Adeste, hendecasyllabī, quot estis
omnēs undique, quotquot estis omnēs.
Iocum mē putat esse moecha turpis,
et negat mihi nostra redditūram
pugillāria, sī patī potestis. 5
Persequāmur eam et reflāgitēmus.
Quae sit, quaeritis? Illa, quam vidētis
turpe incēdere, mīmicē ac molestē
rīdentem catulī ōre Gallicānī.
Circumsistite eam, et reflāgitāte, 10
‘moecha pūtida, redde cōdicillōs,
redde pūtida moecha, cōdicillōs!'
Nōn assis facis? Ō
aut sī perditius potes quid esse.
Sed nōn est tamen hoc satis putandum. 15
Quod sī nōn aliud potest rubōrem
ferreō canis exprimāmus ōre.
Conclāmāte iterum altiōre vōce.
‘Moecha pūtide, redde cōdicillōs,
redde, pūtida moecha, cōdicillōs!' 20
Sed nīl prōficimus, nihil movētur.
Mūtanda est ratiō modusque vōbīs,
sīquid prōficere amplius potestis:
‘pudīca et proba, redde cōdicillōs.'
vocabulary
hendecasyllabus hendecasyllabī m.: eleven-syllable verses of poetry, esp. lines of poetry in the Phalaecian meter; cutting or sarcastic verses
quot: indecl. adj., how many, as many
quotquot: indecl. adj., whatever number, as many as
iocus iocī m.: joke, jest
moecha moechae f.: adulteress; slut
pugillārius –iī m. or pugillar –āris n.: a set of writing tablets 5
persequor persequī persecūtus sum: follow persistently, catch up with, pursue, harass, seek requital or restitution
reflāgitō reflāgitāre reflāgitāvī reflāgitātus: demand repeatedly in a loud voice
incēdō incēdere incessī incessus: arrive, step up; strp or walk (esp. in a slow or stately manner), strut
mīmicē: in a manner of a mima, an actress in a licentious kind of farce
molestus –a –um: troublesome, annoying
Catulus –ī m.: whelp, puppy.
Gallicānus –a –um: of Gaul (partic. Gallia Cisalpina or Narbonesis)
circumsistō circumsistere circumsistitī circumsistatus: gather or crowd around, surround 10
pūtidus –a –um: rotten; foul, stinking
cōdicillus cōdicillī m.: pl., a set of writing tablets
ās assis m.: a copper coin of negligible value, like a penny
ō: interjection, expressing grief, pleasure, indignation, or adjuration
lūtum lutī n.: mud
lupānar lupanāris n.: brothel, whorehouse
perditus –a –um: ruined; depraved
quod: because, the fact that 16
rubor rubōris m.: redness, blush
ferreus –a –um: made of iron; hard, harsh; shameless, brazen
exprimō exprimere expressī expressum: squeeze out, extort; translate
conclāmō conclamāre conclamāvī conclamātus: shout out, shout in unison
prōficiō prōficere prōfēcī prōfectum: make headway, gain results 21
pudīcus –a –um: chaste, decent, sexually modest
probus –a –um: good, virtuous