§76lacrumam exorare ut expuant unam modo. §77Quid ita? §77bGenus nostrum semper siccoculum fuit. §78Nilne adiuvare me audes? §78bQuid faciam tibi? §79Eheú.
I cannot even plead with a single tear to force it out. How so? Our family has always been dry-eyed. Do you not dare to help me at all? What shall I do for you? Alas! "Alas"?
§79bEheu? id quidem hercle ne parsis: dabo. §80Miser sum, argentum nusquam invenio mutuom. §81Eheu. §81bNeque intus nummus ullus est. §81cEheu. §82Ille abducturus est mulierem cras. §82bEheu. §83Istocine pacto me adiuvas? §83bDo id quod mihi est; §84nam is mihi thensaurus iugis in nostra est domo.
By Hercules, do not spare that; I will give it to you. I am miserable, I can find no borrowed silver anywhere. Alas! And there is not a single coin in the house. Alas! That man is going to carry off the woman tomorrow. Alas! Is it in this way that you help me? I give what I have; for that is a constant treasure for me in our house. It is all over with me today.
§85Actum est de me hodie. sed potes nunc mutuam §86drachumam dare unam mihi, quam cras reddam tibi? §87Vix hercle, opinor, si me opponam pignori. §88sed quid ea drachuma facere vis? §88bRestim volo §89mihi émere. §89bQuam ob rem? §89cQui me faciam pensilem. §90certum est mihi ante tenebras tenebras persequi. §91Quis mi igitur drachumam reddet, si dedero tibi? §92an tu te ea caúsa vis sciens suspendere §93ut me defraudes, drachumam si dederim tibi? §94Profecto nullo pacto possum vivere, §95si illa a me abalienatur atque abducitur. §96Quid fles, cucule? vives. §96bQuid ego ni fleam, §97quoi nec paratus nummus argenti siet §98neque libellai spes sit usquam gentium? §99Vt litterarum ego harum sermonem audio, §100nisi tu illi lacrumis fleveris argenteis, §101quod tu istis lacrumis te probare postulas, §102non pluris refert quam si imbrem in cribrum geras. §103verum ego te amantem, ne pave, non deseram. §104spero alicunde hodie me bona opera aut hac mea §105tibi inventurum esse auxilium argentarium. §106atque id futurum unde unde dicam nescio, §107nisi quia futurum est: ita supercilium salit. §108Vtinam quae dicis dictis facta suppetant. §109Scis tu quidem hercle, mea si commovi sacra, §110quo pacto et quantas soleam turbellas dare. §111In te nunc omnes spes sunt aetati meae. §112Satin est, si hanc hodie mulierem efficio tibi §113tua ut sit, aut si tibi do viginti minas? §114Satis, sí futurumst.
But can you now lend me a single drachma, which I will return to you tomorrow? By Hercules, I think hardly, even if I were to pawn myself. But what do you want to do with that drachma? I want to buy a rope for myself. For what reason? To hang myself. It is resolved for me to seek the darkness of death before the darkness of night comes. Who then will return the drachma to me if I give it to you? Or do you want to hang yourself knowingly for this reason, so that you may defraud me, if I give you the drachma? Truly, I cannot live by any means, if she is alienated and carried away from me. Why do you weep, you cuckoo? You shall live. Why should I not weep, for whom there is no silver coin ready, nor any hope of a single cent anywhere in the world? As I hear the talk of these letters, unless you weep for her with silver tears, what you demand to prove with those tears of yours is of no more value than if you were to carry rain in a sieve. But do not fear, I will not desert you, a lover. I hope from somewhere today, by my good efforts or by this mind of mine, to find monetary help for you. And where this will come from, I know not, except that it will be: so my eyebrow is twitching. If only what you say, your deeds would back up your words. You know indeed, by Hercules, if I move my sacred rites, in what way and how great uproars I am accustomed to cause. All hopes of my life are now in you. Is it enough if today I bring it about for you that this woman is yours, or if I give you twenty minae? Enough, if it is to be. Ask me for twenty minae, so that you may know I will perform what I promised. Ask, by Hercules, I pray.
§114bRoga me viginti minas, §115ut me effecturum tibi quod promisi scias. §116roga, opsecro hercle. gestio promittere. §117Dabisne argenti mi hodie viginti minas? §118Dabo.
I yearn to promise. Will you give me twenty minae of silver today? I will.
molestus nunciam ne sis mihi. §119atque hoc, ne dictum tibi neges, dico prius: §120si neminem alium potero, tuom tangam patrem. §121Di te mihi semper servent.
Now do not be troublesome to me. And I tell you this beforehand, lest you deny it was said to you: if I can do no one else, I will touch your father. May the gods always preserve you for me!
verum, si potest, §122pietatis causa—vel etiam matrem quoque. §123De istac re in oculum utrumvis conquiescito. §124Oculum anne in aurem? §124bAt hoc pervolgatumst minus. §125nunc, ne quis dictum sibi neget, dico omnibus §126pube praesenti in contione: omni poplo, §127omnibus amicis notisque edico meis, §128in hunc diem a me ut caveant, ne credant mihi. §129_130St, táce opsecro hércle. §129_130bQuid negoti est? §129_130cOstium §131lenonis crepuit. §131bCrura mavellem modo. §132Atque ipse egreditur intus, periuri caput. §133Exíte, agite exite, ígnavi, male hábiti et male concíliati, §134quorúm numquam quicquám quoiquam venit ín mentem ut recté faciant, §135quibus, nísi ad hoc exemplum éxperior, non pótest usura usúrpari. §136neque ego hómines magis asinós numquam vidi, íta plagis costaé callent: §137quós quom ferias, tíbi plus noceas; éo enim ingenio hi súnt flagritribae, §138qui haéc habent cónsilia, úbi data occásiost, rape clépe tene §139hárpaga bibe és fuge: hoc §140ést eorum opus, ut mávelis lúpos apud ovis línquere, §141quam hós domi custodes. §142át faciem quom aspícias eorum, hau máli videntur: ópera fallunt. §143núnc adeo hanc edictionem nisi animum advortetis omnes,
But if possible, for the sake of piety—even your mother too. As for that matter, sleep soundly on either eye. On the eye, or on the ear? Well, that is less common. Now, lest anyone deny it was said to him, I tell everyone, in the presence of the youth in assembly: to all the people, to all my friends and acquaintances I proclaim, that on this day they should beware of me and not trust me. Hush, be silent, by Hercules, I pray. What is the matter? The door of the pimp creaked. I would prefer his legs just now. And he himself is coming out from within, that head of perjury. Come out, come, come out, you lazy fellows, badly kept and badly acquired, in whose minds it never occurs to do anything right, whom, unless I try in this manner, I cannot turn to any use. Nor have I ever seen men more like donkeys, so hardened are their ribs with blows: when you strike them, you hurt yourself more; for these whip-wearers are of such a nature who have these plans, when opportunity is given: snatch, steal, hold, plunder, drink, eat, flee: this is their work, so that you would rather leave wolves among sheep than these as guards at home. But when you look at their faces, they do not seem bad; they deceive by their actions. Now therefore, unless you all give your attention to this proclamation,