Marcus Valerius Martialis
1st-2nd c. AD (over 1,900 years ago)
Trans. RMBullard
Latin (Silver Age)
3
Argiletanas mauis habitare tabernas,
[You prefer to occupy the shops of Argiletus,]
cum tibi, parue liber, scrinia nostra uacent.
[when, you small book, my own desks do not have you.]
Nescis, heu, nescis dominae fastidia Romae:
[You don't know, alas, you don't know the toils of our mistress, Rome:]
crede mihi, nimium Martia turba sapit.
[believe me: she knows the sound of war trumpets all too much.]
Maiores nusquam rhonchi:
[The older generations are never *rhonchus]
iuuenesque senesque 5
et pueri nasum rhinocerotis habent.
[young fellows, old ones, and even children have noses like rhinos.]
Audieris cum grande sophos,
[You shall've made an audience with great wisdom,]
dum basia iactas,
[so long as you toss out kisses]
ibis ab excusso missus in astra sago.
[you will go up to the stars from the dust that's shaken out.]
Sed tu ne totiens domini patiare lituras
[But, for your sake, lest you so often suffer the trash baskets of your master]
neue notet lusus tristis harundo tuos, 10
[or lest a sad swallow-bird mark your jokes]
aetherias, lasciue, cupis uolitare per auras:
[you lusty thing, you desire to flit through the upper skies of the air:]
i, fuge;
[go now, make your escape;]
sed poteras tutior esse domi.
[but you could have been safer at home.]
