occupata est.

Leave her, I do not want to if she is busy.

Otium est.

She is at leisure.

545

Nil moror, molesta ei esse nolo; post convenero.

I do not care for it, I do not want to be a nuisance to her; I will meet her later.

Non ornatis istic apud vos nuptias?

Are you not preparing the wedding over at your place?

Orno et paro.

I am preparing and getting ready.

Non ergo opus est adiutrice?

So there is no need of a helper?

Satis domist. ubi nuptiae

There is enough at home. When the wedding

fuerint, tum istam convenibo. nunc vale, atque istanc iube.—

is over, then I will meet her. Now farewell, and bid her the same.—

Quid ego nunc faciam? flagitium maxumum feci miser,

What shall I do now? Miserable as I am, I have committed the greatest outrage,

550

propter operam illius hirqui ímprobi, edéntuli,

on account of the business of that wicked, toothless old goat,

Syntax notes4 items

494hordeías
A fictional fish name derived from barley (hordeum). Along with "soleas" (sole fish/sandal) in the next line, it forms a pun used by Chalinus to retort with "triticeias" (wheat fish) and "sculponeas" (clogs/wooden shoes).
504Tribus nón conduci possum libertatibus
Literally, "I cannot be hired by three freedoms (manumissions)." This expression indicates Chalinus' firm determination that no bribe or promise of freedom will stop him from exposing the master's plot to his mistress.
524quasi eant Sutrium
A proverbial expression meaning "as if they were going to Sutrium." Since soldiers sent to Sutrium had to carry their own provisions, it is used here to mean "each bringing their own food."
538modio qui venit salis
By Castor, "who is sold for a peck (modius) of salt." Since salt was an extremely cheap commodity, a person valued at a modius of salt is metaphorically described as being utterly worthless.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi006.humanitext-lat2:486-550