- Source
- Ovid. P. Ovidius Naso, Volume 1: Amores, Epistulae, Medicamina faciei femineae, Ars amatoria, Remedia amoris. Ehwald, Rudolf; Merkel, Rudolph; editors. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1907.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.2.1-2.2.66
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The poet persuades the eunuch Bagoas, who guards his mistress, to ease his surveillance and become an accomplice to their love affair, arguing that cooperating will bring him financial reward and eventual freedom.
Quem penes est1 dominam servandi cura, Bagoa,
Bagoas, in whose hands is the duty of guarding your mistress,
Dum perago tecum pauca, sed apta, vaca.
while I discuss with you a few, but fitting, things, give me your time.
Hesterna vidi spatiantem luce puellam
Yesterday, in the light of day, I saw a girl walking
Illa, quae Danai porticus agmen habet.
in that portico which holds the procession of Danaus.
Protinus, ut placuit, misi scriptoque rogavi.
Immediately, as she pleased me, I sent a message and made a request in writing.
Rescripsit trepida 'non licet!' illa manu;
She wrote back with a trembling hand: “It is not allowed!”
Et, cur non liceat, quaerenti2 reddita causa est,
And, to me asking why it is not allowed, the reason was given,
Quod nimium dominae cura molesta tua est.
that your guarding of the mistress is too troublesome.
Si sapis, o custos, odium, mihi crede, mereri
If you are wise, o guardian, believe me, cease to earn
Desine; quem metuit quisque, perisse cupit.
hatred; everyone desires him whom they fear to perish.
Vir quoque non sapiens; quid enim servare laboret,
The husband too is not wise; for why should he labor to guard
Unde nihil, quamvis non tueare, perit?
that from which nothing is lost, even if you do not protect it?
Sed gerat ille suo morem furiosus amori
But let that madman indulge his own passion
Et castum, multis quod placet, esse putet;3
and let him think that is chaste which pleases many;
Huic furtiva tuo libertas munere detur,
Let secret freedom be given to her as your gift,
Quam dederis illi, reddat ut illa tibi.
so that she may return to you that which you have given to her.
Conscius esse velis — domina est obnoxia servo;
Should you wish to be an accomplice — the mistress is indebted to her slave;
Conscius esse times — dissimulare licet.
do you fear to be an accomplice — you can pretend not to notice.
Scripta leget secum — matrem misisse putato!
She reads a letter by herself — suppose her mother sent it!
Venerit ignotus — postmodo notus erit.
Should a stranger come — soon he will be well-known.
Ibit ad adfectam, quae non languebit, amicam:
She goes to visit a sick friend who is not actually ill:
Visat! iudiciis aegra sit illa tuis.
let her visit! Let her be sick in your judgment.
Si faciet tarde, ne te mora longa fatiget,
If she is late, lest the long delay weary you,
Inposita gremio stertere fronte potes.
you can snore with your forehead rested on your lap.
Nec tu, linigeram fieri quid possit ad Isim,
Neither ask what can happen at the temple of linen-clad Isis,
Quaesieris nec tu curva theatra time!
nor fear the curved theaters!
Conscius adsiduos commissi tollet honores —
An accomplice in a secret deed will carry off continuous rewards —
Quis minor est autem quam tacuisse labor?
but what labor is less than to have kept silent?
Ille placet versatque domum neque verbera sentit;
He pleases and rules the house and doesn’t feel the lash;
Ille potens — alii, sordida turba, iacent.
he is powerful — the others, a squalid crowd, grovel.
Huic, verae ut lateant causae, finguntur inanes;
For him, empty reasons are made up so that the true ones may lie hidden;
Atque ambo domini, quod probat una, probant.
and both masters approve what the single woman approves.
Cum bene vir traxit vultum rugasque coegit,
When the husband has thoroughly pulled a long face and forced wrinkles,
Quod voluit fieri blanda puella, facit.
he does what the coaxing girl wanted to be done.
Sed tamen interdum tecum quoque iurgia nectat,
But yet, let her sometimes weave quarrels with you too,
Et simulet lacrimas carnificemque vocet.
and fake tears, and call you a torturer.
Tu contra obiciens, quae tuto diluat illa,
You, in return, making accusations which she can safely explain away,
Et veris falso crimine deme fidem.
and strip credibility from true charges with a false accusation.
Sic tibi semper honos, sic alta peculia crescent.
Thus honor and deep savings will always grow for you.
Haec fac, in exiguo tempore liber eris.
Do these things, and in a short time you will be free.
Adspicis indicibus nexas per colla catenas?
Do you see the chains bound around the necks of informers?
Squalidus orba fide pectora carcer habet.
A squalid prison holds hearts stripped of trust.
Quaerit aquas in aquis et poma fugacia captat
Tantalus seeks water in the midst of water and grasps at fleeing fruit —
Tantalus — hoc illi garrula lingua dedit.
a talkative tongue gave this to him.
Dum nimium servat custos Iunonius Io,
While Juno’s guard, Argus, guards Io too much,
Ante suos annos occidit; illa dea est!
he died before his years; she is a goddess!
Vidi ego conpedibus liventia crura gerentem,
I myself have seen one with legs black and blue from shackles,
Unde vir incestum scire coactus erat.
because of whom the husband was forced to learn of unchastity.
Poena minor merito. nocuit mala lingua duobus;
The punishment was less than deserved. An evil tongue harmed two:
Vir doluit, famae damna puella tulit.
the husband grieved, the girl bore the loss of her reputation.
Crede mihi, nulli sunt crimina grata marito,
Believe me, accusations are pleasing to no husband,
Nec quemquam, quamvis audiat, illa iuvant.
nor do they help anyone, even though he listens.
Seu tepet, indicium securas prodis ad aures;
If he is indifferent, you present evidence to unconcerned ears;
Sive amat, officio fit miser ille tuo.
or if he loves, he is made wretched by your dutiful service.
Culpa nec ex facili quamvis manifesta probatur;
Nor is guilt easily proved, however manifest;
Iudicis illa sui tuta favore venit.
she comes off safe through the favor of her own judge.
Viderit ipse licet,4 credet tamen ille neganti
Though he himself may have seen it, he will still believe her when she denies it,
Damnabitque oculos et sibi verba dabit.
and will condemn his own eyes, and deceive himself.
Adspiciat dominae lacrimas, plorabit et ipse,
Let him but see his mistress’s tears, he himself too will weep,
Et dicet: 'poenas garrulus iste dabit!'
and say: “That talkative fellow shall pay the penalty!”
Quid dispar certamen inis? tibi verbera victo
Why do you enter an unequal contest? Lashes await you, the defeated,
Adsunt, in gremio iudicis illa sedet.
while she sits in the lap of the judge.
Non scelus adgredimur, non ad miscenda coimus
We are not attempting a crime, we do not come together to mix
Toxica, non stricto fulminat ense manus.
poisons, no hand flashes with a drawn sword.
Quaerimus, ut tuto per te possimus amare.
We only ask that we may be able to love safely with your indulgence.
Quid precibus nostris mollius esse potest?
What can be softer than our prayers?
- 2.2.1Quem penes est
An instance of prepositional anastrophe, where penes (governing the accusative) is placed after its relative pronoun object quem.
- 2.2.7quaerenti
The present active participle of quaerere in the dative singular, modifying an implied mihi ("to me, who was asking").
- 2.2.13gerat ... putet
Present active subjunctives used as jussive subjunctives expressing concession or indirect command ("let him indulge", "let him think").
- 2.2.57Viderit ipse licet
The impersonal verb licet ("although/even though") introducing a concessive clause with the perfect subjunctive viderit ("even though he himself has seen it").