Lysidamus Returns and Chalinus Reveals the Wedding Trap — Plautus, Casina, lines 700–783, Latin & English

700

Atque íngratiís, quia non vólt, nubet hódie.

And indeed, even against her will, because she does not want to, she shall marry today.

nam quór non ego íd perpetrém quod coépi,

For why should I not accomplish what I have begun,

ut núbat mihi? íllud quidém volebam,

so that she may marry me? Indeed, I was wanting that,

nostró vilico.¹

for our bailiff.

Saepícule peccas.

You make mistakes rather often.

Timór praepedít verba. vérum, obsecró te,

Fear obstructs my words. But, I beseech you,

705

dic méd uxorem órare ut éxoret íllam,

tell my wife that I beg her to persuade that girl,

gládium ut ponat ét redire me íntro ut liceat.

so that she may lay down the sword and that I may be allowed to go back inside.

Núntiabo.

I will report it.

Ét tu orato.

And you too, entreat her.

Et ego órabo.

And I will entreat.

At blande órato, ut solés. sed audin?

But entreat coaxingly, as you are wont to do. But do you hear?

si efféxis hoc, soleás tibi dabo, et ánulum in digitum aúreum et bona plúruma.

if you accomplish this, I will give you sandals, and a golden ring for your finger, and very many good things.

710

Operám dabo.

I will do my best.

Face ut ímpetres.

See to it that you succeed.

Eo núnciam, nisi quíppiam

I am going now, unless in any way

remoráre me.

you delay me.

Abi et cúra.

Go and take care.

redit éccum tandem opsónatu meus ádiutor, pompám ducit.

See, at last my assistant is returning from shopping, leading a procession.

720

Vide, fúr, sentis súb signis ducás.

See, thief, you seem to lead briars under flags.

Qui vero hi súnt sentis?

But why indeed are these people briars?

Quia quód tetigere, ilíco rapiunt, si eás ereptum, ilíco scindunt:

Because whatever they have touched, they immediately snatch, and if you go to rescue it, they immediately tear it:

ita quóquo adveniunt, úbiubi sunt, duplicí damno dominós multant.

thus wherever they arrive, wherever they are, they punish their masters with double loss.

Heia.

Hey!

Áttat. cesso mágnufice patriciéque amicirier átque ita ero meo ire ádvorsum?

Oh! Should I delay to dress myself magnificently and patrician-like, and so go to meet my master?

Bone vír, salve.

Good man, greetings.

Fateór.

I admit it.

Quid fit?

What is happening?

Tu amás: ego ésurio et sitio.

You are in love; I am hungry and thirsty.

Lepide éxcuratus incéssisti.

You have marched in delightfully well-cared for.

Aha, hodie

Ah, today...

Mane véro, quamquam fástidis.

Stay indeed, although you are fastidious.

Fu fú, fetet tuos míhi sermo.

Phew, phew! Your talk stinks to me.

Quae rés?

What is the matter?

Haec res. etiámne adstas? enim véro πράγματά μοι παρέχεις.²

This is the matter. Are you still standing there? For indeed you are causing me trouble.

Dabo tibi μέγα κακόν,

I will give you a great evil,

730

ut ego opinor, nisi resistis.

as I think, unless you stand back.

ὦ Ζεῦ,

O Zeus,

potin a me abeas, nisi me vis vomere hodie?

can you not depart from me, unless you want me to vomit today?

Máne.

Stay.

Quid est? quis hic ést homo?

What is it? Who is this man?

Erus súm.

I am your master.

Quis erus?

What master?

Cuius tú servo'sservus es.

He whose slave you are.

Servós ego?

I, a slave?

Atqué meus.

And indeed mine.

Non súm ego líber?

Am I not free?

meménto, meménto.

Remember, remember.

Mane átque asta.

Stay and stand still.

Omítte.

Let go.

Servós sum tuós.

I am your slave.

Optumést.

Excellent.

Opsecró te,

I beseech you,

Olýmpisce mí, mi patér, mi patróne.

my dear Olympio, my father, my patron.

Em,

There,

740

sapis sáne.

you are truly wise.

Tuos sum équidem.

I am indeed yours.

Quid mi ópust servo tam néquam?

What need do I have of so worthless a slave?

Quid núnc? quam mox recreás me?

What now? How soon do you revive me?

Cená modo si sit cócta.

If only dinner were cooked.

Hisce érgo abeant.

Let these men, therefore, go inside.

Properé cito intró ite ét cito deproperáte.

Go inside quickly, immediately, and make haste.

ego iam íntus ero, facite cenam mihi ut ebria sit.³

I will be inside soon; see to it that the dinner for me ut ebria sit.

séd lepide nitidéque volo, níl moror barbaricó bliteo.

But I want it charming and fine; I care nothing for rustic spinach-like food.

stasne etiam? i sis, ego hic habeo. numquid est ceterum quod morae sit?

Are you still standing? Go, please, I have business here. Is there anything else that causes delay?

Gladiúm Casinam intus habére ait, qui me átque te intérimat.

She says Casina has a sword inside, to kill me and you.

750

Scio. síc sine habére;

I know. Let her have it so;

nugás agunt: nóvi

they are playing nonsense; I know

ego illás malas mérces.

those bad goods.

quin tu í modo mécum

Why don’t you just go with me

domum.

home?

At pól malum métuo.

But by Pollux, I fear trouble.

755

i tú modo, perspicitó prius quid íntus agátur.

Just go, find out first what is being done inside.

Tam míhi mea víta

My life is as dear to me

quam túa tibi cárast.

as yours is to you.

verum í modo.

But just go.

Si tú iubes, em íbitur⁴ tecum.

If you command, look, I shall go with you.

Nec pol ego Nemeae credo neque ego Olympiae

Nor, by Pollux, do I believe at Nemea or at Olympia,

760

neque usquam ludos tam festivos fieri

or anywhere else, that games so festive are celebrated

quam hic intus fiunt ludi ludificabiles

as the mock-games celebrated here inside

seni nóstro et nostro Olympioni vilico.

for our old man and our bailiff Olympio.

omnes festinant intus totis aedibus,

All are hurrying inside throughout the whole house;

senex ín culina clamat, hortatur coquos:

the old man is shouting in the kitchen, urging the cooks:

765

“quin agitis hodie? quin datis, si quid datis?

“Why don’t you get busy today? Why don’t you serve, if you’re going to serve anything?

properate, cenam iam esse coctam oportuit.”

Hurry, the dinner ought to have been cooked by now.”

vilicus is autem cum corona, candide

But that bailiff, with a wreath, dressed in white,

vestitus, lautus exornatusque ambulat.

walks around clean and adorned.

illae autem armigerum in cubiculo exornant duae,

But those two women are adorning an armed guard in the bedroom,

770

quem dent pro Casina nuptum⁵ nostro vilico.

whom they may give in marriage to our bailiff instead of Casina.

sed nimium lepide dissimulant, quasi nil sciantfore huius quod futurumst; digne autem coquinimis lépide ei rei dant operam, ne cenet senex,

But they dissemble too charmingly, as if they knew nothing of what is going to happen; and worthily the cooks apply themselves too charmingly to that business, so that the old man may not dine,

+ extra markers: 772_773 (translation introduced markers absent in the source; merged into this section)

aulas pervortunt, ignem restingunt aqua:

they overturn the pots, extinguish the fire with water:

775

illarum oratu faciunt; illae autem senem

they do it at the entreaty of those women; but those women

cupiunt extrudere incenatum ex aedibus,

desire to thrust the old man out of the house unfed,

ut ipsae solae ventres distendant suos.

so that they alone may distend their own bellies.

novi ego illas ambestrices: corbitam cibi

I know those gluttonous women: they can devour

comesse possunt. sed aperitur ostium.

a cargo-ship of food. But the door is opening.

780

Si sapitis, uxor, vos tamen cenabitis,

If you are wise, wife, you will nevertheless dine,

cena ubi erit cocta; égo ruri cenavero.

when the dinner is cooked; I shall have dined in the country.

nam novom maritum ét novam nuptam volo

For I want to accompany the new husband and the new bride

rus prosequi, novi hominum mores maleficos,

to the country, I know the mischievous ways of men,

Syntax notes5 items

703nostró vilico
A comical slip of the tongue where Lysidamus accidentally reveals his own desire ("that she may marry me") and quickly corrects himself with the dative "nostro vilico" ("for our bailiff").
728bπράγματά μοι παρέχεις
A Greek idiom meaning "you are giving me trouble." It shows the comic affectation of Roman slaves using Greek phrases to show off or act pretentious.
746ut ebria sit
Literally "that it may be drunk/intoxicated," used figuratively here to mean that the dinner should be exceptionally lavish, rich, or well-provided with wine.
758bibitur
The future impersonal passive of the intransitive verb ire (to go). Literally meaning "it will be gone," it is used colloquially here to mean "we shall go" or "I will go with you."
770nuptum
The accusative supine of the verb nubere (to marry/veil oneself for), expressing the purpose of giving (dent) — i.e., "to be given in marriage."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi006.humanitext-lat2:700-783