Persius satire 1

quantum est in rebus inane

the emptiness in things

leget

will read

min tu istud ais

are you asking me?

ne

are you worried in case

Polydamas et Troiades

Polydamas and the Trojan women

mihi Labeonem praetulerint

they might prefer Labeo to me

nugae

nonsense

turbida Roma

muddled Rome

quid eleuet

makes light of anything

non accedas

one shouldn't agree

castiges examenue improbum

or check the faulty tongue

in illa trutina

in that balance

nec te quaesiueris extra

or inquire outside of oneself

nam Romae

for in Rome

quis non

who has not

a, si fas dicere

may I say it?

sed fas

yes, I may

tum cum aspexi

then when I consider

ad canitiem istud

this grey-haired

nostrum vivere triste

and dreary life of ours

facimus quaecumque

what we do

nucibus relictis

when we've stopped playing marbles

sapimus patruos

and assumed the wisdom of disapproving uncles

ignoscite

forgive me

nolo, quid faciam

it's not that I want to but what can I do

sum petulanti splene

it's my unruly spleen

cachinno

I guffaw

scribimus inclusi

cloistered we write

numeros ille

that man in regular metre

hic pede liber

this one foot-loose

grande aliquid

a prodigious work

quod pulmo praelargus

which will leave the strongest lungs

animae anhelet

panting for breath

scilicet haec leges populo

of course you'll read this to the public

celsa sede

from a raised platform

pexusque

combed

togaque recenti

in clean toga

natalicia tandem cum sardohyche

finally wearing your birthday sardonyx

albus

white-faced

cum conlueris guttur

after you have cleared your throat

liquido plasmate mobile

with a clear preparatory warble

patranti fractus ocello

your eyes swooning in ecstasy

tunc videas

then you might see

neque moro probo

in no seemly manner

nec voce serena

nor with serene voice

ingentis Titos trepidare

huge Tituses trembling

cum carmina lumbum intrant

when poems enter their loins

ubi intima scalpuntur

when their inmost parts are tickled

tremulo versu

by vibrant verses

tun colligis

are you still feeding

auriculis alienis

others' ears

vetule

old boy

escas

with delicacies

articulis quibus perditus

which you, a wreck in skin and limb

et dicas cute 'ohe'

should now refuse

quo didicisse

why study

nisi hoc fermentum

unless this yeast

et caprificus

and wild fig-tree

quae semel intus innata

once it has taken root

est rupto iecore

bursts the liver

exierit

and thrusts through

en pallor senium

grown old and pale for that?

o mores

o morals

scire tuum nihil est

is it futile to know things

nisi te scire hoc sciat alter

unless you are known to know them

at pulchrum est digito monstrari

but it is fine to be pointed at

et dicier "hic est"

to hear "That's him"

ten

that YOU are

dictata fuisse

the dictation

centum cirratorum

for a mob of curly-haired schoolboys

pro nihilo pendes

do you count that for nothing?

ecce Romulidae saturi

look our Romuli replete

inter pocula quaerunt

ask among the wine-glasses

quid dia poemata narrent

what does divinest Poesy say

hic aliquis

this one

cui est circum umeros hyacinthina laena

who is wearing a hyacinthine cloak around his shoulders

rancidulum locutus

his speech a trifle rancid

quiddam balba de nare

through that lisping nose of his

eliquat

sieves out

Phyllidas, Hypsipylas

Phyllises and Hypsipyles

uatum et plorabile siquid

and the other bardic disasters

tenero subplantat verba palato

tripping words on the soft palate

adsensere viri

our heroes have approved

nunc non cinis ille poetae felix

surely the poet's ashes are blissful now?

cippus

the stone

levior ossa

sits more lightly on his bones

non

surely

nunc non e manibus illis

surely from the dear departed

non e tumulo

surely from his tomb

fortunata fauilla

from those blessed embers

nascentur violae

the violets will blow

'rides' ait

'you mock' he says

'nimis uncis naribus indulges'

'you indulge too much the curling nostril'

an erit qui velle recuset meruisse

would anyone not want to earn

os populi

the public's mouth

cedra digna locutus

uttering things worthy of cedar

linquere nec metuentia carmina

to leave verse unafraid

scombros nec tus

of frankincense and mackerel

quisque es

o whoever you are

o modo quem ex adverso dicere feci

my fictitious debating opponent