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Plautus · Poenulus §1237b-1293

Hanno's Reunion with His Daughters and the Soldier's Rage

Passage 20 of 22 · Latin

Summary

Hanno reveals to the sisters that they are his long-lost daughters, leading to a joyful reunion. Meanwhile, the soldier Antamonides, angry at being deceived, vows revenge on the pimp, while Agorastocles and his beloved reaffirm their affection.

§1237bQuid nos fecimus tibi?
What have we done to you?
§1237cFures estis ambae.
You are both thieves.
§1238Nosne tíbi?
We, to you?
§1238bVos inquam.
You, I say.
§1238cAtque ego scio.
And I know it.
§1238dQuid id fúrtist?
What theft is that?
§1238eHunc rogato.
Ask him.
§1239Quia annos multos filias meas célavistis clam me, §1240atque equidem ingenuas liberas summoque genere gnatas.
Because for many years you have hidden my daughters from me in secret, and indeed girls well-born, free, and born of the highest family.
§1241Numquam mecastor reperies tu istuc probrum penes nos.
By Castor, you will never find such a disgrace in our possession.
§1242Da pignus, ni nunc perieres, in savium, uter utri det.
Give a pledge, unless you are now ruined, on a kiss, which of us should give it to the other.
§1243Nil tecum ago, apscede opsecro.
I have nothing to do with you, go away, please.
§1243bAtque hércle mecum agendum est.
And yet, by Hercules, you must deal with me.
§1244nam hic patruos meus est, pro hoc mihi patronus sim necesse est; §1245et praedicabo quo modo furta faciatis multa §1246quoque modo húius filias apud vós habeatis servas, §1247quas vos ex patria liberas surruptas esse scitis.
for this is my uncle, and it is necessary for me to be a protector for him; and I shall declare in what way you commit many thefts and in what way you keep this man's daughters as slaves in your house, whom you know to have been stolen, free, from their homeland.
§1248Vbi sunt eae? aut quas, opsecro?
Where are they? Or whom do you mean, please?
§1248bSatis iám sunt maceratae.
They have been tormented enough now.
§1249Quid si eloquamur?
What if we speak out?
§1249bCenseo hercle, patrue.
I agree, by Hercules, uncle.
§1249cMisera timeo, §1250quid hoc sít negoti, mea soror; ita stupida sine animo asto.
Wretched, I fear, what business this is, my sister; I stand so dumbfounded, without courage.
§1251Advortite animum, mulieres.
Pay attention, women.
primum, si id fieri possit, §1252ne indigna indignis di darent, id ego evenire vellem; §1253nunc quod boni mihi di danunt, vobis vostraeque matri, §1254eas dís est aequom gratias nos agere sempiternas, §1255quom nostram pietatem adprobant decorantque di immortales.
First, if it could be possible, that the gods would not give unworthy things to unworthy people, I would wish that to happen; now, for the good that the gods give to me, to you, and to your mother, it is fitting for us to render eternal thanks to those gods, since the immortal gods approve and honor our piety.
§1256vos meae estis ambae filiae et hic ést cognatus vester, §1257huiusce fratris filius, Agorastocles.
you are both my daughters, and this is your kinsman, the son of this brother of mine, Agorastocles.
§1257bAmabo, §1258num hi falso oblectant gaudio nos?
Please, are they not delighting us with a false joy?
§1258bAt ita me di servent, §1259ut hic páter est vester.
But so may the gods preserve me, as this is your father.
date manus.
Give your hands.
§1259bSalve, insperate nobis §1260pater, té complecti nos sine.
Hail, unhoped for by us, father, allow us to embrace you.
§1260bCupite atque exspectate §1261pater, salve.
Desired and long-awaited father, hail.
§1261bAmbae filiae sumus.
We are both daughters.
§1261cAmplectamur ambae.
Let us both embrace him.
§1262Quis me amplectetur postea?
Who will embrace me afterwards?
§1262bNunc ego sum fotunatus, §1263multorum annorum miserias nunc hac voluptate sedo.
Now I am fortunate, now I soothe the miseries of many years with this pleasure.
§1264Vix hoc videmur credere.
We scarcely seem to believe this.
§1264bMagis quí credatis dicam.
I shall tell you how you may believe it more.
§1265nam vostra nutrix † primum me cognovit.
for your nurse first recognized me.
§1265bVbi ea, amabo, est?
Where is she, please?
§1266Apud hunc est.
She is with him.
§1266bQuaeso, qui lubet tam diu tenere collum?
Please, why does it please you to hold his neck so long?
§1267omitte saltem tu altera.
at least you, the other one, let go.
nolo ego istuc.
I don't want that.
§1267bEnicas me.
You are suffocating me.
§1268prius quám tibi desponderit.
before he betrothes her to you.
§1268bMitto.
I let go.
§1268cSperate, salve.
O hoped-for one, hail.
§1269Condamus alter alterum ergo in nervom bracchialem.
Let us lock each other, then, in the prison of our arms.
§1270quibus núnc in terra melius est?
Who on earth is in a better state now?
§1270bEveniunt digna dignis.
Worthy things happen to worthy people.
§1271Tandem huic cupitum contigit.
At last, what was desired has happened to this man.
§1271bO Apella, o Zeuxis pictor, §1272cur numero éstis mortui, hoc exemplo ut pingeretis?
O Apelles, o Zeuxis the painter, why are you dead so soon, so that you might paint after this model?
§1273nam alios pictores nil moror huius modi tractare exempla.
for I do not care for other painters to handle models of this kind.
§1274Dí deaeque omnes, vóbis habeo mérito magnas grátias, §1275quom hac me laetitia adfecistis tanta et tantis gaudiis, §1276ut meae gnátae ad me redirent in potestatem meam.
All gods and goddesses, I rightly render great thanks to you, since you have affected me with such great joy and such great delights, so that my daughters have returned to me, into my power.
§1279mihi te despondisse.
that you betrothed her to me.
§1279bMemini.
I remember.
§1280Si ego minam non ultus fuero probe, quam lenoni dedi, §1281tum profecto me sibi habento scurrae ludificatui.
If I do not properly avenge the mina of silver which I gave to the pimp, then indeed let the parasites have me for their laughing-stock.
§1282is etiam me ad prandium ad se abduxit ignavissimus, §1283ipse abiit foras, mé reliquit pro atriensi in aedibus, §1284ubi nec leno néque illae redeunt, nec quod edim quicquam datur.
that most worthless fellow even took me away to his house for lunch, he himself went out, and left me in the house as if I were a doorkeeper, where neither the pimp nor those girls return, and nothing is given to me to eat.
§1285pro maiore parte prandi pignus cepi, abii foras; §1286sic dedero: aere militari tetigero lenunculum.
instead of the larger part of my lunch, I took a pledge and went out; thus I will pay him out: I will touch the little pimp with military money.
§1287nanctus est hominem, mina quem argenti circumduceret.
He found a man whom he could cheat out of a mina of silver.
§1288sed mea amica nunc mihi irato obviam veniat velim: §1289iam pol ego illam pugnis totam faciam uti sit merulea, §1290ita replebo átritate, átrior multo ut siet, §1291quam Aegyptini, qui cortinam ludis per circum ferunt.
But I wish my mistress would now come to meet me while I am angry: by Pollux, I would soon make her all black and blue like a blackbird with my fists, I will fill her so with blackness, that she will be much blacker than the Egyptians, who carry the cauldron through the circus at the games.
§1292Tene sis me arte, mea voluptas; male ego metuo miluos, §1293mala illa bestia est, ne forte me auferat pullum tuom.
Hold me close, please, my delight; I am terribly afraid of kites, that is an evil beast, lest by chance it carry me away, your chick.

Notes

  1. 1242da pignus, ni nunc perieres, in savium — The construction 'da pignus, ni...' is an idiomatic expression in Roman comedy for proposing a wager: 'make a wager, unless... (is true)'. Here, 'ni perieres' means 'unless you are ruined (by a lie)', and 'in savium' indicates the stake of the wager (a kiss).
  2. 1252ne indigna indignis di darent — The clause 'ne... darent' is a noun clause introduced by 'vellem' (imperfect subjunctive expressing an unfulfilled wish) or an acceptance of an independent expression of wish. 'indigna indignis' is a juxtaposition of the accusative and dative ('unworthy things to unworthy people'), expressing the speaker's desire that the gods would not make unfair distributions.
  3. 1264bMagis qui credatis — The word 'qui' here is not the relative pronoun, but an archaic adverb of instrument or manner (synonymous with 'quomodo'). It introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive 'credatis', meaning 'the way in which you may believe more'.
  4. 1286sic dedero — 'dedero' is the future perfect of 'dare'. 'sic dedero' is an idiomatic formula peculiar to Roman comedy, meaning 'thus I will pay him out' or 'this is how I shall give it to him', used to declare revenge or the success of a trick.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Poenulus §1237b-1293. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi015.humanitext-lat2:1237b-1293

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