Humanitext Reader

Ovid · The Loves §3.14.1-3.14.50

Plea to a Mistress to Conceal Her Infidelities

Passage 52 of 53 · Latin

Summary

The poet implores his beloved not to stop her infidelities, but at least to conceal them from him, asking her to deny her affairs even when caught so that he may happily remain deceived.

§3.14.1Non ego, ne pecces, cum sis formosa, recuso, §3.14.2Sed ne sit misero scire necesse mihi; §3.14.3Nec te nostra iubet fieri censura pudicam, §3.14.4Sed tamen, ut temptes dissimulare, rogat.
I do not object, since you are beautiful, to your sinning, but let it not be necessary for wretched me to know; nor does my censorship order you to become chaste, but yet, it asks that you try to conceal it.
§3.14.5Non peccat, quaecumque potest peccasse negare, §3.14.6Solaque famosam culpa professa facit.
She does not sin, whoever is able to deny having sinned, and only a confessed fault makes a woman notorious.
§3.14.7Quis furor est, quae nocte latent, in luce fateri, §3.14.8Et quae clam facias facta referre palam?
What madness is it to confess in the light what is hidden by night, and to report openly deeds which you do secretly?
§3.14.9Ignoto meretrix corpus iunctura Quiriti §3.14.10Opposita populum summovet ante sera; §3.14.11Tu tua prostitues famae peccata sinistrae §3.14.12Commissi perages indiciumque tui?
A courtesan, about to join her body to an unknown citizen, first shuts out the public with a bar placed against the door; will you expose your sins to unfavorable gossip, and carry out the betrayal of your own crime?
§3.14.13Sit tibi mens melior, saltemve imitare pudicas, §3.14.14Teque probam, quamvis non eris, esse putem.
Let your mind be better, or at least imitate the chaste ones, and let me think that you are virtuous, even though you will not be.
§3.14.15Quae facis, haec facito; tantum fecisse negato, §3.14.16Nec pudeat coram verba modesta loqui!
What you do, do indeed; only deny having done it, nor let it shame you to speak modest words in public!
§3.14.17Est qui nequitiam locus exigat; omnibus illum §3.14.18Deliciis inple, stet procul inde pudor!
There is a place which demands wantonness; fill that place with all delights, let shame stand far away from there!
§3.14.19Hinc simul exieris, lascivia protinus omnis §3.14.20Absit, et in lecto crimina pone tuo.
As soon as you go out from here, let all playfulness immediately be absent, and leave your crimes in your bed.
§3.14.21Illic nec tunicam tibi sit posuisse pudori §3.14.22Nec femori inpositum sustinuisse femur; §3.14.23Illic purpureis condatur lingua labellis, §3.14.24Inque modos Venerem mille figuret amor; §3.14.25Illic nec voces nec verba iuvantia cessent, §3.14.26Spondaque lasciva mobilitate tremat!
There let it be no shame for you to have laid aside your tunic, nor to have borne a thigh placed upon your thigh; there let the tongue be hidden by purple lips, and let love fashion passion in a thousand ways; there let neither voices nor pleasing words cease, and let the bed-frame tremble with wanton mobility!
§3.14.27Indue cum tunicis metuentem crimina vultum, §3.14.28Et pudor obscenum diffiteatur opus; §3.14.29Da populo, da verba mihi; sine nescius errem, §3.14.30Et liceat stulta credulitate frui!
Put on, along with your tunics, a face that fears accusations, and let shame deny the obscene act; Deceive the public, deceive me; let me err in ignorance, and let it be allowed to enjoy foolish credulity!
§3.14.31Cur totiens video mitti recipique tabellas?
Why do I see tablets sent and received so often?
§3.14.32Cur pressus prior est interiorque torus?
Why is the edge of the bed and its inner part pressed down?
§3.14.33Cur plus quam somno turbatos esse capillos §3.14.34Collaque conspicio dentis habere notam?
Why do I see hair disheveled more than by sleep, and behold necks having the mark of a tooth?
§3.14.35Tantum non oculos crimen deducis ad ipsos; §3.14.36Si dubitas famae parcere, parce mihi!
You bring your crime almost to my very eyes; if you hesitate to spare your own reputation, spare me!
§3.14.37Mens abit et morior quotiens peccasse fateris, §3.14.38Perque meos artus frigida gutta fluit.
My mind departs and I die whenever you confess to having sinned, and a cold drop of sweat flows through my limbs.
§3.14.39Tunc amo, tunc odi frustra quod amare necesse est; §3.14.40Tunc ego, sed tecum, mortuus esse velim!
Then I love, then I hate in vain what I must love; then I would wish to be dead, but with you!
§3.14.41Nil equidem inquiram, nec quae celare parabis §3.14.42Insequar, et falli muneris instar erit.
Indeed, I will inquire into nothing, nor will I pursue what you prepare to conceal, and to be deceived will be like a gift to me.
§3.14.43Si tamen in media deprensa tenebere culpa, §3.14.44Et fuerint oculis probra videnda meis, §3.14.45Quae bene visa mihi fuerint, bene visa negato — §3.14.46Concedent verbis lumina nostra tuis.
If, however, you are caught and held in the middle of your fault, and your disgraceful deeds must be seen by my eyes, deny that what was clearly seen by me was clearly seen — my eyes will yield to your words.
§3.14.47Prona tibi vinci cupientem vincere palma est, §3.14.48Sit modo 'non feci!' dicere lingua memor.
Victory is easy for you, who wish to defeat one desiring to be defeated; let only your tongue be mindful to say 'I did not do it!'.
§3.14.49Cum tibi contingat verbis superare duobus, §3.14.50Etsi non causa, iudice vince tuo!
Since it falls to your lot to conquer with two words, conquer, if not by your cause, by your judge!

Notes

  1. 3.14.1ne pecces... recuso — The verb 'recuso' with 'ne' and the subjunctive ('ne pecces') introduces a clause of prevention or refusal, meaning 'I do not refuse/object to your sinning' (literally, 'I do not object lest you sin').
  2. 3.14.14Teque probam... esse putem — The subjunctive 'putem' (present, first person singular) functions here as a clause of result or purpose following the preceding volitive commands, meaning 'so that I may think' or 'and let me think'.
  3. 3.14.21tibi sit posuisse pudori — A double dative construction with 'tibi' (dative of reference) and 'pudori' (dative of purpose/result). The perfect infinitive 'posuisse' (and 'sustinuisse' in the next line) is used poetically with a present aspect, equivalent to the present infinitive.
  4. 3.14.29Da verba — The idiom 'verba dare' (literally 'to give words') is a very common Latin colloquialism meaning 'to deceive' or 'to cheat'.
  5. 3.14.47vinci cupientem vincere — The direct object of 'vincere' (to conquer) is the participial phrase 'vinci cupientem' (one desiring to be conquered). This is a clever wordplay describing the poet's willingness to be deceived.
  6. 3.14.50iudice vince tuo — The phrase 'iudice tuo' is an ablative of instrument or attendant circumstance ('with your judge' or 'under your judge'). It refers to the poet himself acting as the judge who is already biased and willing to acquit the defendant despite the lack of a good case ('causa').

Cite this passage

Ovid, The Loves §3.14.1-3.14.50. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi001.humanitext-lat2:3.14.1-3.14.50

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