- 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-lat2:2.8.1-2.8.28
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The poet addresses Cypassis, his mistress's hairdressing maid, boasting of his quick-witted cover-up when their affair was nearly exposed, and demands another tryst as a reward, threatening to confess everything to Corinna if she refuses.
Ponendis in mille modos perfecta capillis,1
Flawless in arranging hair in a thousand ways,
Comere sed solas digna, Cypassi, deas,
yet worthy, Cypassis, to comb only goddesses,
Et mihi iucundo non rustica cognita furto,
and known to me in sweet stealth as not rustic,
Apta quidem dominae, sed magis apta mihi —
suitable indeed for your mistress, but more suitable for me —
Quis fuit inter nos sociati corporis index?
Who was the informer of the union of our bodies between us?
Sensit concubitus unde Corinna tuos?
How did Corinna find out about your couplings?
Num tamen erubui? num, verbo lapsus in ullo,
Did I blush, however? Did I, slipping in any word,
Furtivae Veneris conscia signa dedi?
give conscious signs of our secret love?
Quid, quod in ancilla siquis delinquere possit,
What of the fact that, if anyone could sin in the case of a maidservant,
Illum ego contendi mente carere2 bona?
I argued that he was lacking a sound mind?
Thessalus ancillae facie Briseidos arsit;
The Thessalian burned with love for the beauty of the maid Briseis;
Serva Mycenaeo Phoebas amata duci.
the captive priestess of Phoebus was loved by the Mycenaean leader.
Nec sum ego Tantalide maior, nec maior Achille;
Nor am I greater than the descendant of Tantalus, nor greater than Achilles;
Quod decuit reges, cur mihi turpe putem?
why should I think that shameful for myself, which was fitting for kings?
Ut tamen iratos in te defixit ocellos,
Yet, when she fixed her angry eyes on you,
Vidi te totis erubuisse genis;
I saw that you blushed on your whole cheeks;
At quanto, si forte refers, praesentior ipse
But with how much more presence of mind did I myself, if by chance you recall,
Per Veneris feci numina magna fidem!3
create belief by the great divine power of Venus!
Tu, dea, tu iubeas animi periuria puri
You, goddess, may you order the perjuries of a pure mind
Carpathium tepidos per mare ferre Notos!
to be carried by the warm South Winds over the Carpathian sea!
Pro quibus officiis pretium mihi dulce repende
In return for which services, repay to me the sweet price
Concubitus hodie, fusca Cypassi, tuos!
of your embraces today, dark Cypassis!
Quid renuis fingisque novos, ingrata, timores?
Why do you refuse and invent new fears, ungrateful woman?
Unum est e dominis emeruisse4 satis.
It is enough to have satisfied one of your masters.
Quod si stulta negas, index anteacta fatebor,
But if you foolishly refuse, I will confess our past deeds as an informer,
Et veniam culpae proditor ipse meae,
and I will go as the betrayer of my own fault,
Quoque loco tecum fuerim, quotiensque, Cypassi,
and in what place I was with you, and how many times, Cypassis,
Narrabo dominae, quotque quibusque modis!
I will tell our mistress, and in how many and what ways!
- 2.8.1ponendis ... capillis
The phrase 'ponendis capillis' is a gerundive construction, which can be interpreted either as an ablative of respect ('perfect in arranging hair') or a dative depending on 'perfecta' ('perfect for arranging hair'). It agrees with the vocative 'Cypassi' via 'perfecta'.
- 2.8.9Quid, quod ... contendi ... carere
'Quid, quod...' is an idiomatic formula introducing a fact ('What of the fact that...'). 'contendi' (I argued) governs the accusative and infinitive construction 'illum... carere', where 'mente... bona' is an ablative of separation/deprivation depending on 'carere'.
- 2.8.17quanto ... praesentior ipse ... feci fidem
'quanto' is an ablative of degree of difference modifying the comparative 'praesentior' ('by how much more resolute/prompt'). 'praesentior' agrees with the subject 'ipse' and functions adverbially ('with how much more presence of mind'). 'fidem feci' is an idiom meaning 'I established credibility' or 'I proved my innocence'.
- 2.8.24emeruisse
'emeruisse' is the perfect infinitive of 'emereor', originally a military term ('to serve out one's time'), here used metaphorically to mean 'to have fully served or satisfied' a master. 'e dominis' represents a partitive ablative ('from among your masters/mistresses').