§693praesidio Veneris malitiae lenonis contra incedam.
Trachalio: Under the protection of Venus, I will march against the malice of the pimp.
§694Tibi auscultamus et, Venús alma, ambae te obsecramus, §695aram amplexantes hanc tuam lacrumantes, genibus nixae, §696in custodelam nos tuam ut recipias et tutere; §697illos scelestos, qui tuom fecerunt fanum parvi, §698fac ut ulciscare nosque ut hanc tua páce aram obsidere §699patiare: elautae ambae sumus opera Neptuni noctu, §700ne invisas habeas neve idcirco nobis vitio vortas, §701si quippiamst, minus quód bene esse lautum tu arbitrare.
Palaestra: We obey you, and, bountiful Venus, we both entreat you, Palaestra: weeping, resting on our knees, embracing this altar of yours, Palaestra: that you receive us into your custody and protect us; Palaestra: those wicked ones, who held your temple of little account, Palaestra: make it that you take vengeance on them, and that you allow us, by your peace, Palaestra: to occupy this altar: we have both been washed clean in the night by the work of Neptune; Palaestra: do not hold us in aversion, nor on that account turn it to our blame, Palaestra: if there is anything which you judge to be less than well washed.
§702Venus, aequom has petere intellego: decet abs te id impetrari; §703ignoscere his te convenit: metus has id ut fáciant subigit.
Trachalio: Venus, I understand that it is fair for these women to ask this: it is fitting that this be obtained from you; Trachalio: it is meet for you to pardon them: fear forces them to do this.
§704te ex concha natam esse autumant, cave tu hárum conchas spernas.
Trachalio: They say you were born from a shell; beware of despising the shells of these women.
§705sed optume eccum exit senex, patronus mihique et vobis.
Trachalio: But look, most opportunely the old man is coming out, a patron for both me and you.
§706Éxi e fano, natum quantum est hominum sacrilegissime.
Daemones: Come out of the temple, of all men born the most sacrilegious.
§707vos in aram abite sessum.
Daemones: Go off to the altar to sit down.
sed ubi sunt?
But where are they?
§707bHuc respice.
Trachalio: Look this way.
§708Optume, istuc volueramus.
Daemones: Excellent, that is what we wanted.
iube modo accedat prope.
Just order him to approach near.
§709tun legirupionem hic nobis cum dis facere postulas?
Daemones: Do you expect to act as a law-breaker here against us, in the presence of the gods?
§710pugnum in os impinge.
Daemones: Strike a fist into his face!
§710bIniqua haec patior cum pretio tuo.
Labrax: I suffer these injustices to your own cost.
§711At etiam minitatur audax?
Daemones: Does the bold fellow even threaten us still?
Labrax: My right has been snatched from me; Labrax: you tear my maidservants away from me against my will.
§712bCedo iudicem §713de senatu Cyrenensi quemvis opulentum virum, §714si tuas ésse oportet nive eas ésse oportet liberas §715nive in carcerem compingi te est aequom aetatemque ibi §716te usque habitare, donec totum carcerem contriveris.
Daemones: Name as judge Daemones: any wealthy man from the Cyrenian senate, Daemones: to decide whether they ought to be yours, or whether they ought to be free, Daemones: or whether it is fair for you to be clapped into prison and to dwell there Daemones: all your life, until you have worn away the whole prison.
§717Non hodie isti rei auspicavi, ut cum furcifero fabuler.
Labrax: I did not take auspices today for this purpose, to talk with a gallows-bird.
§718té ego appello.
Labrax: I appeal to you.
§718bCum istoc primum, qui te novit, disputa.
Daemones: Argue first with him, who knows you.
§719Tecum ago.
Labrax: I am dealing with you.
§719bAt qui mecum agendumst.
Trachalio: But you must deal with me.
suntne illae ancillae tuae?
Are those maidservants yours?
§720Sunt.
Labrax: They are.
§720bAgedum ergo, tange utramvis digitulo minimo modo.
Trachalio: Come on then, just touch either of them with even your little finger.
§721Quid si attigero?
Labrax: What if I touch them?
§721bExtemplo hercle ego te follem pugilatorium §722faciam et pendentem incursabo pugnis, periurissime.
Trachalio: By Hercules, I will instantly make you a boxer's punching bag Trachalio: and attack you with my fists as you hang, you most perjured wretch!
§723Mihi non liceat meas ancillas Veneris de ara abducere?
Labrax: Am I not to be allowed to lead away my own maidservants from the altar of Venus?
Trachalio: It is not allowed: there is a law among us— Labrax: I have no dealings whatsoever with your laws.
equidem istas iam ambas educam foras.
Indeed, I will lead both of them out of here right now.
§726tu, senex, si istas amas, huc arido argentost opus; §727si autem Veneri complacuerunt, habeat, si argentum dabit.
Labrax: You, old man, if you fancy them, dry silver is needed here; Labrax: but if they have pleased Venus, let her have them, if she will pay the silver.
§728Det tibi argentum? nunc adeo meam ut scias sententiam,
Daemones: Let her pay you silver?
§729occipito modo illís adferre vim ioculo pausillulum, §730ita ego te hinc ornatum amittam, tu ipsus te ut non noveris.
Now indeed, so that you may know my mind, Daemones: just begin to offer even a tiny bit of violence to them, even in jest, Daemones: and I will send you away from here so dressed up that you won't recognize yourself.
§731vos adeo, ubi ego innuero vobis, ni ei caput exoculassitis, §732quasi murteta iunci, item ego vos virgis circumvinciam.
Daemones: And as for you, when I give you the sign, unless you knock his eyes out of his head, Daemones: I will bind you all around with rods just like bundles of reeds in myrtle groves.
§733Ví agis mecum.
Labrax: You deal with me by force.
§733bEtiam vim †proportas, flagiti flagrantia?
Trachalio: Do you still bring violence, you blazing heap of outrage?
§734Tun, trifurcifer, mihi audes inclementer dicere?
Labrax: Do you dare, you triple-scoundrel, to speak so harshly to me?
§735Fateor, ego trifurcifer sum, tu es homo adprime probus: §736numqui minus hasce esse oportet liberas?
Trachalio: I confess, I am a triple-scoundrel, and you are a prime, upright man: Trachalio: is there any reason why these women should be any less free?
§736bQuid, liberas?
Labrax: What, free?
§737Atque eras tuas quidem hercle, atque ex germana Graecia; §738nam altera haec est nata Athenis ingenuis parentibus.
Trachalio: And indeed, by Hercules, your mistresses, and from genuine Greece; Trachalio: for this one of the two was born in Athens of freeborn parents.
§739Quid ego ex te audio?
Daemones: What am I hearing from you?
§739bHanc Athenis esse natam liberam.
Trachalio: That this girl was born free in Athens.
§740Mea popularis, obsecro, haec est?
Daemones: Is she my fellow countrywoman, I beseech you?
§740bNon tu Cyrenensis es?
Labrax: Are you not a Cyrenian?
§741Immo Athenis natus altusque educatusque Atticis.
Daemones: Nay rather, born in Athens, and bred and educated in Attica.
§742Opsecro, defende cives tuas, senex.
Trachalio: I beseech you, protect your citizens, old man.
§742bO filia
Daemones: O my daughter!
§743mea, quom hanc video, mearum me absens miseriarum commones; §744trima quae periit mihi, iam tanta esset, si vivit, scio.
Daemones: When I see her, you remind me of my own misfortunes in her absence; Daemones: my girl who was lost to me at three years old would now be just as big, if she is alive, I know.
§745Argentum ego pro istisce ambabus cuiae erant domino dedi; §746quid mea réfert, haec Athenis natae án Thebis sient, §747dum mihi recte servitutem serviant?
Labrax: I gave money for both of them to the master whose they were; Labrax: what does it matter to me whether they were born in Athens or in Thebes, Labrax: as long as they serve me properly as slaves?
§747bItane, impudens?
Trachalio: Is it so, shameless wretch?
§748tune hic, feles virginalis, liberos parentibus §749sublectos habebis atque indigno quaestu conteres?
Trachalio: Will you, you cat after maidens, hold here children stolen from their parents Trachalio: and wear them out in shameful traffic?
§750nam húic alterae quae patria sit profecto nescio, §751nisi scio probiorem hanc esse, quam te, impuratissime.
Trachalio: For as to this other girl, indeed I do not know what her country is, Trachalio: except that I know she is more upright than you, you most impure wretch.
§752†Tuae istae sunt.
Labrax: They are yours.
§752bContende ergo, uter sit tergo—verior:
Trachalio: Contend then, which of us is more true-backed: