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Plautus · Curculio §75b-141

Phaedromus Bribing the Doorkeeper Leaena with Wine

Passage 2 of 11 · Latin

Summary

Phaedromus sprinkles wine on the door of the procurer's house, which lures out Leaena, the wine-loving old doorkeeper. After Phaedromus gives her wine to drink, she promises in return to bring out the girl he loves.

§75bQuid facturu's?
What are you going to do?
§75cIam scies.
You will know soon.
§76anus hic solet cubitare custos ianitrix, §77nomen Leaenae est, multibiba atque merobiba.
An old woman, a guard and door-keeper, is accustomed to sleep here, her name is Leaena, a heavy drinker and a drinker of unmixed wine.
§78Quasi tu lagoenam dicas, ubi vinum Chium §79solet ésse.
As if you were describing a wine-jar, in which Chian wine is accustomed to be.
§79bQuid opust verbis? vinosissima est;
What need of words?
§80eaque extemplo ubi ego vino has conspersi fores, §81de odore adesse me scit, aperit ilico.
She is extremely fond of wine; and she immediately, when I have sprinkled these doors with wine, knows from the odor that I am present, and opens them on the spot.
§82Eine hic cum vino sinus fertur?
Is this vessel with wine being brought for her?
§82bNisi nevis.
Unless you don't wish it.
§83Nolo hercle, nam istunc qui fert afflictum velim; §84ego nobis afferri cénsui.
By Hercules, I don't wish it, for I would want the one who carries it to be knocked down; I thought it was being brought for us.
§84bQuin tu taces?
Why don't you be quiet?
§85si quid super illi fuerit, id nobis sat est.
If there is anything left over from her, that is enough for us.
§86Quisnam istic fluviust, quem non recipiat mare?
What river is that, which the sea would not receive?
§87Sequere hac, Palinure, me ad fores, fi mi obsequens.
Follow me this way to the doors, Palinurus, be obedient to me.
§88Ita faciam.
I will do so.
§88bAgite bibite, festivae fores; §89potate, fite mihi volentes propitiae.
Come, drink, festive doors; drink deep, become willing and propitious to me.
§90Voltisne olivas pulpamentum capparim?
Would you like olives, a side-dish, capers?
§91Exsuscitate vostram huc custodem mihi.
Arouse your guard here for me.
§92Profundis vinum: quae te res agitant?
You are pouring out the wine: what possesses you?
§92bSine.
Let be.
§93viden út aperiuntur aedes festivissumae?
Do you see how the most festive house is opening?
§94num muttit cardo? est lepidus.
Does the hinge mutter? It is charming.
§94bQuin das savium?
Why don't you give it a kiss?
§95Tace, occultemus lumen et vocem.
Be silent, let us hide the light and our voices.
§95bLicet.
Very well.
§96Flós veteris vini meis náribus obiectust, §97éius amor cupidam me huc prólicit per tenebras.
The flower of old wine has been presented to my nostrils, love of it lures me, eager, hither through the darkness.
§98ubi ubi ést, prope me est.
Wherever it is, it is near me.
euáx, habeo.
O joy, I have it!
§99salve, ánime mi, Líberi lepos.
Hail, my soul, delight of Liber.
§100ut véteris vetus tui cúpida sum.
How I, an old woman, am eager for you, old wine!
§101nam ómnium unguéntum odor praé tuo naútea est, §102tú mihi stácta, tu cínnamum, tú rosa, §103tú crocinum et casia es, tu télinum, §104nam ubi tú profusu's, íbi ego me pérvelim sepultam.
For the scent of all perfumes is nausea compared to yours, you are my myrrh-oil, you my cinnamon, you my rose, you are saffron-ointment and cassia, you telinum, for where you are poured out, there I would very much wish myself buried.
§105séd quom adhuc náso odos óbsecutúst meo, §106da vicissim meo gutturi gaudium.
But since your scent has so far complied with my nose, give joy in turn to my throat.
§107nil ago tecum: ubi est ipsus? ipsum expeto
I have nothing to do with you: where is he himself?
§108tangere, invergere in me liquores tuos, §109sine, ductim.
I desire to touch him, to pour into myself your liquids, let me, in long draughts.
sed hac abiit, hac persequar.
But it went this way, this way I will pursue it.
§110Sitit haéc anus.
This old woman is thirsty.
§110bQuantillúm sitit?
How little is she thirsty?
§110cModica ést, capit quadrántal.
She is moderate, she holds a quadrantal.
§111Pol ut praédicas, vindémia huic ánui non sat est sóli.
By Pollux, as you declare, the vintage is not enough for this old woman alone.
§112canem esse hánc quidem magis pár fuit: sagax násum habet.
It would indeed have been more fitting for this woman to be a dog: she has a keen nose.
§112bAmábo, §112acúia vox sonát procul?
Please, whose voice sounds in the distance?
§113Cénseo hanc áppellandam anum.
I think this old woman should be addressed.
§114adíbo.
I will approach.
redi ét respice ád me, Leaéna.
Turn back and look at me, Leaena.
§115Imperatór quis est?
Who is the commander?
§116Vínipollens lépidus Liber, §117tibí qui screánti, siccaé, semisómnae §118adfért potiónem et sitím iam sedátum it.
Wine-powerful, charming Liber, who brings a drink to you, coughing, dry, half-asleep, and goes to quench your thirst now.
§119Quám longe a me abest?
How far is he from me?
§119bLúmen hoc vide.
Look at this light.
§120Grándiorém gradum ergó fac ad me, óbsecro.
Take a larger step towards me then, I beg.
§121Sálve.
Greetings.
§121bEgon sálva sim, quaé siti sícca sum?
Am I to be well, who am parched with thirst?
§121cAt iám bibes.
But you shall drink now.
§121dDiu fit.
It is taking too long.
§122Ém tibi anus lepida.
There, for you, charming old woman.
§122bSálve, oculissime homo.
Greetings, most dear man.
§123Age, effúnde hoc cito in barathrúm, propere §124prolúe cloacam.
Come, pour this quickly into the abyss, wash out the sewer in a hurry.
§124bTace.
Be silent.
Nólo huic male dicí.
I don't want her to be spoken ill of.
§124cFaciam igitur mále potius.
I will treat her badly instead, then.
§125Venús, de paulo paúlulum hoc tíbi dabo haud lubénter.
Venus, from my little I will give you this tiny bit, very unwillingly.
§126nam tíbi amantes própitiantes vínum potantés danunt §127omnés, mihi haud saepe évenunt talés hereditátes.
For to you all drinking lovers give wine to propitiate you, but to me such legacies do not often happen.
§128Hoc víde ut ingurgitat ímpura in se mérum avariter, faucíbus plenis.
Look at this, how the unclean woman greedily gulps the neat wine into herself with full throat.
§129Perii hércle, huic quid primúm dicam nesció.
By Hercules, I am undone, I don't know what to say to her first.
§129bEm istuc, quod míhi dixti.
There, that which you said to me.
§130Quid id ést?
What is that?
§130bPeriisse ut té dicas.
That you should say you are undone.
§130cMale tibi di faciant.
May the gods do badly to you.
§130dDíc isti.
Say it to her.
Ah.
§131bQuíd est? ecquid lubet?
What is it? Does anything please you?
§131cLúbet.
It pleases.
§131dEtiam mihi quóque stimulo foderé lubet te.
It pleases me too to prick you with a goad.
§132Tace, né— §132bNoli, taceo.
Be silent, lest— Don't, I am silent.
écce autem bibit árcus, pluet credo hércle hodie.
But look, the rainbow is drinking, I believe by Hercules it will rain today.
§133Iamne égo huic dico?
Shall I speak to her now?
§133bQuid díces?
What will you say?
§133cMe periísse.
That I am undone.
§133dAge dice.
Go on, say it.
§133eAnus, aúdi.
Old woman, listen.
§134hóc volo scíre te: pérditus súm miser.
I want you to know this: I, wretched, am lost.
§135At pól ego oppidó servata.
But by Pollux, I am completely saved.
§136séd quid est? quid lubet pérditum dícere §137te essé?
But what is it? Why does it please you to say that you are lost?
§137bQuia id quod amo cáreo.
Because I lack that which I love.
§138Phaedrome mi, ne plora amabo.
My Phaedromus, please do not weep.
§139tu mé curato né sitiam, ego tibi quód amas iam huc addúcam. —
You take care that I am not thirsty, and I will bring to you what you love here right now.
§140Tibine égo, si fidem servás mecum, vineám pro aurea statuá statuam, §140aquae tuó gutturí sit monumentum.
For you, if you keep faith with me, I will set up a vineyard instead of a golden statue, which may be a monument to your throat.
§141qui me ín terra aeque fórtunatus erít, si illa ad me bítet,
Who on earth will be as fortunate as I, if she comes to me?

Notes

  1. 77multibiba atque merobiba — The adjectives *multibiba* (heavy-drinking) and *merobiba* (drinking unmixed wine) are comic compounds coined by Plautus, derived from *bibere* (to drink).
  2. 83nam istunc qui fert afflictum velim — Syntactically, *istunc* can refer either to the vessel (*sinus*, treated as masculine in Early Latin) or to the slave boy carrying it. *afflictum* is the perfect participle of *affligo* (to dash down, ruin), and *velim* is a potential subjunctive of *volo* expressing a wish.
  3. 85super illi fuerit — *super... fuerit* is a tmesis for the verb *superfuerit* (to be left over). *illi* is the dative singular feminine, functioning either as a dative of reference (left over for her) or a dative of separation (left over from her).
  4. 100ut veteris vetus tui cupida sum — A juxtaposition of the same adjective in different cases: the nominative *vetus* (an old woman, referring to Leaena) and the genitive *veteris* (old wine, dependent on the adjective *cupida*). This is a comic wordplay capitalizing on polyptoton.
  5. 118sedatum it — A combination of *it* (from *ire*, to go) with the accusative supine *sedatum* (from *sedo*, to soothe/quench), expressing purpose ("goes to quench"). This is an archaic colloquial construction common in Early Latin.
  6. 141bitet — The third-person singular present subjunctive (or indicative) of the archaic verb *baetere* (to go, come), which was replaced in Classical Latin by *ire* or *venire*.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Curculio §75b-141. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi008.humanitext-lat2:75b-141

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