§2.150Quasque colat turres, Chaonis ales habet.
And the Chaonian bird has the towers which she may inhabit.
Be far away, quarrels and battles of a bitter tongue: gentle love is to be nourished with sweet words.
§2.153Lite fugent nuptaeque viros nuptasque mariti, §2.154Inque vicem credant res sibi semper agi; §2.155Hoc decet uxores; dos est uxoria lites: §2.156Audiat optatos semper amica sonos.
Let wives chase away husbands and husbands wives with quarrels, and let them mutually believe that a lawsuit is always being conducted for them; this is fitting for wives; quarrels are a wife's dowry: let a mistress always hear desired sounds.
Not by the command of the law did you come into one bed: love performs the duty of the law among you.
Soft flatteries and words pleasing to the ear bring, so that she may be happy at your arrival.
§2.161Non ego divitibus venio praeceptor amandi: §2.162Nil opus est illi, qui dabit, arte mea; §2.163Secum habet ingenium, qui, cum libet, 'accipe' dicit; §2.164Cedimus: inventis plus placet ille meis.
I do not come as a teacher of loving for the rich: there is no need of my art for him who will give; he has talent with him, who, when it pleases, says 'take'; I yield: he pleases more than my inventions.
I am a prophet for the poor, because as a poor man I loved; since I could not give gifts, I gave words.
Let the poor man love cautiously: let the poor man fear to speak ill, and let him bear many things not to be endured by the rich.
I remember that I, angry, disheveled my mistress's hair: how many days did this anger take away from me!
§2.171Nec puto, nec sensi tunicam laniasse; sed ipsa §2.172Dixerat, et pretio est illa redempta meo.
Nor do I think, nor did I feel that I tore her tunic; but she herself had said so, and it was redeemed at my expense.
But you, if you are wise, escape the sins of your teacher, and fear the losses of my fault.
§2.175Proelia cum Parthis, cum culta pax sit amica, §2.176Et iocus, et causas quicquid amoris habet.
Let there be battles with the Parthians, but let peace be friendly and cultivated, and jest, and whatever has the causes of love.
If she will be neither flattering enough nor kind to you as you love her, endure and hold out: afterwards she will be gentle.
A branch bent from the tree is curved by compliance: you break it, if you try your strength.
§2.181Obsequio tranantur aquae: nec vincere possis §2.182Flumina, si contra, quam rapit unda, nates.
Waters are swum across by compliance: nor could you conquer rivers, if you swim against the direction which the wave carries.
Compliance tames both tigresses and Numidian lions; by degrees the bull submits to the rustic plough.
§2.185Quid fuit asperius Nonacrina Atalanta?
Who was harsher than Nonacrian Atalanta?
§2.186Succubuit meritis trux tamen illa viri.
Yet that fierce girl succumbed to the merits of the man.
§2.187Saepe suos casus nec mitia facta puellae §2.188Flesse sub arboribus Milaniona ferunt; §2.189Saepe tulit iusso fallacia retia collo, §2.190Saepe fera torvos cuspide fixit apros: §2.191Sensit et Hylaei contentum saucius arcum: §2.192Sed tamen hoc arcu notior alter erat.
They say that Milanion often wept over his misfortunes and the unkind deeds of the girl under the trees; often he carried deceptive nets on his commanded neck, often he transfixed fierce boars with his grim spear: he felt also the stretched bow of Hylaeus, being wounded: but yet another bow was better known than this bow.
§2.193Non te Maenalias armatum scandere silvas, §2.194Nec iubeo collo retia ferre tuo: §2.195Pectora nec missis iubeo praebere sagittis; §2.196Artis erunt cauto mollia iussa meae.
I do not command you to climb Maenalian woods armed, nor to carry nets on your neck: nor do I command you to offer your breast to sent arrows; the commands of my art will be gentle to the cautious.
Yield to her resisting: by yielding you will depart a victor: only make sure that you play whatever part she commands.
§2.199Arguet, arguito; quicquid probat illa, probato; §2.200Quod dicet, dicas; quod negat illa, neges.
She will blame, do you blame; whatever she approves, approve; what she says, say; what she denies, deny.
If she laughs, laugh with her; if she weeps, remember to weep; let her impose laws upon your countenance.
§2.203Seu ludet, numerosque manu iactabit eburnos, §2.204Tu male iactato, tu male iacta dato: §2.205Seu iacies talos, victam ne poena sequatur, §2.206Damnosi facito stent tibi saepe canes: §2.207Sive latrocinii sub imagine calculus ibit, §2.208Fac pereat vitreo miles ab hoste tuus.
Whether she plays, and throws ivory dice with her hand, do you throw badly, do you give the badly thrown dice to her: or if you throw the tali, lest penalty follow her defeated, make it so that the ruinous dogs often stand for you: or if the counter goes under the image of chess, make it so that your soldier perishes by the glass enemy.
Hold the parasol stretched out by its ribs yourself, make a place yourself in the crowd where she comes.
Nor hesitate to bring forward a stool to the smooth couch, and take away or add the sandal to her tender foot.
Often also, although you yourself will shiver, the mistress's cold hand is to be warmed in your warm bosom.
Nor think it shameful for you (although it be shameful, it will please), to have held up a mirror with a freeborn hand.
§2.217Ille, fatigata praebendo monstra noverca §2.218Qui meruit caelum, quod prior ipse tulit, §2.219Inter Ioniacas calathum tenuisse puellas §2.220Creditur, et lanas excoluisse rudes.
He, who having fatigued his stepmother by offering monsters deserved heaven, which he himself previously bore, is believed to have held a basket among Ionian girls, and to have spun rough wool.
The Tirynthian hero obeyed the command of his mistress: go now and hesitate to bear what he bore.
Commanded to be present at the forum, always make sure you come earlier than the commanded hour, nor depart unless late.
§2.225Occurras aliquo, tibi dixerit: omnia differ,
If she meets you somewhere, she will have said to you: defer all things,