§144eadem nunc, cum est melius, me, cuius opera est, ignoras mala.
Now when things are better, you, the very same woman, ignore me, by whose effort it is so, you evil woman.
§145reddam ego te ex fera fame mansuetem, me specta modo.
I will make you tame from wild hunger, just you watch me.
§146nam isti quid suscenseam ipsi? nihil est, nihil quicquam meret;
For why should I be angry with her herself?
§147tuo facit iussu, tuo imperio paret: mater tu, eadem era es.
It is nothing, she deserves no blame at all; she acts by your order, she obeys your command: you are her mother and also her mistress.
§148té ego ulciscar, té ego ut digna es perdam atque ut de me meres.
I will take vengeance on you, I will ruin you as you deserve and as you have treated me.
§149at scelesta viden ut ne id quidem, me dignum esse existumat §150quém adeat, quem conloquatur quoique irato supplicet?
But do you see how the wicked woman thinks me not even worthy of this, whom she should approach, with whom she should speak, or whom she should entreat when he is angry?
§151atque eccam inlecebra exit tandem; opinor hic ante ostium §152meo modo loquar quaé volam, quoniam intus non licitum est mihi.
And look, the enticer comes out at last; I think here before the door I will speak in my own way what I want, since inside it was not permitted to me.
§153Vnum quodque istorum verbum nummis Philippis aureis §154non potest auferre hinc a me si quis emptor venerit; §155nec recte quae tu in nos dicis, aurum atque argentum merumst: §156fixus hic apud nós est animus tuos clavo Cupidinis.
Every single one of those words of yours, even with gold Philippic coins, no buyer, if one should come, can carry away from me here; indeed, the abuse you speak against us is pure gold and silver: your heart is fixed here with us by the nail of Cupid.
§157remigio veloque quantum poteris festina et fuge: §158quam magis té in altum capessis, tam aestus te in portum refert.
Hurry and flee as much as you can, with oar and sail: the more you betake yourself to the deep sea, the more the tide brings you back to harbor.
§159Ego pol istum portitorem privabo portorio; §160ego te dehinc ut merita es de me et mea re tractare exsequar, §161quom tu med ut meritus sum non tractas atque eicis domo.
By Pollux, I will deprive that harbor-master of his harbor-dues; I will proceed to treat you hereafter as you have deserved of me and my property, since you do not treat me as I deserved and throw me out of the house.
§162Magis istuc percipimus lingua dici, quam factis fore.
We perceive that to be said by tongue rather than that it will happen in deeds.
§163Solus solitudine ego ted atque ab egestate abstuli; §164solus si ductem, referre gratiam numquam potes.
I alone took you away from solitude and from poverty; even if I alone should keep company with her, you can never return enough gratitude.
§165Solus ductato, si semper solus quae poscam dabis; §166semper tibi promissum habeto hac lege, dum superes datis.
Keep her company alone, if you alone will always give what I ask; always hold her promised to you under this condition, as long as you surpass others in gifts.
§167Qui modus dandi? nam numquam tu quidem expleri potes;
What limit is there of giving?
§168modo quom accepisti, haud multo post aliquid quod poscas paras.
For indeed you can never be satisfied; just now when you received it, not long after you prepare something to ask for.
§169Quid modist ductando, amando? numquamne expleri potes?
What limit is there to keeping company, to loving? Can you never be satisfied?
§170modo remisisti, continuo iam ut remittam ad te rogas.
just now you sent her back, immediately now you ask that I send her back to you.
§171Dedi equidem quod mecum egisti.
Indeed I gave what you bargained with me.
And I sent the woman to you: recompense was given equal for equal, effort for money.
§173Male agis mecum.
You deal badly with me.
§173bQuid me accusas, si facio officium meum?
Why do you accuse me, if I am doing my duty?
§174nam neque fictum usquamst neque pictum neque scriptum in poematis §175ubi lena bene agat cum quiquam amante, quae frugi esse volt.
For it is nowhere fashioned, nor painted, nor written in poems, where a bawd deals well with any lover, who wishes to be successful in her trade.
§176Mihi quidem te parcere aequomst tandem, ut tibi durem diu.
It is fair, after all, that you spare me, so that I may last long for you.
§177Non tu scis? quae amanti parcet, eadem sibi parcet parum.
Don't you know? She who spares a lover, the same woman will spare herself too little.
§178quasi piscis, itidemst amator lenae: nequam est, nisi recens; §179is habet sucum, is suavitatem, eum quo vis pacto condias, §180vel patinarium vel assum, verses quo pacto lubet:
Just like a fish, so is a lover to a bawd: he is good for nothing, unless fresh; he has juice, he has sweetness, you can season him in whatever way you wish, either as a stew or a roast, you can turn him in whatever way pleases you.
§181is dare volt, is se aliquid posci, nam ibi de pleno promitur; §182neque ille scit quid det, quid damni faciat: illi rei studet.
he wants to give, he wants to be asked for something, for there it is brought forth from abundance; nor does he know what he gives, what loss he incurs: he is eager for that matter.
§183volt placere sese amicae, volt mihi, volt pedisequae, §184volt famulis, volt etiam ancillis; et quoque catulo meo §185subblanditur novos amator, se ut quom videat gaudeat.
He wants to please his mistress, he wants to please me, he wants to please the foot-maid, he wants to please the male servants, also the female slaves; and also to my puppy the new lover coaxes, so that when it sees him, it may rejoice.
§186vera dico: ad suom quemque hominem quaestum esse aequomst callidum.
I speak the truth: it is fitting that every man be clever towards his own gain.
§187Perdidici istaec esse vera damno cum magno meo.
I have thoroughly learned those things to be true with my own great loss.
§188Si ecastor nunc habeas quod des, alia verba praehibeas; §189nunc quia nihil habes, maledictis te eam ductare postulas.
By Castor, if you now had what to give, you would offer other words; now because you have nothing, you demand to keep her company by means of insults.
§190Non meum est.
It is not my way.
§190bNec meum quidem edepol, ad te ut mittam gratiis.
Nor indeed is it mine, by Pollux, to send her to you for free.
§191verum aetatis atque honoris gratia hoc fiet tui, §192quia nobis lucro fuisti potius quam decori tibi: §193si mihi dantur duo talenta argenti numerata in manum, §194hanc tibi noctem honoris causa gratiis dono dabo.
But for the sake of your youth and respect, this shall be done, because you have been a source of gain to us rather than of honor to yourself: if two talents of silver are given into my hand, counted out, this night I will give to you as a gift, for free, for the sake of respect.
§195Quid si non est?
What if there isn't?
§195bTibi non esse credam, illa alio ibit tamen.
I will believe that you don't have it, but she will go elsewhere nevertheless.
§196Vbi illaec quae dedi ante?
Where are those things I gave before?
§196bAbusa.
Spent.
nam si ea durarent mihi, §197mulier mitteretur ad te, numquam quicquam poscerem.
For if those were lasting for me, the woman would be sent to you, and I would never demand anything.