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Plautus · Cistellaria §725-787

Recognition of the Tokens and Happy Conclusion

Passage 10 of 10 · Latin

Summary

Halisca reveals the contents of the lost box, which match Phanostrata's abandoned daughter's tokens. After Demipho is informed and rushes inside, the play concludes with the actors' epilogue requesting the audience's applause.

§725qua aufugit quaedam aestio
(Halisca)...a footprint, by which went fleeing some...
§725bQuid id? quid nam est?
(Lampadio) What is that? What in the world is it?
§726Alienum et maerorem familiarem.
(Halisca) Another's gain and my family's sorrow.
§727Mala mers, era, haec et callida est.
(Lampadio) She is a bad article, mistress, and she is cunning.
§727bEcastor ita videtur.
(Phanostrata) By Castor, so she seems.
§728Imitatur nequam bestiam et damnificam.
(Lampadio) She imitates a worthless and mischievous beast.
§728bQuamnam, amabo?
(Phanostrata) Which one, pray tell?
§729Involvolum, quae in pampini folio intorta implicat se: §730itidem haec exorditur sibi intortam orationem.
(Lampadio) The leaf-roller caterpillar, which twists and wraps itself in a vine leaf; in the same way, this woman is beginning a twisted speech for herself.
§731quid quaeritas?
What are you seeking?
§731bCistellula hinc mi, adulescens, evolavit.
(Halisca) A little box, young man, has flown away from me here.
§732In caveam latam oportuit.
(Lampadio) It ought to have been put in a spacious cage.
§732bNon edepol praeda magna.
(Halisca) By Pollux, it is no great booty.
§733Mirum quin grex venalium in cistella infuerit una.
(Lampadio) It is a wonder that a whole gang of slaves for sale was not inside the little box together.
§734Sine dicat.
(Phanostrata) Let her speak.
§734bSi dicat quidem.
(Lampadio) If indeed she does speak.
§734cAge lóquere quid ibi infuerit.
(Phanostrata) Come, tell me what was inside there.
§735Crepundia una.
(Halisca) Some tokens together with it.
§735bEst quidam homo, qui illam ait se scire ubi sit.
(Lampadio) There is a certain man who says he knows where it is.
§736at pol ille a quadam muliere, si eam monstret, gratiam ineat.
(Halisca) But by Pollux, if he should show it, he would win gratitude from a certain woman.
§737At sibi ille quidam volt dari mercedem.
(Lampadio) But that certain man wants a reward to be given to him.
§737bAt pol illa quaedam, §738quae illam cistellam perdidit, quoidam negat esse quod det.
(Halisca) But by Pollux, that certain woman, who lost that little box, denies that she has anything to give to that certain man.
§739At enim ille quidam operam bonam magis expetit quam argentum.
(Lampadio) But indeed, that certain man seeks a good turn rather than money.
§740At pol illi quoidam mulieri nulla opera gratuita est.
(Halisca) But by Pollux, for that certain woman, no service is free.
§741Commodule quaedam.
(Lampadio) Quite convenient, certain woman!
tu tibi nunc prodes.
Now you are helping yourself.
confitemur §742cistellam habere.
We confess that we have the little box.
§742bAt vos Salus servassit.
(Halisca) May Salus preserve you!
ubi ea nunc est?
Where is it now?
§743Salvam eccam.
(Phanostrata) Here it is, safe.
sed ego rem meam magnam confabulari §744tecum volo: sóciam te mihi adopto ad meam salutem.
But I wish to converse with you about a great matter of mine: I adopt you as my partner for my safety.
§745Quid istúc negoti est? aut quis es?
(Halisca) What business is that? Or who are you?
§745bEgó sum illius mater, §746quae haec gestitavit.
(Phanostrata) I am the mother of her who used to wear these.
§746bHicine tu ergo habitas?
(Halisca) Do you live here then?
§746cHariolare.
(Lampadio) You are predicting truly.
§747sed quaéso, ambages, mulier, mitte atque hoc age.
But I pray you, woman, drop the evasions and attend to this.
§748eloquere, unde haec sunt tibi, cito, crepundia.
Tell me quickly where these tokens came from to you.
§749Mea haec erilis gestitavit filia.
(Halisca) The daughter of my mistress used to wear them.
§750Mentiris, nam mea gestitavit, non tua.
(Phanostrata) You lie, for mine wore them, not yours.
§751Ne obloquere.
(Lampadio) Do not interrupt.
§751bTaceo.
(Phanostrata) I am silent.
§751cMulier, perge dicere.
(Lampadio) Woman, go on speaking.
§752ubi ea est, quae gestitavit?
Where is she who wore them?
§752bHic in proximo.
(Halisca) Here next door.
§753Istic quidem edepol mei virí habitat gener.
(Phanostrata) By Pollux, there lives my husband's son-in-law!
§753bNe obloquere rusus.
(Lampadio) Do not interrupt again.
perge porro dicere.
Go on speaking further.
§755quot annos nata dicitur?
(Lampadio) How old is she said to be?
§755bSeptemdecim.
(Halisca) Seventeen.
§756Mea est.
(Phanostrata) She is mine!
§756bEast: u numerus annorum attulit.
(Lampadio) She is, as the number of years has shown.
§757Quid qua tibi causa haec dixi? iam quaero meam.
(Halisca) Why and for what reason did I tell you this? Now I seek my mistress's property.
§758At pol ego sunt, quaero tertiam.
(Lampadio) But by Pollux, I seek a third thing that is here.
§759Quod quaeritabam, filiam inveni meam.
(Phanostrata) What I was seeking, I have found my daughter!
§760Aequom est reponi per fidem quod creditum est, §761ne bene merenti sit malo benignitas.
(Halisca) It is right that what was entrusted in good faith should be restored, lest kindness turn to harm for the one who deserves well.
§762nostra haec alumna est, tua profecto filia: §762bet redditura est tuam tibi, et ea gratia §762cdomo profecta est.
This is our foster-child, but surely your daughter; and she is going to restore yours to you, and for that sake she set out from home.
ceterum ex ipsa, obsecro, §765exquaeritote: ego serva sum.
But from her herself, I pray, inquire; I am a slave.
§765bAequom postulas.
(Phanostrata) You ask what is fair.
§766Illius égo istanc esse malo gratiam.
(Lampadio) I prefer that that gratitude belong to her.
§767sed istánc cistellam te opsecro ut reddas mihi.
(Halisca) But I pray you to return that little box to me.
§768Quid fit, Lampadio?
(Phanostrata) What is to be done, Lampadio?
§768bQuod tuom est teneas tuom.
(Lampadio) Keep what is yours as your own.
§769At me huius miseret.
(Phanostrata) But I pity her.
§769bSic faciundum censeo: §770da isti cistellam et intro abi cum istac semul.
(Lampadio) I think this is what should be done: give her the little box and go inside together with her.
§771Tibi auscultabo.
(Phanostrata) I will listen to you.
tene tu cistellam tibi, §772abeamus intro.
Keep the little box for yourself, let us go inside.
sed quid est nomen tuae §773dominae?
But what is the name of your mistress?
§773bMelaenis.
(Halisca) Melaenis.
§773cI prae, iám ego te sequar. — §774Quíd hoc negoti est, quód omnes homines fabulantur per vias
(Phanostrata) Go ahead, I will follow you now. — (Demipho) What business is this, that all men are talking in the streets that a daughter has been found for me?
§775mihi esse filiam inventam? et Lampadionem me in foro §776quaesivisse aiunt.
And they say Lampadio sought me in the forum.
§776bEre, unde is?
(Lampadio) Master, from where do you come?
§776cEx senatu.
(Demipho) From the senate.
§776dGaudeo §777tibi mea opera liberorum esse amplius.
(Lampadio) I rejoice that by my effort you have more children.
§777bEnim non placet. §778nil moror aliena mi opera fieri pluris liberos.
(Demipho) Indeed, it does not please me; I do not care at all for more children being made for me by another's effort.
§779sed quid istúc est?
But what is that matter?
§779bPropera ire intro húc ad adfinem tuom, §780filiam tuam iám cognosces intus.
(Lampadio) Haste to go inside here to your relation, you will recognize your daughter inside now.
íbidem uxor tua est.
Your wife is in the same place.
§781abi cito.
Go quickly.
§781bPraevorti hoc certumst rebus aliis omnibus. — §782Ne exspectetis, spectatores, dum illi huc ad vos exeant: §783nemo exibit, omnes intus conficient negotium.
(Demipho) It is resolved to prefer this before all other things. — (Company) Do not expect, spectators, until they come out here to you; no one will come out, they will finish all the business inside.
§784ubi id erit factum, ornamenta ponent; postidea loci §785qui deliquit vapulabit, qui non deliquit bibet.
When that is done, they will put off their costumes; after that he who has failed will be beaten, he who has not failed will drink.
§786nunc quod ad vos, spectatores, relicuom relinquitur, §787more maiorum date plausum postrema in comoedia.
Now as for what remains for you, spectators, in the manner of our ancestors, give your applause at the end of the comedy.

Notes

  1. 726Alienum et maerorem familiarem — This accusative phrase stands as an answer to the preceding "quid quaeritas?", with the governing verb omitted. It contrasts another's gain ("alienum [lucrum]") with the family's sorrow ("maerorem familiarem") caused by the loss.
  2. 729quae in pampini folio intorta implicat se — The antecedent of the relative pronoun "quae" is "involvolum" (a leaf-roller caterpillar). Although "involvulus" is historically masculine, it is treated here as feminine, possibly influenced by the preceding feminine "bestiam".
  3. 742bSalus servassit — An archaic perfect subjunctive form ("servassit" = "servaverit") expressing a wish: "May Salus preserve you."
  4. 778nil moror — An idiomatic expression meaning "I do not care for" or "I do not want," which here governs the accusative with infinitive clause "aliena mi opera fieri pluris liberos".

Cite this passage

Plautus, Cistellaria §725-787. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi007.humanitext-lat2:725-787

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