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
Quo nunc abis? quin tu hic manes?
Where are you off to now? Why don’t you stay here?
_Argyr._
Nox, si voles, manebo.
I will at night, if you want.
_Lib._
Audin hunc opera ut largus est nocturna? nunc enim esse
negotiosum interdius videlicet Solonem,
leges ut conscribat, quibus se populus teneat. gerrae! 600
qui sese parere apparent huius legibus, profecto
numquam bonae frugi sient, dies noctesque potent.
Hear the chap--how free he is with his attentions by night?
For now in the daytime he’s a hard-working Solon, drawing up
laws to bind the people--oh, yes he is! Rot! Folks that set
themselves to obey his laws won’t ever be good for anything,
that’s sure,--except drinking day and night.
_Leon._
Ne iste hercle ab ista non pedem discedat, si licessit,
qui nunc festinat atque ab hac minatur sese abire.
Good Lord! The fellow wouldn’t move a step from her, if he
had his way, not he, for all this rush of his and threats
to leave her
_Lib._
Sermoni iam finem face tuo. huius sermonem accipiam.
Come, make an end of your talk. I want to take in some of
his.
_Argyr._
Vale.
(_tragically_) Farewell! (_starts away_)
_Phil._
Quo properas?
Where are you hurrying to?
_Argyr._
Bene vale, apud Orcum te videbo
nam equidem me iam quantum potest a vita abiudicabo.
Farewell! Be happy. I shall see you in the world to come!
For upon my soul, this world and I shall now be divorced
as soon as possible!
_Phil._
Cui tu, obsecro, immerito meo me morti dedere optas?
(_running up and clinging to him_) Oh, for heaven’s sake,
why, why do you wish to condemn me to death yourself,
innocent as I am?
_Argyr._
Ego te? quam si intellegam deficere vita, iam ipse
vitam meam tibi largiar et de mea ad tuam addam. 610
I you? If I saw your life was ebbing, I’d freely give you
my own at once and add my years to yours.
_Phil._
Cui ergo minitans mihi, te vitam esse amissurum?
nam quid me facturam putas, si istuc quod dicis faxis?
mihi certum est facere in me omnia eadem quae tu in te faxis.
Then why do you threaten me with throwing away your life?
For what do you think I will do, if you do what you say?
My mind’s made up: I’ll do to myself just precisely what
you do to yourself.
_Argyr._
Oh melle dulci dulcior tu es.
Oh, you’re sweeter than sweet honey!
_Phil._
Certe enim tu vita es mi.
complectere.
And you’re my very life, I know that. Do put your arms
around me!
_Argyr._
Facio lubens.
(_doing so_) Yes, yes, gladly!
_Phil._
Utinam sic efferamur.
Oh, if we could only be carried to the grave like this!
_Leon._
O Libane, uti miser est homo qui amat.
I say, Libanus, what a poor devil a chap in love is!
_Lib._
Immo hercle vero,
qui pendet multo est miserior.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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