§984tacitus conscripsit tabellas, obsignatas mi has dedit.
Weeping, he wrote the tablets in silence, and gave them to me sealed.
§985tíbi me iussit dare, sed metuo, né idem cantent quod priores.
He ordered me to give them to you, but I fear lest they sing the same song as the previous ones.
§986nosce signum.
Examine the seal.
estne eius?
Is it his?
§986bNovi.
I recognize it.
libet perlegere has.
I would like to read these through.
§986cPerlege.
Read them through.
Now the upper lintel is torn down, now destruction is at hand for Ilium, the wooden horse is beautifully causing a stir.
§988bChrysále, ades, dum ego has pérlego.
Chrysalus, stand by me while I read these through.
§988aQuid mé tibi adesse opus ést?
Why is it necessary for me to stand by you?
I wish it, so that you may know what is written here.
§989aNíl moror neque scíre volo.
I do not care, nor do I wish to know.
§990Támen ades.
Still, stand by me.
§990bQuid opúst?
What is the need?
§990abAdero.
I will stand by.
§991Eúge litterás minutas.
Well, what tiny letters.
To one who indeed sees poorly; but to one who sees well enough, they are large enough.
§992bAnimum advórtito igitur.
Pay attention, then.
§993Nólo inquam.
I do not want to, I say.
§993bAt volo ínquam.
But I want you to, I say.
§993cQuid opust?
What is the need?
§993dÁt enim id quod te iúbeo facias.
But indeed, do what I command you.
§994Iústumst ut tuós tibi servos tuo árbitratu sérviat.
It is just that your servant should serve you at your pleasure.
§995Hoc áge sis nunciam.
Attend to this now, if you please.
§995bVbi lubet, recita: aúrium operam tíbi dico.
When it pleases you, read: I offer you my ears.
He indeed spared neither wax nor stylus; but whatever it is, I am resolved to read it through.
§997“Patér, ducentos Phílippos quaeso Chrýsalo §998da, si esse salvom vis me aut vitalem tibi. ” §999malum quidem hercle magnum.
"Father, I beg you, give two hundred Philipps to Chrysalus, if you wish me to be safe or to remain alive for you." By Hercules, a great misfortune indeed.
§999bTibi dico.
I am speaking to you.
§999cQuid est?
What is it?
§1000Non prius salutem scripsit?
Did he not first write a greeting?
§1000bNusquam sentio.
I perceive it nowhere.
§1001Non dabis, si sapies; verum si das maxume, §1002ne ille alium gerulum quaerat, si sapiet, sibi: §1003nam ego non laturus sum, si iubeas maxume.
You will not give it, if you are wise; but if you do give it especially, let him indeed seek another carrier for himself, if he is wise; for I am not going to carry it, even if you command me ever so much.
§1004sat sic suspectus sum, cum careo noxia.
I am already suspected enough as it is, though I am free of guilt.
§1005Ausculta porro, dum hoc quod scriptumst perlego.
Listen further, while I read through what is written.
§1006Inde a principio iam inpudens epistula est.
From the very beginning, the letter is already shameless.
§1007“Pudet prodire me ad te in conspectum, pater: §1008tantum flagitium te scire audivi meum, §1009quod cum peregrini cubui uxore militis. ” §1010pol haud derides; nam ducentis aureis §1011Philippís redemi vitam ex flagitio tuam.
"I am ashamed to come into your presence, father; I heard that you know of my great disgrace, that I lay with the wife of a foreign soldier." By Pollux, you are not mocking; for with two hundred gold Philipps I redeemed your life from that disgrace.
§1012Nihil est illorum quin ego illi dixerim.
There is nothing of those things which I did not tell him.
§1013“Stulte fecisse fateor.
"I confess I acted foolishly.
sed quaeso, pater, §1014ne me, in stultitia si deliqui, deseras.
But I beg you, father, do not desert me, if I have transgressed in my folly.
§1015ego animo cupido atque oculis indomitis fui; §1016persuasumst facere quoius me nunc facti pudet. ” §1017prius té cavisse ergo quám pudere aequom fuit.
I had a passionate mind and untamed eyes; I was persuaded to do that deed of which I am now ashamed." It was proper, therefore, for you to have taken precautions before feeling ashamed.
§1018Eadem istaec verba dudum illi dixi omnia.
I said those very same words to him a little while ago.
§1019“Quaeso ut sat habeas id, pater, quod Chrysalus §1020me obiurigavit plurumis verbis malis, §1021et me meliorem fecit praeceptis suis, §1022ut te ei habere gratiam aequom sit bonam. ” §1023Estne istuc istic scriptum?
"I beg that you consider it enough, father, that Chrysalus reproved me with very many harsh words, and made me better by his precepts, so that it is right for you to show him good gratitude." Is that written there?
§1023bEm specta, tum scies.
Look, then you will know.
§1024Vt qui deliquit supplex est ultro omnibus.
How a wrongdoer becomes a suppliant to everyone on his own accord.
§1025“Nunc si me fas est obsecrare abs te, pater, §1026da mihi ducentos nummos Philippos, te obsecro. ” §1027Ne unum quidem hercle, si sapis.
"Now if it is lawful for me to entreat you, father, give me two hundred Philipp coins, I entreat you." By Hercules, not even one, if you are wise.
§1027bSine perlegam.
Let me read it through.
§1028“ego ius iurandum verbis conceptis dedi, §1029daturum id me hodie mulieri ante vesperum, §1030prius quam á me abiret.
"I gave an oath in solemn words, that I would give it to the woman today before evening, before she departed from me.
nunc, pater, ne perierem §1031cura atque abduce me hinc ab hac quantum potest, §1032quam propter tantum damni feci et flagiti.
Now, father, lest I perish, take care and lead me away from her as quickly as possible, on whose account I have suffered so much loss and disgrace.
Take care that the two hundred coins do not become a source of trouble to you; I will return six hundred times as much to you, if I live.
§1035vale atque haec cura”. quid nunc censes, Chrysale?
Farewell, and attend to this." What do you think now, Chrysalus?
§1036Nihil ego tibi hodie consili quicquam dabo, §1037neque ego haud committam ut, si quid peccatum siet, §1038fecisse dicas de mea sententia.
I will give you no advice whatsoever today, nor will I allow myself, if any mistake is made, to have you say that it was done according to my opinion.
§1039verum, ut ego opinor, sí ego in istoc sim loco, §1040dem potius aurum quam illum corrumpi sinam.
But, as I think, if I were in your place, I would give the gold rather than allow him to be ruined.
§1041duae condiciones sunt: utram tu áccipias vide: §1042vel ut aurum perdas vel ut amator perieret.
There are two conditions; see which one you accept: either that you lose the gold, or that your loving son should perish.
§1043ego neque te iubeo neque veto, neque suadeo.
I neither command you, nor forbid you, nor urge you.
§1044Miseret me illius.
I feel pity for him.
§1044bTuos est, non mirum facis.
He is your son; you do no strange thing.