Arte suā Thāis iuvenēs irrētit: amōrem
Fingit et ex fictō frūctus amōre venit.
Ā multīs fert multa procīs; ex omnibus ūnum
Ēligit, huic vērī spondet amōris opēs.
“Sum tua sīsque meus cupiō; plūs omnibus ūnum 5
Tē volō, sed nōlō mūnus habēre tuum.”
Percipit ille dolōs et reddit quālia sūmpsit:
“Sīs mea simque tuus. Nōs decet aequus amor;
Vīvere nōn vellem nisi mēcum vīvere vellēs: 10
Tū mihi sōla salūs, tū mihi sōla quiēs;
Sed fallī timeō, quia mē tua lingua fefellit.
Preterītī ratiō scīre futūra facit.
Vītat avis taxum quam, gustū teste, probāvit.
Fallere vult hodiē, sī quā fefellit heri.”
Thāida sī quis amat, sua, nōn sē, crēdat amārī: 15
Thāis amōre caret, mūnus amantis amat.
notes
Continuing the theme of the previous fable, here women are again presented in a negative light. Thais ensnares young men with her wiles, and then receives all she wants from them by promising them true love. Thais performs her tricks on a particular young man who is familiar with her ways; he tells the woman that he would be happy to return her love, except that he fears to be deceived by her wicked tongue. The moral further incriminates Thais by saying that she lacks love itself, only caring for the gifts of love.
Arte suā: abl. of means.
fert multa: “she takes many gifts.”
huic vērī spondet amōris opēs: “she promises the riches of true love to him.”
Sisque: “and I desire that you be mine”; pres. subj. in a noun clause after cupio.
plus omnibus: “I want you alone more than all.” Omnibus is an abl. of comparison with plus.
reddit quālia sūmpsit: “he returns such (words as) he took up.” i.e. he gives her the sort of flowery words that she gave him.
sis ... sim: “May you be…may I be!” Independent opt. subjunctives.
vellem ... velles: “I would not wish ... unless you would wish”; impf. subj. in a present contrafactual condition.
falli: “fear to be deceived”; pres. pass. inf.
scīre futūra facit: “causes him to know what will happen (in the future)”; scīre is a pres. inf. after causative facit.
gustu teste: “with taste as a witness”; ablative absolute.
sī quā: “if in any way”; ablative of manner.
Thāida: accusative.
quis: = aliquis after si.
sua, non se: “believe his own things, not himself to be loved”; acc. subject of amari in indirect statement after credat.
credat: “let him believe.” Ind. jussive subj.
amōre: abl. of separation with caret.
vocabulary
Thais Thaidis f.: Thais, a famous Greek courtesan whose name became generic for a courtesan
irretio –ire –ivi –itus: to entangle, catch in a net
procus –i m.: a wooer, suitor
spondeo –ere spopondi sponsus: to promise X (acc.) to Y (dat.)
percipio –ere –cepi –ceptus: to perceive
quies –tis f.: quiet, calm
praeteritum –i n.: the past
futurus –a –um: about to be, future
taxus –i f.: a yew-tree
gustus –us m.: tasting, appetite
heri: yesterday