Persius Final Exam

Quae tibi summa boni est? uncta vixisse patella semper et adsiduo curata cuticula sole?

What is the peak of goodness for you? To have always lived with oily dishes and the skin having been taken care of by the sun?

'Rem populi tractas?' barbatum haec crede magistrum dicere, sorbitio tollit quem dira cicutae.

"Do you manage the matters of the people?" Pretend that a bearded teacher is saying these things, the one whom the awful drinking of hemlock killed.

"eheu, baro, regustatum digito terebrare salinum contentus perages, si vivere cum Iove tendis."

"You foolish one, content with what you have, you will continue to tap the salt cellar with your finger, that you have already used, if you want to live according to Jupiter."

quinque palaestritae licet haec plantaria vellant elixasque nates labefactent forcipe adunca, non tamen ista filix ullo mansuescit aratro.'

Although five trainers pluck these trees and make your boiled cheeks shake with forked tweasers, nevertheless this fern is not tamed by any plough.

nunc et de caespite vivofrange aliquid, largire inopi, ne pictus oberret caerulea in tabula.

And now, break off something from your green soil, give it to the weak man, so that he, having been painted, might not wander with a blue painting.

ut mavis, da verba et decipe nervos, si potes.

As you choose, tick and deceive your muscles, if you are able.

indulge genio, carpamus dulcia, nostrum estquod vivis, cinis et manes et fabula fies, vive memor leti, fugit hora, hoc quod loquor inde est."

Be kind to the genius (be kind to yourself), let us seize charming things, the reason why you live is us, you will be ash and a ghost and a story, live mindful of death, the hour flees, and this which I am talking about is/derives from there.

tolle recens primus piper et sitiente camelo. verte aliquid; iura." "sed Iuppiter audiet."

Be the first to unload the fresh pepper even when the camel is still thirsty. Trade something; swear." "But Jupiter will hear"

solea, puer, obiurgabere rubra, ne trepidare velis atque artos rodere casses.

Boy, you will be scolded with her red slipper, lest you want to fear and gnaw the tight nets.

"at vocat officium, trabe rupta Bruttia saxaprendit amicus inops remque omnem surdaque votacondidit Ionio, iacet ipse in litore et una ingentes de puppe dei iamque obvia mergiscosta ratis lacerae."

But duty calls, a helpless friend grasps the Bruttiam rocks with his ship having been broken, he lost both all of his wealth and his unheard prayers in the Ionian Sea, He himself lies on the shore and with him the huge gods from the stern and already the ribs of the destroyed ship are open to the seagulls.

at si unctus cesses et figas in cute solem, est prope te ignotus, cubito qui tangat et acre despuat: 'hi mores! penemque arcanaque lumbi runcantem populo marcentis pandere bulbos!

But if you, having been annointed, relax and fix the sun on your skin, there will be someone unknown near you, who touches you with the elbow and spits bitterly: "These habits! You, weeding both your penis and the secrets of your loin show your rotten onions to the people!

en quid agis? duplici in diversum scinderis hamo. huncine an hunc sequeris?

But what do you do? You are torn in opposite directions by a double hook.

sed cenam funeris here's negleget iratus quod rem curtaveris; urnae ossa inodora dabit, seu spirent cinnama surdum seu ceraso peccent casiae nescire paratus.

But your heir, angry because you shorten your wealth, will neglect the dinner of the funeral; He will give your unannointed bones to the urn, having been prepared not to know whether the cinnamon breathes out flat or the cassia sins by means of the cherry.

"Lunai portum, est operae, cognoscite, cives." cor iubet hoc Enni, postquam destertuit esse Maeonides Quintus pavone ex Pythagoreo.

Citizens, visit the harbor of Luna, it is worth the effort." The heart of Ennius orders this (the quote above), after Quintus snored off to be Maeonian, from a Pythagorean peacock.

"Dave, cito, hoc credas iubeo, finire dolorespraeteritos meditor" (crudum Chaerestratus unguemadrodens ait haec).

Davus, soon, I order that you should believe this, that l design to end my past sorrows" (Chraerestratus says this, gnawing his bleeding/raw nail).

subeas alternus oportet ancipiti obsequio dominos, alternus oberres.

Do you follow after this or that? It is necessary that sometimes you submit to your masters in two-headed enslavement, some other times you must wander away from them.

ius habet ille sui palpo, quem ducit hiantem cretata Ambitio? "vigila et cicer ingere largerixanti populo, nostra ut Floralia possintaprici meminisse senes."

Does that flatterer/Palpo have right of himself, whom, gaping, chalked Ambition leads? Keep awake and heap the chickpea to the brawling people widely, so that sunny old men can remember our Floralia.

hinc trahe quae dicis mensasque relinque Mycenis cum capite et pedibus plebeiaque prandia noris."

Draw that which you say from here and leave the table to Mycenae, with its head and feet, and become acquainted with common meals."

expecta, haut aliud respondeat haec anus. i nunc, 'Dinomaches ego sum,' suffla, 'sum candidus.'

Expect, this old woman could respond not a different thing. Go now, get enraged, "I am of Dinomache," "I am handsome."

nam et luctata canis nodum abripit, et tamen illi, cum fugit, a collo trahitur pars longa catenae.

For a dog, having struggled, tears off a knot, nevertheless, when she flees, a long part of a chain is dragged from her neck to her detriment.

Libertate opus est. non hac, ut quisque Velina Publius emeruit, scabiosum tesserula far possidet.

Freedom is necessary. Not of this, like a certain Publius of Veline earned, he gets moldy barley with a ticket,

viso si palles, inprobe, nummo, si facis in penem quidquid tibi venit, amarum si puteal multa cautus vibice flagellas,

Greedy man, if you are pale at the sight of a coin, if you do whatever comes to your penis, if you, having been on guard, whip the horrid well with many blows,

'Quirites, hoc puta non iustum est; illud male,rectius illud.'

Pretend you will say this, "Roman citizens, this is not just, that is evil, that is more right"

Admovit iam bruma foco te, Basse, Sabino? iamne lyra et tetrico vivunt tibi pectine chordae? mire opifex numeris veterum primordia vocum atque marem strepitum fidis intendisse Latinae, mox iuvenes agitare iocos et pollice honesto egregios lusisse senes.

Has winter already moved you to your Sabine fire, Bassus? Are the lyre and the strings already alive by means of your severe pick for you? You are wonderfully skillful at adapting the first elements of the old voices to the meters and the masculine sound of the Latin lyre, then, as an old man, outstanding in pursuing and playing youthful games with a noble thumb.

hic ego securus volgi et quid praeparet auster infelix pecori, securus et angulus ille vicini nostro quia pinguior, etsi adeo omnes ditescant orti peioribus, usque recusem curvus ob id minui senio aut cenare sine uncto et signum in vapida naso tetigisse lagoena.

Here I am untroubled by people and untroubled by what the south wind prepares hostile to the flock, I am untroubled, also, because that corner of my neighbor is fatter than mine. Even though almost everyone of those who were born from worse people grew richer, I would all the way refuse to be diminished with old age, having bent over, on account of it or to dine without fat and to have touched the sign on a tasteless bottle with the nose.

hic ego centenas ausim deposcere fauces,ut quantum mihi te sinuoso in pectore fixi voce traham pura, totumque hoc verba resignent quod latet arcana non enarrabile fibra.

Here I would dare to ask repeatedly for one hundred throats, so that I may drag with a pure voice how much I fixed you in my folded heart, so that the words may totally unseal which hides in my secret fiber, unable to be exploited.

Vt nemo in sese temptat descendere, nemo, sed praecedenti spectatur mantica tergo!

How no one attempts to descend into himself, no one, but the bag is looked at on the back of the one going before them.

"feci; iam triplex, iam mihi quarto,iam decies redit in rugam. depunge ubi sistam." inventus, Chrysippe, tui finitor acervi.

I did; now the wealth came back to me into my pocket three times more, now four times, now ten times. Mark off where I should stop." Oh Chryssipus, the one who sets a limit to your heap, has been found.

non equidem hoc studeo, pullatis ut mihi nugis pagina turgescat dare pondus idonea fumo.

I do not aim for this, indeed, that my sheet swell with black-robed trifles, fit to give weight to smoke.

Mane piger stertis. "surge" inquit Avaritia, "eia surge." negas. instat. "surge" inquit. "non queo." "surge.""et quid agam?" "rogat! en saperdas advehe Ponto, castoreum, stuppas, hebenum, tus, lubrica Coa.

In the morning, you lazy one, snore. "Rise," says greed, "Come on, rise." You refuse. Greed urges. "Rise," it says. "I cannot." "Rise." "And what should I do?" "He asks! Come on, carry sardines from Pontus, the thing of a castor, flax, ebony, incense, smooth fabrics from Cos.

tecum etenim longos memini consumere soles et tecum primas epulis decerpere noctes.

Indeed, I remember I spent long suns with you and I remember that I plucked first nights (the first hours of the night) in feasts with you,

non equidem hoc dubites, amborum foedere certo consentire dies et ab uno sidere duci.

Indeed, one would not doubt this, that the days of both of us with a fixed alliance Agree and are led by one star.

esto, dum ne deterius sapiat pannucia Baucis, cum bene discincto cantaverit ocima vernae.

Let it be, as long as ragged Baucis is not less wise than you, when she shouts basil well to a dissolute slave.

grande locuturi nebulas Helicone legunto,si quibus aut Procnes aut si quibus olla Thyestaefervebit saepe insulso cenanda Glyconi.

Let the ones about to speak in grand style gather clouds at mount helicon, if anyone were to boil the pots of Procne or Theystes to be eaten often by the dull Glyconius.

messe tenus propria vive et granaria (fas est )emole. quid metuas? occa et seges altera in herba est.

Live up to your own crop and grind up the granaries-is it right! What should you fear? Harrow and a second crop is in the grass.

si totus et integer illincexieras, nec nunc." hic hic quod quaerimus, hic est, non in festuca, lictor quam iactat ineptus.

Not now, if you had left from there complete and untouched/unharmed. Here, here is what we seek, here it is, not in the rod, which the silly lictor throws around.

mihi nunc Ligus ora intepet hibernatque meum mare, qua latus ingens dant scopuli et multa litus se valle receptat.

Now for me, the Ligurian shore is warm, and my sea spends the winter where the cliffs give a huge flank and the shore is retreating from many ramparts to itself.

nunc ferus et violens; at, si vocet, haut mora dicas'quidnam igitur faciam? nec nunc, cum arcessat et ultrosupplicet, accedam?'

Now you are wild and violent; but, if she should call, there is no delay, you would say "Then, what should I do? Shouldn't I go (to her), not even now, when she calls me and in addition begs me.

iam pueris pellem succinctus et oenophorum aptas.

Now you provide leather and a wine jar to your slaves.

heu steriles veri, quibus una Quiritem vertigo facit! hic Dama est non tresis agaso, vappa lippus et in tenui farragine mendax.

Oh sterile of truth, those for whom one twirl makes a Roman, This is Dama a stable boy not worth three cents, pink-eyed with tasteless wine, and false in a little bit of food.

vivitur hoc pacto, sic novimus.

One lives with this agreement, as we know.

"an siccis dedecus obstemcognatis? an rem patriam rumore sinistro limen ad obscenum frangam, dum Chrysidis udas ebrius ante fores extincta cum face canto?"

Or would I, disgraced, oppose my sober/dry kinsman? Or should I destroy the wealth of my father against a shameful door/house with a wicked rumor, while I sing, drunk, with my extinguished torch in front of the wet doors of Chrysidis.

Vatibus hic mos est, centum sibi poscere voces,centum ora et linguas optare in carmina centum,fabula seu maesto ponatur hianda tragoedo,volnera seu Parthi ducentis ab inguine ferrum.

Poets have this habit, to ask for one hundred voices for themselves, To pray for the sake of songs for one hundred mouths and one hundred tongues, Whether a story to be gaped by a sad tragic author is served, Or a wounds of Parthian drawing a sword from the groin

ocius ad navem! nihil obstat quin trabe vasta Aegaeum rapias, ni sollers Luxuria ante seductum moneat: "quo deinde, insane, ruis, quo?

Quicker to the ship! Nothing prevents you from snatching the Aegean Sea by means of a large ship, unless Luxury warns you having been seduced first. Where do you rush to now, insane man, where?

quo fretus? dic hoc, magni pupille Pericli, scilicet ingenium et rerum prudentia velox ante pilos venit, dicenda tacendave calles.

Relying on what? Tell me this, ward of great Pericles, wisdom and ready judgement of things certainly comes before hair, you are good at the things which must and must not be said

vende animam lucro, mercare atque excute sollers omne latus mundi, ne sit praestantior alter Cappadocas rigida pinguis plausisse catasta, rem duplica.

Sell your soul for profit, trade and diligently examine every side of the world, lest Another be superior at slapping fat Cappadocians on the hard platform, double your wealth.

ut nummi, quos hic quincunce modesto nutrieras, pergant avidos sudare deunces?

So that the coins, which you had nourished here with at a modest five percent, may proceed to sweat greedy eleven percent?

discrepet his alius. geminos, horoscope, varoproducis genio: solis natalibus est qui tinguat holus siccum muria vafer in calice empta,ipse sacrum inrorans patinae piper; hic bona dentegrandia magnanimus peragit puer. utar ego, utar, nec rhombos ideo libertis ponere lautusnec tenuis sollers turdarum nosse salivas.

Someone else may disagree from this. Horoscope, you give birth to twins with a different genius: There is a smart man who, only on birthdays, dips dry vegetables in a cup with pickle juice having been bought, sprinkling the sacred pepper on the dish himself. This great hearted boy completely consumes grand good things with his tooth. Let me use things, let me use things, neither lavish to serve turbots to freedmen for this reason, nor skilled at knowing the subtle tastes of thrushes.

respue quod non es, tollat sua munera cerdo; tecum habita: notis quam sit tibi curta supellex.

Spit out what you are not, let Worker take his own gifts ; live with yourself: you will know how damaged your furniture is.

verterit hunc dominus, momento turbinis exit Marcus Dama.

The master turns this man, at the moment of the twirl he comes out Marcus Dama.

'dives arat Curibus quantum non miluus errat.'

The wealthy man farms in Cures as much land as a hawk does not fly around.

tum nigri lemures ovoque pericula rupto,tum grandes Galli et cum sistro lusca sacerdosincussere deos inflantis corpora, si nonpraedictum ter mane caput gustaveris ali.

Then there are black ghosts and the dangers with a broken egg, then the huge Galli and the one eyed priestess with her rattle (musical instrument) made you believe in gods inflating your bodies, if you will have not tasted the prescribed head of garlic three times in the morning.

tum cum maxillis balanatum gausape pectas, inguinibus quare detonsus gurgulio extat?

Then when you comb your perfumed beard on your jaws why does your shaven worm extend from the groin?

tum fallere sollers adposita intortos extendit regula mores et premitur ratione animus vincique laborat artificemque tuo ducit sub pollice voltum.

Then, your ruler skilled to deceive was applied and straightened my distorted/corrupted morals, and my spirit is pressed by reason and strives to be conquered and under your thumb my spirit takes on a face made by art.

quin tu igitur, summa nequiquam pelle decorus, ante diem blando caudam iactare popello desinis, Anticyras melior sorbere meracas?

Therefore why don't you stop, you beautiful one on the surface of your skin, wagging your tail for the fawning rabble before the day, you better drink the unmixed Anticyras/hellebore.

ergo ubi commota fervet plebecula bile, fert animus calidae fecisse silentia turbae maiestate manus, quid deinde loquere?

Therefore, when the people boil with the bile having been moved, your mind leads you to make silences for the hot crowd with the majesty of a hand, then what will you say?

"quorsum haec? aut quantas robusti carminis offasingeris, ut par sit centeno gutture niti?

To what place are these things going? How many pieces of food of strong poem do you pile up so that it is reasonable to rely on one hundred throats?

unum opus et requiem pariter disponimus ambo atque verecunda laxamus seria mensa.

Together we arrange one work and rest, And we extend seriousness/a large jar at a modest banquet.

ilia subter caecum vulnus habes, sed lato balteus auro praetegit.

Underneath your groin, you have an unseen wound, but your belt with its broad gold protects it.

Caedimus inque vicem praebemus crura sagittis.

We cut the legs and in turn we hold out our legs to the arrows.

secrete loquimur. tibi nunc hortante Camena excutienda damus praecordia, quanta que nostrae pars tua sit, Cornute, animae, tibi, dulcis amice, ostendisse iuvat. pulsa, dinoscere cautus quid solidum crepet et pictae tectoria linguae.

We speak in secret. Now with the encouragement from the Muse, I offer to you my heart for shaking, and it is a delight to show how great a part of my soul is yours, to you Cornutus, my dear friend. Strike it, having taken care to discern what jingles solid and the facade of a painted tongue.

"euge, puer, sapias, dis depellentibus agnampercute." "sed censen plorabit, Dave, relicta?" "nugaris.

Well done, boy, may/let you be sensible, slaughter a lamb for the gods who are driving evils away (evils from you or you away from her). But, Davus, do you think she will cry, having been abandoned. You talk nonsense/play the fool.

quid tibi vis? calido sub pectore mascula bilis intumuit quam non extinxerit urna cicutae.

What do you want for yourself? In your hot chest masculine bile was swelling which a vessel of hemlock could not extinguish.

quid pulchrius? at cum Herodis venere dies unctaque fenestradispositae pinguem nebulam vomuere lucernaeportantes violas rubrumque amplexa catinumcauda natat thynni, tumet alba fidelia vino, labra moves tacitus recutitaque sabbata palles.

What is better? But when the days of Herod came, and when the lamps placed by the anointed window, carrying violets, vomit up thick fog and the tail of the tuna swims surrounding the red plate, the white bucket is swelling with wine, you move your lips, silently, and you pale (at) the skinned sabbath.

Cum primum pavido custos mihi purpura cessit bullaque subcinctis Laribus donata pependit, cum blandi comites totaque inpune Subura permisit sparsisse oculos iam candidus umbo, cumque iter ambiguum est et vitae nescius error diducit trepidas ramosa in compita mentes,me tibi supposui.

When at first, the purple guardian departed from fearful me, and when the necklace was hanging, having been gifted to the girt Lares When the fawning friends and a white toga already allowed me to cast my eyes at Subura without punishment, and when the way is uncertain and the straying ignorance of life leads disturbed minds on branchy crossroads, I put myself under you.

'Egregium cum me vicinia dicat, non credam?'

When the entire neighborhood says that I am extraordinary, should I not believe them?

nostra vel aequali suspendit tempora Libra Parca tenax veri, seu nata fidelibus hora dividit in Geminos concordia fata duorum Saturnumque gravem nostro Iove frangimus una, nescio quod certe est quod me tibi temperat astrum.

Whether Fate,clinging to the truth, hangs our times on the equal scale, Or whether the hour, suited/born for the faithful ones, divides the harmonious fate of us both into twins, And we, together, destroy hostile Saturn with our Jupiter, Certainly there is some star that combines me to you.

tu mare transilias? tibi torta cannabe fultocena sit in transtro Veiientanumque rubellumexhalet vapida laesum pice sessilis obba? quid petis?

Would you cross the sea? Should you, supported by twisted rope, have dinner on a crossbeam, a cup? And should a flat jar exhale reddish wine from Veii, having been damaged by a flavorless pitch. What do you seek?

papae! "Marco spondente recusas credere tu nummos?" "Marco sub iudice palles?" "Marcus dixit, ita est." "adsigna, Marce, tabellas." haec mera libertas, hoc nobis pillea donant.

Wow! "Do you refuse to believe him, with Marcus promising the money?" "You are under Marcus as a judge, are you afraid?" "Marcus spoke, thus it is." "Sign this document, Marcus" This is pure freedom, give this cap to us.

verba togae sequeris iunctura callidus acri, ore teres modico, pallentis radere moresdoctus et ingenuo culpam defigere ludo.

You follow after the words of the toga (outfit of the romans), skilled at the sharp juncture, you are smooth with a moderate mouth, skilled at trimming the pale customs(unhealthy habits), and at fixing blame with a joke of a free person.

scis etenim iustum gemina suspendere lance ancipitis librae, rectum discernis ubi inter curva subit vel cum fallit pede regula varo, et potis es nigrum vitio praefigere theta.

You know, indeed, to weigh justice on the twin plate of the ambiguous scale, you discern when justice occurs among unjust things or when the ruler deceives you with its bent foot, and you are able to affix a black theta to a vice.

teneros tu suscipis annos Socratico, Cornute, sinu.

You lift up the tender years, Cornutus, on a Socratic bosom.

tu neque anhelanti, coquitur dum massa camino,folle premis ventos nec clauso murmure raucusnescio quid tecum grave cornicaris ineptenec scloppo tumidas intendis rumpere buccas.

You neither squeeze out the winds from the blasting bellows, while a mass is cooked in the oven, nor do you shut up, hoarse with murmuring, I don't know what serious thing you croak to yourself foolishly, nor do you stretch your swollen cheeks to burst them with a pop

'hunc ais, hunc dis iratis genioque sinistro, qui, quandoque iugum perfusa ad compita figit,

You speak of this man, this is a man with the angry gods and with a wicked genius, who every single time he hangs the yoke at the pierced through shrines,

Dixeris haec inter varicosos centuriones, continuo crassum ridet Pulfenius ingenset centum Graecos curto centusse licetur.

You will have said this among the veiny centurions, and continuously huge Pulfenius will laugh a crass laugh and bids a hundred Greeks for less than 100 coins.

quaesieris 'nostin (novisti ne) Vettidi praedia?' 'cuius?'

You would ask, "Do you know the estates of Vettidius?" "Whose?"

seriolae veterem metuens deradere limum, ingemit 'hoc bene sit' tunicatum cum sale mordens caepe, et farrata pueris plaudentibus olla pannosam faecem morientis sorbet aceti?'

fearing to scrape the old mud of a little jar, (afraid of opening wine jars because he does not want to open it to let it sit covered in dust because he is stingy) he laments "may it be well!" while biting an unpeeled onion with salt, and while the boys are applauding the pot of barley, he drinks the ragged dregs of expiring vinegar.

nec tu, cum obstiteris semel instantique negaris parere imperio, "rupi iam vincula" dicas;

nor you could say, "Now I have broken my chains!", when you have stood against them once, and you have denied to obey/prepare their pressing command,

nequiquam populo bibulas donaveris aures.

you would give your thirsty ears to the people in vain.