Amphitryo, Asinaria, Aulularia, Bacchides, Captivi: Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, The Pot of Gold, The Two; Bacchises, The CaptivesPlautus, Titus Maccius
General
Amphitryo, Asinaria, Aulularia, Bacchides, Captivi: Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, The Pot of Gold, The Two; Bacchises, The Captives
Plautus, Titus Maccius
Latin drama (Comedy); Latin drama (Comedy) -- Translations into English
(_running behind trader_) Oh kind stranger, I’m a dead man!
_Merc._
_Trader_
Quaeso hercle noli, Saurea, mea causa hunc verberare.
By Jove, Saurea! Now, now, don’t flog him, for my sake!
_Leon._
Utinam nunc stimulus in manu mihi sit.
(_paying no attention_) Oh, if I could only get hold of an
ox goad now!
_Merc._
_Trader_
Quiesce quaeso.
Now, now, calm down.
_Leon._
Qui latera conteram tua, quae occalluere plagis.
abscede ac sine me hunc perdere, qui semper me ira incendit, 420
cui numquam unam rem me licet semel praecipere furi,
quin centiens eadem imperem atque ogganniam, itaque iam hercle
clamore ac stomacho non queo labori suppeditare.
So as to stave in those ribs of yours that have grown
callous to blows! (_to trader_) Out of my way, and let
me murder the rascal that always sets me afire with
rage, that never lets one order from me suffice for one job,
the criminal, but keeps me commanding and growling the same
thing a hundred times over. Good Lord, it’s come to the
point where I can’t stand the work, what with yelling and
storming at him!
iussin, sceleste, ab ianua hoc stercus hinc auferri?
iussin columnis deici operas araneorum?
iussin in splendorem dari bullas has foribus nostris?
Didn’t I tell you to carry off this dung from the doorway,
you villain? Didn’t I tell you to clean the spiders’ webs
off the columns? Didn’t I tell you to rub these door knobs
till they shone?
nihil est: tamquam si claudus sim, cum fustist ambulandum.
quia triduom hoc unum modo foro operam adsiduam dedo,
dum reperiam qui quaeritet argentum in faenus, hic vos
dormitis interea domi, atque erus in hara, haud aedibus habitat, 430
em ergo hoc tibi.
It’s no good: anyone would think I was lame, the way I have
to travel around after you with a cane. Because I’ve been
constantly busy at the forum just for the last three days,
trying to find some one to place a loan with, here you’ve
been drowsing all the time at home, and your master living
in a pig-pen, not a house. There now, take that! (_strikes
him_)
_Lib._
Hospes, te obsecro, defende.
Kind stranger! For heaven’s sake protect me!
_Merc._
_Trader_
Saurea, oro,
mea causa ut mittas.
Come, Saurea, do let him off for my sake.
_Leon._
Eho, ecquis pro vectura olivi
rem solvit?
(_to Libanus_) Hey, you! Did anyone pay for the shipping of
that oil?
_Lib._
Solvit.
Yes, sir.
_Leon._
Cui datumst?
Who to?
_Lib._
Sticho vicario ipsi
tuo.
To Stichus himself, sir, your own deputy.
_Leon._
Vah, delenire apparas, scio mihi vicarium esse,
neque eo esse servom in aedibus eri qui sit pluris quam illest.
sed vina quae heri vendidi vinario Exaerambo,
iam pro eis satis fecit Sticho?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account