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Plautus · Curculio §202-273b

Parting of the Lovers and Cappadox's Dream Interpretation

Passage 4 of 11 · Latin

Summary

Phaedromus and Planesium express the sorrow of their secret love and part. Afterwards, the sick pimp Cappadox appears and asks Phaedromus and Palinurus to interpret his dream.

§202Cedo mihi contra aurichalco cui ego sano serviam.
Produce a moderate lover in exchange for gold: receive gold from me. Bring me in turn one to whom I, in my right mind, may serve in exchange for brass.
§203Bene vale, ocule mi, nam sonitum et crepitum claustrorum audio, §204aeditumum aperire fanum quo usque, quaeso, ad hunc modum
Farewell, my eye, for I hear the sound and creaking of the bolts, the temple-keeper opening the temple.
§205inter nos amore utemur semper surrepticio?
How long, I pray, in this manner shall we always enjoy a stolen love between us?
§206Minime, nam parasitum misi nudiusquartus Cariam §207petere argentum, is hodie hic aderit.
Not at all, for I sent the parasite three days ago to Caria to seek money; he will be here today.
§207bNimium consultas diu.
You deliberate too long.
§208Ita me Venus amet, ut ego te hoc triduom numquam sinam §209in domo esse istac, quin ego te liberalem liberem.
So may Venus love me, as I will never allow you during these three days to be in that house, without releasing you as a free woman.
§210Facito ut memineris.
See that you remember.
tene etiam, prius quam hinc abeo, savium.
Take also a kiss before I go away from here.
§211Siquidem herclé mihi regnum detur, numquam id potius persequar.
Indeed, by Hercules, if a kingdom were given to me, I would never pursue that in preference.
§212quando ego te videbo?
When shall I see you?
§212bEm istoc verbo vindictam para: §213sí amas, eme, ne rogites, facito ut pretio pervincas tuo.
Ah, prepare the rod of manumission at that word: if you love, buy; do not keep asking; see that you prevail with your price.
§214bene vale.
Farewell.
§214bIamne ego relinquor? pulcre, Palinure, occidi.
Am I already left behind? Beautifully, Palinurus, I am undone.
§215Ego quidem, qui et vapulando et somno pereo.
I indeed, who am perishing both from beating and from sleep.
§215bSequere me. — §216Migrare certumst iam nunc e fano foras, §217quando Aesculapi ita sentio sententiam, §218ut qui me nihili faciat nec salvom velit.
Follow me.— It is determined now to migrate out of the temple, since I perceive the mind of Aesculapius is such as one who values me at nothing and does not wish me to be well.
§219valetudo decrescit, adcrescit labor; §220nam iam quasi zona liene cinctus ambulo, §221geminos in ventre habere videor filios.
My health decreases, my pain increases; for now I walk as if girdled with my spleen as a belt, I seem to have twin sons in my belly.
§222nil metuo nisi ne medius disrumpar miser.
I fear nothing except lest I, wretched man, should be burst in the middle.
§223Si recte facias, Phaedrome, auscultes mihi §224atque istam exturbes ex animo aegritudinem.
If you would do rightly, Phaedromus, you would listen to me and expel that sickness from your mind.
§225paves, parasitus quia non rediit Caria: §226adferre argentum credo; nam si non ferat, §227tormento non retineri potuit ferreo, §228quin reciperet se huc esum ad praesepem suam.
You are afraid because the parasite has not returned from Caria: I believe he is bringing the money; for if he were not bringing it, he could not have been held back by an iron torture-instrument from returning here to his manger to eat.
§229Quis hic est qui loquitur?
Who is this that speaks?
§229bQuoiam vocem ego audio?
Whose voice do I hear?
§230Estne hic Palinurus Phaedromi?
Is this Palinurus of Phaedromus?
§230bQuis hic est homo §231cum collativo ventre atque oculis herbeis?
Who is this man with a swollen belly and grass-green eyes?
§232de forma novi, de colore non queo §233novisse.
By his shape I know him, by his color I cannot know him.
iam iam novi: leno est Cappadox.
Now, now I know: it is the pimp Cappadox.
§234congrediar.
I will go up to him.
§234bSalve, Palinure.
Greetings, Palinurus.
§234cO scelerum caput, §235salveto.
O head of crimes, greetings.
quid agis?
How are you doing?
§235bVivo.
I am alive.
§235cNempe ut dignus es.
Indeed, as you deserve.
§236sed quid tibi est?
But what is the matter with you?
§236bLien enecat, renes dolent, §237pulmones distrahuntur, cruciatur iecur, §238radices cordis pereunt, hirae omnes dolent.
My spleen is killing me, my kidneys hurt, my lungs are torn apart, my liver is tortured, the roots of my heart are perishing, all my intestines hurt.
§239Tum te igitur morbus agitat hepatiarius.
Then the hepatic disease is troubling you.
§240Facile est miserum inridere.
It is easy to mock a wretched man.
§240bQuin tu aliquot dies §241perdura, dum intestina exputescunt tibi, §242nunc dum salsura sat bonast: si id feceris,
Why don't you for a few days hold out, while your intestines rot away, now while the pickling is good enough?
§243venire poteris intestinis vilius.
If you do that, you can be sold for less because of your intestines.
§244Lien díerectust.
My spleen is ruptured.
§244bAmbula, id lieni optumumst.
Walk, that is best for the spleen.
§245Aufér istaec, quaeso, atque hoc responde quod rogo.
Away with those things, I pray, and answer what I ask.
§246potin cóniecturam facere, si narrem tibi §247hac nocte quod ego somniavi dormiens?
Can you make an interpretation if I tell you what I dreamed tonight while sleeping?
§248Vah, solus hic homost qui sciat divinitus.
Ah, this is the only man who knows by divine power.
§249quin coniectores a me consilium petunt: §250quod eis respondi, ea omnes stant sententia.
Indeed, interpreters of dreams seek advice from me: what I answered them, they all stand by that opinion.
§251Palinure, quid stas? quin depromuntur mihi
Palinurus, why do you stand?
§252quae opus súnt, parasito ut sit paratum prandium, §253quom veniat?
Why are not the things taken out for me which are needed, so that a lunch may be prepared for the parasite when he comes?
§253bMane sis, dum huic conicio somnium.
Wait, please, while I interpret his dream.
§254Tute ipse, si quid somniasti, ad me refers.
You yourself, if you have dreamed anything, refer it to me.
§255Fateór.
I admit it.
§255bAbi, déprome.
Go, take them out.
§255cAge tu interea huic somnium §256narra, meliorem quam ego sum suppono tibi.
Come, meanwhile you tell him your dream; I substitute for you one who is better than I am.
§257nam quod scio omne ex hoc scio.
For all that I know, I know from him.
§257bOperam ut det.
Let him give attention.
§257cDabit. — §258Facit hic quod pauci, ut sit magistro óbsequens.
He will.— He does what few do, to be obedient to his master.
§259da mi igitur operam.
Give me your attention then.
§259bTam etsi non novi, dabo.
Although I do not know you, I will.
§260Hac nocte in somnis visus sum viderier §261procul sedere longe a me Aesculapium, §262neque eum ad me adire neque me magni pendere §263visumst.
Tonight in my sleep I seemed to see Aesculapius sitting far away from me, and he did not approach me nor did he seem to value me highly.
§263bItem alios deos facturos scilicet:
So it seemed.
§264sane illi inter se congruont concorditer.
Likewise the other gods will do, of course: indeed, they agree harmoniously among themselves.
§265nihil est mirandum, melius si nil fit tibi, §266namque incubare satius te fuerat Iovi, §267qui tibi auxilio in iure iurando fuit.
It is not to be wondered at if nothing goes better for you, for it would have been better for you to sleep in the temple of Jupiter, who was your helper in perjury.
§268Siquidem íncubare vélint qui periuraverint, §269locus nón praeberi potis est in Capitolio.
If indeed those who have committed perjury should wish to sleep in the temple, no space could be provided in the Capitol.
§270Hoc animum advorte: pacem ab Aesculapio §271petas, ne forte tibi évenat magnum malum, §272quod in quiete tibi portentumst.
Attend to this: seek peace from Aesculapius, lest by chance a great evil should happen to you, which was portended to you in your sleep.
§272bBene facis. §273ibo atque orabo. —
You do well.
§273bQuae res male vortat tibi. —
I will go and pray.— Which matter may turn out badly for you.—

Notes

  1. 202cui ego sano serviam — The subjunctive verb serviam in the relative clause denotes characteristic/quality ("such that I, in my right mind, would serve"). The adjective sano functions predicatively, meaning "in a sane state."
  2. 209quin ego te liberalem liberem — quin introduces a subjunctive clause with negative implication, forming a double negative construction with the main clause's numquam sinam ... quin ("I will never allow... without..."). liberalem is an adjective functioning predicatively as a complement ("as a free person"), anticipating the result of the verb liberem.
  3. 218ut qui me nihili faciat — ut qui introduces a relative clause of characteristic or cause with the subjunctive faciat, meaning "as one who values me at nothing." nihili is a genitive of value, forming an idiomatic expression with facio to mean "to regard as nothing."
  4. 260visus sum viderier — The passive verb visus sum ("I seemed") is combined with the archaic passive infinitive viderier (older form of videri), redundantly emphasizing double subjective perception in a dream ("I seemed to be seen...").

Cite this passage

Plautus, Curculio §202-273b. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi008.humanitext-lat2:202-273b

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