§864Di immortales, ut planiloqua est, paucis ut rem ipsam attigit. §865Scio equidem sponsam tibi esse et filium ex sponsa tua §866et tibi uxorem ducendam, esse alibi iám animum tuom §867et me quasi pro derelicta: scio, abituru's.
Immortal gods, how plain-spoken she is, how she has touched the matter itself in few words.\n Indeed, I know that you have a betrothed and a son from your betrothed,\n and that you must take a wife, that your mind is already elsewhere,\n and that I am as if abandoned: I know, you are going to leave.
sed tamen §868cogitato, mus pusillus quam sit sapiens bestia, §869aetatem qui non cubili uni umquam committit suam, §870quin, si unum obsideatur, aliud iam perfugium elegerit. §871Otium ubi erit, de istis rebus tum amplius tecum loquar.
But yet\n think how wise a beast a tiny mouse is,\n which never commits its life to a single lair,\n without, if one is blockaded, having already chosen another refuge.\n When there is leisure, I will speak more with you about those things then.
§872nunc puerum redde. §872bImmo amabo ut hos dies aliquos sinas §873eum esse apud me. §873bMinime. §873cAmabo. §873dQuid opus est? §873eIn rem meam est. §874triduom hoc saltem, dum áliquo miles circumducitur, §875sine me habere: siquidem habebo, tibi quoque etiam proderit; §876si auferes, a milite omnis mihi spes animam efflaverit. §877Factum cupio, nam nefacere si velim, non est locus; §878nunc puero utere et procura, quando quor cures habes. §879Multum amo te ób istam rem mecastor.
Now return the boy.\n No, please, allow him to be\n with me.\n Not at all.\n Please.\n What is the need?\n It is to my advantage.\n at least for these three days, while the soldier is led around somehow,\n let me have him: if indeed I have him, it will also be of benefit to you;\n if you take him away, all my hope from the soldier will have breathed its last.\n I desire it done, for if I wished not to do it, there is no opportunity;\n now use the boy and take care of him, since you have reason to care.\n By Castor, I love you much for that.
ubi domi metues malum, §880fugito huc ad me: saltem amicus mi esto † manubinarius. §881Bene vale, Phronesium. §881bAn non etiam tuom oculum vocas? §882Id quoque interim † futatim nomen commemorabitur. §883numquid vis? §883bFac valeas. §883cOperae ubi mi erit, ad te venero. — §884Ille quidem hinc abiit, abscessit.
When you fear trouble at home,\n flee here to me: at least be my... booty-sharing friend.\n Farewell, Phronesium.\n Do you not even call me your eye?\n That name too will be mentioned from time to time in the meantime.\n Do you want anything else?\n Take care.\n When I have leisure, I will come to you.\n Indeed he has gone from here, departed.
dicere hic quidvis licet. §885verum est verbum quod memoratur: ubi amici ibidem sunt opes. §886propter hunc spes etiamst hodie † tantum iri militem; §887quém ego ecastor mage amo quam me, dum id quod cupio inde aufero. §888quae cum multum abstulimus, hau multum eius apparet quod datum est: §889ita sunt gloriae meretricum. §889bÁha tace. §889cQuid est, obsecro? §890Pater adest pueri. §890bSine eumpse adire huc.
One may say anything here.\n True is the proverb that is mentioned: where there are friends, there is wealth.\n Because of him, there is hope today that the soldier will be fleeced of so much;\n whom, by Castor, I love more than myself, as long as I get what I desire from him.\n But when we have taken away much from them, not much of what was given is visible:\n such is the glory of courtesans.\n Ah, be silent!\n What is it, please?\n The father of the child is here.\n Let him approach here.
sine, si is est modo. §891Ipsus est. §891bSine eumpse adire, ut cupit, ad me. §891cRectam tenet. §892Ne istum ecastor hodie aspiciam confectum fallaciis. §893Ego minam auri fero supplicium † damnis ad amicam meam: §894ut illud acceptum sit, prius quod perdidi, hoc addam insuper. §895sed quid video? eram atque ancillam ante aedis.
Let him, if only it is he.\n It is he himself.\n Let him approach me, as he desires.\n He is coming straight here.\n By Castor, let me see him today overcome by my deceits.\n I bring a mina of gold as an offering for the damages to my mistress:\n so that what I lost before may be well-received, I will add this on top.\n But what do I see? Mistress and maid before the house.
adeundae haec mihi. §896quid hic vos agitis? §896bNe me appella quaeso. §896cAha nimium saeviter. §897Potine ut mihi molestus ne sis? §897bEcquid, Astaphium, litiumst? §898Merito ecastor tibi succenset.
I must approach them.\n What are you doing here?\n Do not speak to me, please.\n Ah, too harshly!\n Is it possible that you not be troublesome to me?\n Is there some dispute, Astaphium?\n By Castor, she is angry with you with good reason.\n I?
§898bEgon, atque isti etiam parum §899male volo. §899bEgo, mea voluptas, si quid peccavi prius, §900supplicium ad te hanc mínam fero auri.
Why, I wish very little harm to her,\n and indeed even to you.\n I, my delight, if I have sinned in any way before,\n bring this mina of gold to you as an offering.
si minus crédis, respice. §901Manus vetat prius quám penes sese habeat quicquam credere. §902puero opust cibo, opus est matri autem, opus est quae puerum lavit, §903opus nutrici, lact ut habeat, veteris vini largiter §904ut dies noctesque potet, ópust ligno, opust carbonibus, §905fasciis opus est, pulvinis, cunis, incunabulis, §906oleo opust, opus est farina, porro opus est totum diem: §907numquam hoc uno die efficiatur opus, quin opus semper siet; §908non enim póssunt militares pueri † etauio exducier. §909Respice ergo, áccipe hoc, qui ístuc efficias opus. §910Cedo, quamquam parum est. §910bAddam etiam unam minam istuc post. §910cParumst. §911Tuo arbitratu quod iubebis dabitur.
If you don't believe, look back.\n My hand forbids me to believe anything before it has it in its grasp.\n There is need of food for the boy, there is need also for the mother, there is need for the woman who washes the boy,\n need for the wet-nurse, so that she may have milk, of old wine abundantly\n so that she may drink day and night, there is need of wood, need of charcoal,\n there is need of swaddling clothes, of pillows, of a cradle, of blankets,\n need of oil, need of flour, and further there is need all day long:\n never would this work be finished in a single day, without there being always need;\n for soldiers' children cannot be brought up on nothing.\n Look back then, take this, with which you may accomplish that work.\n Hand it over, although it is too little.\n I will add also one mina to that later.\n It is too little.\n At your discretion, whatever you command will be given.
da nunc savium. §912Mitte me, inquam, odiosu's. §912bNil fit, non amor, teritur dies. §913plus decem pondo † moris pauxillisper perdidi. §914Accipe hoc atque auferto intro. §914bVbi mea amicast gentium? §915neque ruri neque hic óperis quicquam facio, corrumpor situ,
Now give me a kiss.\n Let me go, I say, you are annoying.\n Nothing is happening, I am not loved, the day is being wasted.\n I have lost more than ten pounds of delay in a short moment.\n Take this and carry it inside.\n Where on earth is my mistress?\n I do no work either in the country or here, I am ruined by idleness,