§217Audireque eorum est operae pretium audaciam: §218Nam inceptio est amentium haud amantium: §219Quicquid peperisset decreverunt tollere: §220Et fingunt quandam inter se nunc fallaciam, §221Civem Atticam esse hanc.
And it is worthwhile to hear their audacity: For it is an enterprise of madmen, not of lovers: Whatever she gives birth to, they have decided to rear: And now they are inventing a certain trick among themselves, That she is an Attic citizen.
Fuit olim hinc quidam senex, §222Mercator: navem is fregit apud Andrum insulam: §223Is obiit mortem: ibi tum hanc eiectam Chrysidis §224Patrem recepisse orbam, parvam: Fabulae.
"Once upon a time there was a certain old man from here, A merchant: he shipwrecked near the island of Andros: He died: there and then, her, cast ashore, Chrysis' Father received as an orphan, a little girl." Tales!
§225Mihi quidem hercle non fit verisimile; atque ipsis commentum placet.
To me, by Hercules, it does not seem probable; and yet they themselves like the invention.
§226Sed Mysis ab ea egreditur: at ego hinc me ad forum ut §227Conveniam Pamphilum, ne de hac re pater imprudentem opprimat.
But Mysis is coming out from her: but I will go hence to the forum so that I may meet Pamphilus, lest his father surprise him unaware about this matter.
§228Audivi Archylis iamdudum: Lesbiam adduci iubes.
I heard you, Archylis, some time ago: you order Lesbia to be brought.
§229Sane pol illa temulenta est mulier et temeraria, §230Nec satis digna cui committas primo partu mulierem; §231Tamen eam adducam.
Truly, by Pollux, she is a drunken and reckless woman, and not worthy enough for you to entrust a woman to in her first labor; Still, I will bring her.
Importunitatem spectate aniculae, §232Quia compotrix eius est.
Look at the persistence of the old woman, because she is her drinking companion.
Di date facultatem obsecro §233Huic pariundi, atque illi in aliis potius peccandi locum.
Gods, grant, I beseech you, the power of giving birth to this one, and to her rather the opportunity of making mistakes in other people's cases.
§234Sed quidnam Pamphilum exanimatum video? Vereor quid siet.
But why do I see Pamphilus breathless? I fear what it may be.
§235Opperiar ut sciam numquidnam haec turbae tristitia adferat.
I will wait to know whether this brings any sad news to our trouble.
§236Hocine est humanum factum aut inceptum? hocine est officium patris?
Is this a human deed or enterprise? Is this the duty of a father?
§237Quid illud est?
What is that?
§237bPro deum atque hominum fidem, quid est si non haec contumelia est?
By the faith of gods and men, what is it if this is not an insult?
§238Uxorem decrerat dare sese mihi hodie: nonne oportuit
He had decided to give me a wife today: ought I not to have known it beforehand?
§239Praescisse me ante? nonne prius communicatum oportuit?
Ought it not to have been communicated first?
§240Miseram me, quod verbum audio?
Wretched me, what word do I hear?
§241Quid Chremes qui denegarat se commissurum mihi
What of Chremes, who had denied that he would entrust to me his daughter as a wife?
§242Gnatam suam uxorem? id mutavit, quia me immutatum videt.
He changed that because he sees me unchanged.
Is he so obstinately working to drag me, wretched, away from Glycerium: which if it happens, I perish utterly.
§245Adeon' hominem esse invenustum aut infelicem quemquam ut ego sum?
To think that any man is so unlovely or unhappy as I am!
§246Pro deum atque hominum fidem!
By the faith of gods and men!
§247Nullon' ego Chremetis pacto adfinitatem effugere potero?
Shall I be able by no means to escape the alliance with Chremes?
§248Quot modis contemptus, spretus? facta, transacta omnia: hem,
In how many ways have I been despised, rejected? All was done, settled: ah!
§249Repudiatus repetor: quamobrem? nisi si id est quod suspicor:
Rejected, I am sought again: why?
Unless it is that which I suspect: they are rearing some monster: since she cannot be forced upon anyone, they come to me.
§251bOratio haec me miseram exanimavit metu.
This speech has rendered wretched me breathless with fear.
§252Nam quid ego nunc dicam de patre? ah
For what shall I say now about my father?
§253Tantam rem tam neglegenter agere! praeteriens modo
Ah, to conduct so great a matter so carelessly!
§254Mihi apud forum,
Uxor tibi ducenda est, Pamphile, hodie,
inquit,
para: §255Abi domum. Id mi visus est dicere,
Abi cito, et suspende te. §256Obstipui: censen' me verbum potuisse ullum proloqui? aut
Just now in passing, to me at the forum, "A wife must be married by you today, Pamphilus," he said, "get ready: go home." He seemed to me to say this: "Go quickly and hang yourself." I was struck dumb: do you think I could have spoken any word?
§257Ullam causam, saltem ineptam, falsam, iniquam? Obmutui.
Or any excuse, at least a silly, false, or unjust one? I was silent.
§258Quod si ego rescissem id prius quid facerem, si quis nunc me roget?
But if I had known this beforehand, what would I have done, if anyone should ask me now?
§259Aliquid facerem ut hoc ne facerem.
I would have done something so that I would not do this.
Sed nunc quid primum exsequar?
But now what shall I pursue first?
§260Tot me impediunt curae, quae meum animum divorsae trahunt, §261Amor, misericordia huius, nuptiarum sollicitatio, §262Tum patris pudor qui me tam leni passus animo est usque adhuc §263Quae meo quomque animo libitum est facere.
So many cares hinder me, which drag my mind in different directions, love, pity for her, anxiety about the wedding, then respect for my father, who has up to now suffered me with such a gentle mind to do whatever was pleasing to my mind.
Eine ego ut advorser? hei mihi!
Am I to oppose him? Woe is me!
§264Incertum est quid agam.
It is uncertain what I should do.
§264bMisera timeo incertum hoc quorsum accidat.
Wretched, I fear where this uncertainty may fall.
§265Sed nunc peropus est, aut hunc cum ipsa, aut me aliquid de illa adversum hunc loqui.
But now there is great need, either that he speak with her, or that I say something to him about her.
§266Dum in dubio est animus, paulo momento huc vel illuc impellitur.
While the mind is in doubt, with a small momentum it is driven this way or that.
§267Quis hic loquitur? Mysis? salve.
Who is speaking here? Mysis? Greetings.
§267bO salve, Pamphile.
Oh greetings, Pamphilus.
§267cQuid agit?
How is she doing?
§267dRogas?
You ask?
§268Laborat e dolore; atque ex hoc misera sollicita est, diem §269Quia olim in hunc sunt constitutae nuptiae: tum autem hoc timet, §270Ne deseras se.
She is suffering from pain; and from this the wretched girl is anxious, because once upon a time the wedding was set for this day: furthermore, she fears this, lest you desert her.
§270bHem, egone istuc conari queam?
Oh, could I attempt that?
§271Ego propter me illam decipi miseram sinam §272Quae mihi suum animum atque omnem vitam credidit, §273Quam ego animo egregie caram pro uxore habuerim?
Shall I allow that wretched girl to be deceived on my account, who trusted her heart and her whole life to me, whom I have held exceptionally dear in my heart as a wife?
Shall I allow her character, well and chastely trained and brought up, to be changed, forced by poverty?
§276Non faciam.
I will not do it.