Ō dulcī iūcunda virō, iūcunda parentī,
salvē, tēque bonā Iuppiter auctet ope,
iānua, quam Balbō dīcunt servīsse benignē 5
ōlim, cum sēdēs ipse senex tenuit,
quamque ferunt rūrsus gnātō servīsse malignē,
postquam es porrēctō facta marīta sene.
Dīc agedum nōbīs, quārē mūtāta ferāris
in dominum veterem dēseruisse fidem.
‘Nōn (ita Caeciliō placeam, cui trādita nunc sum)
culpa mea est, quamquam dīcitur esse mea, 10
nec peccātum ā mē quisquam pote dīcere quicquam:
vērum est ius populī, iānua rīte facit,
quī quācumque aliquid reperītur nōn bene factum
ad mē omnēs clāmant: iānua, culpa tua est.'
Nōn istuc satis est ūnō tē dīcere verbō. 15
Sed facere ut quīvīs sentiat et videat.
‘Quī possum? nēmō quaerit nec scīre labōrat?'
Nōs volumus: nōbīs dīcere nē dubitā.
‘Prīmum igitur, virgō quod fertur trādita nōbīs,
falsum est. Nōn illam vir prior attigerit, 20
languidior tenerā cui pendēns sīcula bētā.
Numquam sē mediam sustulit ad tunicam;
sed pater illīus gnātī violāsse cubīle
dīcitur et miseram cōnscelerāsse domum,
sīve quod impia mēns caecō flagrābat amōre, 25
seu quod iners sterilī sēmine nātus erat,
ut quaerendum unde unde foret nervōsius illud,
quod posset zōnam solvere virgineam.'
Egregium nārrās mīrā pietāte parentem.
Quī ipse suī gnātī mīnxerit in gremium. 30
Atquī nōn sōlum hoc dīcit sē cognitum habēre
Brixia Cȳcnēae supposita speculae,
flāvus quam mollī praecurrit flūmine Mella,
Brixia Vērōnae māter amāta meae,
sed dē Postumiō et Cornēlī nārrat amōre, 35
cum quibus illa malum fēcit adulterium.
Dīxerit hīc aliquis: quid? tū istaec, iānua, nōstī,
cui numquam dominī līmine abesse licet,
nec populum auscultāre, sed hīc suffīxa tigillō
tantum operīre solēs aut aperīre domum? 40
Saepe illam audīvī fūrtīvā vōce loquentem
sōlam cum ancillīs haec sua flāgitia,
nōmine dīcentem quōs dīximus, utpote quae mī
spērāret nec linguam esse nec auriculam.
Praetereā addēbat quendam, quem dīcere nōlō 45
nōmine, nē tollat rubra supercilia.
Longus homō est, magnās cui lītēs intulit ōlim
falsum mendācī ventre puerperium.'
vocabulary
ō: interjection, expressing grief, pleasure, indignation, or adjuration
iūcundus –a –um: pleasant, delightful
salveō –ēre: greetings! hail!
Iuppiter Iovis m.: Juppiter or Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods; by metonymy, the weather, wind, sky
auctō –āre –āvī –ātum: cause to grow or prosper; bless (w/ abl.)
iānua iānuae f.: door to a house, other building, or heaven
Balbus –ī m.: Roman cognomen
benignē: benevolently, kindly
malignus –a –um: ungenerous, spiteful; grudging, poor, mean, scanty 5
porrigō porrigere porrēxī porrēctum: stretch out
marītus –a –um: husband
agedum: come!
Caecilius –ī m.: Roman nomen gentile
vērum: adversative conj., assenting to what has been said but adding a qualification: but in fact, but, actually
quācumque: wherever
clāmō clāmāre clāmāvī clāmātus: shout, cry out
istic istaec istoc: that which you have, mention, or refer to 15
quīvīs quaevīs quodvīs or (subst.) quidvīs: whoever or whatever you wish; anyone, anything
quod: because, the fact that
attingō attingere attigī attāctus: touch; touch upon (in speaking), mention 20
languidus –a –um: weary, drooping, flaccid
pendeō pendēre pependī: hang; depend, rely
sīcula –ae f.: a small dagger; (metaph.) penis
bēta –ae f.: beet
tunica tunicae f.: tunic, a standard garment worn by both sexes
violō violāre violāvī violātus: violate, defile
cubīle cubīlis n.: bed, couch
cōnscelerō cōnscelerāre cōnscelerāvī cōnscelerātus: stain with crime, pollute
impius –a –um: wicked, irreligious, without pietas 25
flagrō flagrāre flagrāvī flagrāturus: burn
iners –ertis: clusy; lazy, idle, useless
sterilis –e: incapable of procreation
sēmen sēminis n.: seed; semen, sperm
nervōsus –a –um: full of muscles, sinewy; vigorous
zōna –ae f.: a girdle or belt; as worn by unmarried girls, its removal signified loss of virginity
virgineus –a –um: of a virgin
mīrus –a –um: extraordinary, remarkable
mingō mingere mīxī mīctus/mīnctus : urinate 30
gremium gremi(ī) n.: lap
atquī or atquīn: conj., but; moreover
Brixia –ae f.: mod. Brescia, a town in Cisalpine Gaul
Cȳcnēus –a –um: of Cycnus, mythical king of Liguria who was changed into a swan
specula –ae f.: look-out point
flāvus –a –um: yellow, gold-colored, blonde
percurrō –ere –cucurrī (–currī) –cursus: run through quickly
Mella –ae m.: river near Brixia in Cisalpine Gaul
Vērōna –ae f.: town in Gallia Transpadana, birthplace of Catullus
Postumius –ī m.: name of a Roman gens 35
Cornēlius –iī m.: Roman nomen gentile
adulterium adulterī(ī) n.: an adulterous act; adultery
auscultō –āre –āvī –ātum: listen, overhear, eavesdrop on
suffīgō –fīgere –fīxī –fīxum: to fasten beneath or below , to fasten or fix on , to affix
tigillum –ī n.: a small beam, e.g., the lintel or top of the doorframe
operiō operīre operuī opertum: shut, close; cover 40
furtīvus –a –um: secret, furtive
ancilla –ae f.: slave girl, female slave
flāgitium flāgiti(ī) n.: disgrace, dishonor; shameful act, outrage
utpote: part., as one might expect, as is natural
auricula (auricilla or oricilla) –ae f.: a little ear (dim. of auris)
ruber rubra rubrum: red
supercilium –ī n.: eyebrow
līs lītis f.: lawsuit
mendāx –ācis: mendacious, lying, false
venter ventris m.: belly, stomach
puerperium –iī n.: birth of a child; delivery