§84Tremo horreoque postquam aspexi hanc.
PHAEDRIA: I tremble and shudder since I have looked upon her.
PARMENO: Be of good courage; approach this fire, and you will soon be warm more than enough.
§86Quis hic loquitur? ehem, tune hic eras, mi Phaedria?
THAIS: Who is speaking here? Oh, is it you, my Phaedria?
§87Quid hic stabas? cur non recta introibas?
Why were you standing here? Why didn't you go straight inside?
§88bQuid taces?
THAIS: Why are you silent?
PHAEDRIA: Of course, because these doors are indeed always open to me, or because I am the first in your favor.
§90bMissa istaec face.
THAIS: Let those things pass.
§91Quid missa? o Thais, Thais, utinam esset mihi §92Pars aequa amoris tecum, ac pariter fieret, §93Ut aut hoc tibi doleret itidem ut mihi dolet, §94Aut ego istuc abs te factum nihili penderem.
PHAEDRIA: What, let them pass? O Thais, Thais, I wish I had an equal share of love with you, and that it might be in like manner, so that either this might hurt you just as it hurts me, or that I might think nothing of this action of yours.
§95Ne crucia te, obsecro, anime mi, mi Phaedria.
THAIS: Do not torment yourself, I entreat you, my life, my Phaedria.
By Pollux, it was not because I love or esteem anyone more that I did it; but such was the case, it had to be done.
§98Credo ut fit misera prae amore exclusti hunc foras.
PARMENO: I suppose, as it happens, out of love, poor thing, you shut him out of doors.
THAIS: Is that what you say, Parmeno? Well, listen to the reason why I ordered you to be summoned here.
§100bFiat.
PHAEDRIA: So be it.
THAIS: Tell me this first, can this man keep a secret?
§101bEgone? optime.
PARMENO: Me? Perfectly.
§102Verum heus tu, hac lege tibi meam astringo fidem: §103Quae vera audivi taceo et contineo optime; §104Sin falsum aut vanum aut fictum est, continuo palam est; §105Plenus rimaraum sum; hac atque illac perfluo.
But look here, on this condition I pledge you my word: things that are true I hear, I keep silent and retain perfectly; but if it is false, empty, or made up, it is immediately out; I am full of chinks, I leak on this side and on that.
§106Proin tu, taceri si vis, vera dicito.
Therefore, if you want your words kept secret, speak the truth.
§107Samia mihi mater fuit: ea habitabat Rhodi.
THAIS: My mother was a Samian; she lived at Rhodes.
§108Potest taceri hoc.
PARMENO: This can be kept secret.
THAIS: There, then, to my mother, a little girl was given as a present by a certain merchant, having been carried off from here, from Attica.
§110bCivemne?
PHAEDRIA: A citizen?
§110cArbitror: §111Certum non scimus: matris nomen et patris §112Dicebat ipsa: patriam et signa caetera §113Neque scibat, neque per aetatem etiam potuerat.
THAIS: I think so; we do not know for certain; she herself used to tell her mother's and father's name; her country and other tokens she did not know, nor indeed could she yet, because of her age.
The merchant added this, that he had heard from the pirates from whom he bought her, that she had been carried off from Sunium.
When my mother received her, she began diligently to teach her everything and to bring her up just as if she were her own daughter.
§118Sororem plerique esse credebant meam.
Most people believed she was my sister.
§119Ego cum illo quicum tum uno rem habebam hospite §120Abii huc; qui mihi reliquit haec quae habeo omnia.
I went away to this place with that guest with whom alone I then had a connection; who left me all these things that I have.
§121Utrumque hoc falsum est: effluet.
PARMENO: Both of these things are false; it will leak out.
§121bQui istuc?
THAIS: How so?
§121cQuia §122Neque tu uno eras contenta, neque solus dedit; §123Nam hic quoque bonam magnamque partem ad te attulit.
PARMENO: Because you were not content with one man, nor did he alone give you things; for this man also brought you a good and large portion.
§124Ita est: sed sine me pervenire quo volo.
THAIS: It is so; but let me arrive at where I wish.
§125Interea miles qui me amare occeperat §126In Cariam est profectus: te interea loci §127Cognovi: tute scis postilla quam intumum §128Habeam te, et mea consilia ut tibi credam omnia.
In the meantime, the soldier who had begun to love me went to Caria; in the meantime I became acquainted with you; you yourself know how intimately I have held you since then, and how I trust you with all my counsels.
§129Ne hoc quidem tacebit Parmeno.
PARMENO: Not even this will Parmeno keep secret.
§129bOh, dubiumne id est?
PHAEDRIA: Oh, is that in doubt?
§130Hoc agite amabo.
THAIS: Attend to this, please.
Mater mea illic mortua est §131Nuper.
My mother died there recently.
Eius frater aliquantum ad rem est avidior.
Her brother is somewhat too greedy for property.
§132Is hanc ubi forma videt honesta virginem, §133Et fidibus scire, pretium sperans ilico §134Producit, vendit.
When he saw this maiden of handsome appearance, and that she knew how to play the lyre, hoping for a price at once he brought her out and sold her.
Forte fortuna affuit §135Hic meus amicus: emit eam dono mihi, §136Imprudens harum rerum ignarusque omnium.
By chance, this friend of mine was present; he bought her as a gift for me, ignorant of these matters and knowing nothing of it all.
He has arrived; after he perceived that with you also I have a connection, he diligently devises reasons not to give her.
§139Ait, si fidem habeat se iri praepositum tibi §140Apud me, ac non id metuat, ne ubi acceperim §141Sese relinquam, velle se illam mihi dare; §142Verum id vereri: sed, ego quantum suspicor, §143Ad virginem animum adiecit.
He says, if he had assurance that he would be preferred to you before me, and did not fear that, when I received her, I should abandon him, he would wish to give her to me; but that he fears this; but, as far as I suspect, he has set his heart upon the maiden.
§143bEtiamne amplius?
PHAEDRIA: Anything more?
§144Nihil; nam quaesivi.
THAIS: Nothing; for I asked.
Nunc ego eam, mi Phaedria, §145Multae sunt causae quamobrem cupiam abducere: §146Primum quod soror est dicta; praeterea ut suis §147Restituam ac reddam: sola sum: habeo hic neminem §148Neque amicum, neque cognatum; quamobrem, Phaedria, §149Cupio aliquos parare amicos beneficio meo.
Now, my Phaedria, as for her, there are many reasons why I desire to obtain her: first, because she was called my sister; besides, so that I may restore and return her to her own people; I am alone, I have no one here, neither friend nor relative; therefore, Phaedria, I desire to acquire some friends by my kindness.
§150Id amabo adiuta me, quo id fiat facilius.
Help me in this, please, so that it may be done more easily.