§667pectus opscurasse; atque ipse Amoris teneo omnis vias.
has darkened your breast; and I myself know all the ways of Love.
§668ita est amor, ballista ut iacitur: nihil sic celere est neque volat; §669atque is mores hominum moros et morosos efficit: §670minus placet magis quód suadetur, quod dissuadetur placet; §671quom inopiast, cupias, quando eius copiast, tum non velis;
Such is love, like a ballista when it is discharged: nothing is so swift, nor flies so; and it renders the manners of men foolish and morose: that which is advised is the less pleasing, and that which is discouraged pleases; when there is scarcity of it, you desire it; when there is abundance of it, then you do not want it.
§673insanum malumst in hospítium devorti ad Cupidinem.
It is a mad evil to turn in for lodging to Cupid.
§674sed te moneo hoc etiam atque etiam, ut reputes quid facere expetas.
But I warn you of this again and again, that you reflect on what you desire to do.
§675si istuc, ut conare, facis † indicium tuom incendes genus; §676tum igitur tibi aquae érit cupido, genus qui restinguas tuom, §677atque sí eris nactus, proinde ut corde amantes sunt cati— §678ne scintillam quidem relinques, genus qui congliscat tuom.
If you do that which you are attempting, you will set your family on fire; then therefore you will have a desire for water, wherewith to extinguish your family, and if you obtain it—just as lovers are clever in their hearts— you will not leave even a spark wherewith your family may flare up again.
§679Facilest inventu: datur ignis, tametsi ab inimico petas.
It is easy to find: fire is given, even if you should ask it of an enemy.
§680sed tu obiurgans me a peccatis rapis deteriorem in viam.
But you, by scolding me, are snatching me away from errors into a worse path.
§681meam sororem tibi dem suades sine dote.
You advise me to give my sister to you without a dowry.
aha, non convenit §682me, qui abusus sum tantam rem patriam, porro in ditiis §683esse agrumque habere, egere illam autem, ut me merito oderit.
Ah, it is not fitting that I, who have squandered such great paternal property, should further be in riches and possess land, while she is in want, so that she would deservedly hate me.
§684numquam erit alienis gravis qui suis se concinnat levem.
He will never be of weight to strangers who makes himself light to his own people.
§685sicut dixi, faciam: nolo te iactari diutius.
I will do as I have said: I do not wish you to be disquieted any longer.
§686Tanto meliust te sororis causa egestatem exsequi §687atque eum agrum me habere, quam te, tua qui toleres moenia?
Is it so much better that you, for your sister's sake, should pursue poverty, and that I should have that land, rather than you, who might support your own life with it?
§688Nolo ego mihi te tam prospicere, qui meam egestatem leves, §689sed ut inops infamis ne sim, ne mi hanc famam differant, §690me germanam meam sororem in concubinatum tibi, §691si sine dote dem, dedisse magis quam in matrimonium.
I do not wish you to provide so much for me, so as to relieve my poverty, but only that I, though poor, may not be infamous, lest they spread this rumor against me, that I have given my own sister to you in concubinage rather than in marriage, if I give her without a dowry.
§692quis me improbior perhibeatur esse? haec famigeratio
Who would be said to be more wicked than I?
§693té honestet, me conlutulentet, si sine dote duxeris: §694tibi sit emolumentum honoris, mihi quod obiectent siet.
This rumor would honor you, but would cover me with mud, if you marry her without a dowry: to you there would be the gain of honor, to me there would be what they might cast in my teeth.
§695Quid? te dictatorem censes fore, si aps té agrum acceperim?
What? Do you think you will be a dictator if I receive the land from you?
§696Neque volo neque postulo neque censeo, verum tamen §697is est honos homini pudico, meminisse officium suom.
I neither wish, nor demand, nor think so; but nevertheless, that is honor to a modest man, to remember his duty.
§698Scio equidem te animatus ut sis; video, subolet, sentio: §699id agis, ut, ubi adfinitatem inter nos nostram adstrinxeris §700atque eum agrum dederis nec quicquam hic tibi sit qui vitam colas, §701effugias ex urbe inanis; profugus patriam deseres, §702cognatos, adfinitatem, amicos factis nuptiis: §703mea opera hinc proterritum te meaque avaritia autument.
Indeed I know how you are minded; I see, it smells to me, I feel it: you are planning this, that when you have bound our relationship between us, and have given that land, and have nothing here wherewith to support your life, you may flee penniless from the city; as a fugitive you will desert your fatherland, your relatives, our relationship, your friends, once the marriage is made: so that they may say you were frightened away from here by my doing and my greed.
§704id me commissurum ut patiar fieri, ne animum induxeris.
Do not bring your mind to believe that I will allow that to happen.
§705Non enim póssum quin exclamem euge.
For I cannot help crying out, 'Bravo!
euge, Lysiteles, πάλιν. §706facile palmam habes: hic victust, vicit tua comoedia.
Bravo, Lysiteles, again!' You easily hold the palm: this one is conquered, your comedy has won.
§707hic agit magis ex argumento et versus melioris facit.
This one acts more in accordance with the plot and makes better verses.
§708etiam ob stultitiam tuam te † curis multabo mina.
Furthermore, because of your foolishness I will fine you a mina.
§709Quid tibi intérpellatio aut in consilium huc accessio est?
What business have you interrupting or coming here into our counsel?
§710Eodem pacto, quo huc accessi, apscessero.
In the same way that I came hither, I will depart.
Go this way home with me, Lysiteles, there we will talk more about those matters.
§712Nil ego in occulto agere soleo.
I am not accustomed to do anything in secret.
meus ut animust, eloquar: §713si mihi tua soror, ut ego aequom censeo, ita nuptum datur, §714sine dote, neque tu hinc abituru's, quod meum erit id erit tuom; §715sin aliter animatus es, bene quod agas eveniat tibi, §716ego amicus numquam tibi ero alio pacto.
As my mind is, I will speak out: if your sister is given to me in marriage in such as way as I think fair, without a dowry, and you are not going to depart hence, what is mine shall be yours; but if you are otherwise minded, may what you do turn out well for you, I will never be a friend to you on any other terms.
sic sententia est. — §717Abiit ille quidem.
Such is my resolve.— He has indeed departed.
ecquid audis, Lysiteles? ego te volo.
Do you hear at all, Lysiteles? I want you.
§718hic quoque hinc ábiit.
This one also has departed hence.
Stasime, restas solus.
Stasimus, you remain alone.
quid ego nunc agam, §719nisi uti sarcinam constringam et clupeum ad dorsum accommodem, §720fulmentas iubeam suppingi soccis? non sisti potest.
What shall I do now, except to pack up my baggage and adjust my shield to my back, and order soles to be fastened to my shoes? It is impossible to stay.
§721video caculam militarem me futurum haud longius:
I see that I shall be a soldier's servant before very long: