§372verum quamquam multa malaque dicta dixistis mihi, §373nisi mihi hodie attulerit miles quinque quas debet minas, §374sicut haec est praestituta summa ei argento dies, §375si id non adfert, posse opinor facere me officium meum.
But although you have said many and bad words to me, unless the soldier brings to me today the five minae which he owes, just as today is the prearranged day for that money, if he does not bring it, I think I can do my duty.
§376Quid id est?
What is that?
If you bring the money, I will break faith with him: this is my duty.
ego, operae si sit, plus tecum loquar; §378sed sine argénto frustra es qui me tui misereri postulas.
I, if there were leisure, would speak more with you; but without money you are in vain who demand that I pity you.
§379haec meast sententia, ut tu hinc porro quid agas consulas.
this is my opinion, that you consult what you should do henceforth.
§380Iamne abis?
Are you leaving already?
§380bNegoti nunc sum plenus.
I am full of business now.
— §380cPaulo post magis.
A little later, more so.
§381illic homo meus est, nisi omnes di me atque homines deserunt.
That man is mine, unless all gods and men desert me.
§382exossabo ego illúm simulter itidem ut murenam coquos.
I will bone him just like a cook bones a lamprey.
§383nunc, Calidore, te mihi operam dare volo.
Now, Calidorus, I want you to give me your attention.
§383bEcquid imperas?
What do you command?
§384Hoc ego oppidum admoenire, ut hodie capiatur, volo; §385ad eam rem usust homine astuto, docto, cauto et callido, §386qui imperata ecfecta reddat, non qui vigilans dormiat.
I want to besiege this town, so that it may be captured today; for that matter there is need of a cunning, clever, cautious, and crafty man, who returns commands executed, not one who sleeps while awake.
§387Cedo mihi, quid es facturus?
Tell me, what are you going to do?
§387bTemperi ego faxo scies.
In good time I will make you know.
§388nolo bis iterari, sat sic longae fiunt fabulae.
I do not want it repeated twice, plays become long enough as it is.
§389Optumum atque aequissimum oras.
You ask what is best and most fair.
§389bPropera, adduc hominem cito.
Hurry, bring the man quickly.
§390Pauci ex multis sunt amici, hómini qui certi sient.
Few out of many are the friends who are reliable for a man.
§391Ego scio istuc.
I know that.
ergo utrumque, tibi nunc dilectum para §392ex multis atque exquire illinc unum qui certus siet.
Therefore prepare a choice for yourself now, from the many, and seek out from there one who is reliable.
§393Iam hic faxo aderit.
I will make him be here presently.
— §393bPotin ut abeas? tibi moram dictis creas.
Can you go away? You create a delay for yourself with your words.
§394postquam illic hinc abiit, tu astas solus, Pseudole.
After he has gone from here, you stand alone, Pseudolus.
What are you going to do now, after you have been generous in words to your master's son? You have bestowed bountifully with words? Where are they?
§397quoi neque paratast gutta certi consili, §399neque exordiri primum unde occipias habes, §400neque ad détexundam telam certos terminos.
for whom not even a drop of certain counsel is prepared, nor do you have a beginning from where to start first, nor certain limits to finish weaving the web.
§401sed quasi poeta, tabulas cum cepit sibi, §402quaerit quod nusquamst gentium, reperit tamen, §403facit illud veri simile, quod mendacium est, §404nunc ego poeta fiam: viginti minas, §405quae nusquam nunc sunt gentium, inveniam tamen.
But just like a poet, when he has taken his tablets, seeks what is nowhere in the world, yet finds it, and makes that likely to be true which is a lie, now I will become a poet: twenty minae, which are nowhere now in the world, yet I will find them.
§409sed comprimundast vox mihi atque oratio: §410erum eccum video húc Simonem una simul §411cum suo vicino Calliphone incedere.
But my voice and speech must be suppressed: behold, I see my master Simo walking here together with his neighbor Callipho.
From this old tomb I will dig out twenty minae today, which I may give to my master's son.
§414nunc huc concedam, unde horum sermonem legam.
Now I will withdraw here, from where I may gather their conversation.
§415Si de damnosis aut si dé amatoribus §416dictator fiat nunc Athenis Atticis, §417nemo anteveniat filio, credo, meo: §418ita nunc per urbem solus sermoni omnibust, §419eum velle amicam liberare et quaerere §420argentum ad eam rem.
If about spendthrifts or about lovers a dictator should now be appointed in Attic Athens, no one, I believe, would surpass my son: so now through the city he alone is the talk of all, that he wants to set his mistress free and is seeking money for that purpose.
Others report this to me; and indeed I perceived it long ago and had a suspicion of it, but I dissembled.
§422bIám illi fetet filius.
Already his son stinks to him.
§423occisa est haec res, haeret hoc negotium.
This business is killed, this affair is stuck.
Where I wanted to go on a money-gathering expedition, there now the way is completely blocked.
§426praesensit: nihil est praedae praedatoribus.
He has pre-sensed it: there is no prey for the predators.
§427Homines qui gestant quique auscultant crimina, §428si meo arbitratu liceat, omnes pendeant, §429gestores linguis, auditores auribus.
The men who carry and who listen to accusations, if it were allowed by my judgment, should all hang, the carriers by their tongues, the listeners by their ears.
§430nam istaec quae tibi renuntiantur, filium §431te velle amantem argento circumducere, §432fors fuat an istaec dicta sint mendacia; §433sed si sint ea vera, ut nunc mos est, maxume, §434quid mirum fecit? quid novom, adulescens homo
For those things which are reported to you, that your son in love wants to cheat you of money, it may be that those sayings are lies; but if they be true, as is the custom now, especially, what strange thing has he done?
§435si amat, si amicam liberat?
What is new, if a young man loves, if he frees his mistress?
§435bLepidum senem.
Charming old man.
§436Vetus nólo faciat.
I don't want him to do it.
But indeed you refuse in vain; or else you yourself should not have done such a thing in your youth.