§511Ibo ac requiram fratrem, ut in eum haec evomam.
Demea: I will go and seek my brother, so that I may vomit out all this upon him.
Hegio: Keep a good heart, Sostrata; and comfort her, as much as you can.
Ego Micionem, si apud forum est, §514Conveniam; atque ut res gesta est narrabo ordine.
I will meet Micio, if he is at the forum; and I will relate how the matter has been done in order.
§515Si est facturus ut sit officium suum, §516Faciat: sin aliter de hac re est eius sententia, §517Respondeat mihi; ut quid agam quamprimum sciam.
If he is going to do what is his duty, let him do so; but if his opinion on this matter is otherwise, let him answer me, so that I may know as soon as possible what to do.
§518Ain patrem hinc abisse rus?
Ctesipho: Do you say that my father has gone from here to the countryside?
§518bIamdudum.
Syrus: A long time ago.
§518cDic sodes.
Ctesipho: Tell me, please.
§518dApud villam est.
Syrus: He is at the villa.
§519Nunc cum maxime operis aliquid facere credo.
I believe he is just now doing some work there.
§519bUtinam quidem, §520Quod cum salute eius fiat, ita se defatigarit velim, §521Ut triduo hoc perpetuo prorsum e lecto nequeat surgere.
Ctesipho: Would that indeed, provided it be with safety to his health, I wish he would so tire himself out, that for these next three days continuously he could not rise from his bed at all.
§522Ita fiat, et istoc si quid potis est rectius.
Syrus: So be it, and if anything can be even better than that.
§522bIta: nam hunc diem §523Misere nimis cupio, ut coepi, perpetuum in laetitia degere: §524Et illud rus nulla alia causa tam male odi, nisi quia prope est: §525Quod si abesset longius, §526Prius nox oppressisset illic quam huc reverti posset iterum.
Ctesipho: Yes: for this day I miserably long, as I have begun, to spend continuously in joy; and I hate that countryside for no other reason so badly, except because it is near; but if it were further off, night would have overtaken him there before he could return here again.
§527Nunc ubi me illic non videbit iam huc recurret, sat scio.
Now, when he does not see me there, he will run back here immediately, I know well enough.
§528Rogitabit me ubi fuerim; quem ego hodie toto non vidi die.
He will keep asking me where I have been; whom I have not seen all this day long.
§529Quid dicam?
What shall I say?
§529bNihilne in mentem?
Syrus: Nothing in your mind?
§529cNunquam quicquam.
Ctesipho: Never anything.
§529dTanto nequior.
Syrus: So much the worse.
§530Cliens, amicus, hospes, nemo est vobis?
Is there no client, friend, guest-friend among you?
§530bSunt: quid postea?
Ctesipho: There are; what then?
§531Hisce opera ut data sit.
Syrus: That you were giving your attention to them.
§531bQuae non data sit? non potest fieri.
Ctesipho: When I was not doing so? That cannot be done.
§531cPotest.
Syrus: It can.
§532Interdiu: sed si hic pernocto, causae quid dicam, Syre?
Ctesipho: In the daytime; but if I pass the night here, what reason shall I give, Syrus?
§533Vah, quam vellem etiam noctu amicis operam mos esset dari.
Syrus: Ah, how I wish it were the custom to give attention to friends even at night!
§534Quin tu otiosus es: ego illius sensum pulchre calleo.
But you be at ease; I know his temper beautifully.
§535Quum fervit maxime tam placidum quam ovem reddo.
When he is most boiling, I make him as gentle as a sheep.
§535bQuo modo?
Ctesipho: How?
Syrus: He listens with pleasure to your being praised; I make you a god in his presence; I relate your virtues.
§537bMeas?
Ctesipho: Mine?
Syrus: Yours; immediately tears fall from the man, as if from joy, like a child.
Hem tibi autem.
But look out for yourself.
§538bQuidnam est?
Ctesipho: What is it?
§538cLupus in fabula.
Syrus: The wolf in the fable.
§539Pater est?
Ctesipho: Is it my father?
§539bIpsus est.
Syrus: It is he himself.
§539cSyre, quid agimus?
Ctesipho: Syrus, what are we doing?
§539dFuge modo intro: ego videro.
Syrus: Just fly inside; I will see to it.
§540Si quid rogabit, nusquam tu me: audistin?
Ctesipho: If he asks anything, you have seen me nowhere. Do you hear?
§540bPotin ut desinas?
Syrus: Can't you leave off?
§541Nae ego homo sum infelix: primum fratrem nusquam invenio gentium: §542Praeterea autem dum illum quaero a villa mercenarium
Demea: Indeed, I am an unhappy man: first, I can find my brother nowhere in the world; moreover, while I was looking for him, I saw a hired hand I saw him; he says my son is not in the country.
§543Vidi: is filium negat esse ruri: nec quid agam scio.
Nor do I know what to do.
§544Syre.
Syrus.
§544bQuid est?
Syrus: What is it?
§544cMen quaerit?
Ctesipho: Is he seeking me?
§544dVerum.
Syrus: Yes.
§544ePerii!
Ctesipho: I am lost!
§544fQuin tu animo bono es.
Syrus: Why don't you keep a good heart?
§545Quid hoc, malum, infelicitatis? nequeo satis decernere;
Demea: What is this, plague on it, of misfortune?
§546Nisi me credo huic esse natum rei, ferendis miseriis.
I cannot well understand; except that I believe I was born for this thing, to bear miseries.
§547Primus sentio mala nostra; primus rescisco omnia; §548Primus porro obnuntio: aegre solus si quid fit fero.
I am the first to feel our misfortunes; the first to find out everything; the first, moreover, to bring the bad news; if anything happens, I alone bear it with pain.
§549Rideo hunc: primum ait se scire; is solus nescit omnia.
Syrus: I laugh at him; he says he is the first to know; he alone knows nothing of all.
§550Nunc redeo: si forte frater redierit viso.
Demea: Now I am coming back; I will go and see if by chance my brother has returned.
Ctesipho: Syrus, I beseech you, see to it that he does not rush straight in here.
§551bEtiam taces?
Syrus: Will you still not be silent?
§552Ego cavebo.
I will take care.
§552bNunquam hercle hodie ego istuc committam tibi; §553Nam me iam in cellam aliquam cum illa concludam: id tutissimum est.
Ctesipho: By Hercules, I will never trust that to you today; for I will now shut myself up in some chamber with her; that is safest.
§554Age, tamen ego hunc amovebo.
Syrus: Go on, I will nevertheless remove this man.
§554bSed eccum sceleratum Syrum.
Demea: But here is that rascal Syrus.
§555Non hercle hic quidem durare quisquam, si sic fit, potest.
Syrus: By Hercules, no one can endure here indeed, if things go on thus.
§556Scire equidem volo quot mihi sint domini: quae haec est miseria?
I indeed want to know how many masters I have: what misery is this?
§557Quid ille gannit? quid vult? quid ais bone vir? est frater domi?
Demea: What is he muttering? What does he want? What do you say, good man? Is my brother at home?
§558Quid, malum, "Bone vir," mihi narras? Equidem perii.
Syrus: Why, plague on it, do you talk of "good man" to me? I indeed am ruined.
§558bQuid tibi est?
Demea: What is the matter with you?
Syrus: Do you ask? Ctesipho has beaten wretched me and that music-girl with his fists continually.
§560bHem, quid narras?
Demea: Ha! What are you saying?
§560cHem! vide, ut discidit labrum.
Syrus: Look, see how he has split my lip.
§561Quamobrem?
Demea: For what reason?
§561bMe impulsore hanc emtam esse ait.
Syrus: He says she was bought by my instigation.
Demea: Did you not just now say that he had gone to the country from here?
Syrus: It was so; but he came back afterwards like a madman; he spared nothing.
Non puduisse verberare hominem senem, §564Quem ego modo puerum tantillum in manibus gestavi meis?
Was it not a shame to beat an old man, whom I, just a tiny boy so big, carried in my own hands?