268 to 277 ← 278 to 301 → 302 to 314
278 Ebrius ac petulans, qui nullum forte cecidit,
- cĕcīdĭt from caedo, cĕcīdī, not cado, cĕcĭdī
- forte cecidit i.e. it's a miracle he didn't accidentally murder anyone, or he was trying to murder people but accidentally failed because he was drunk
279 dat poenas, noctem patitur lugentis amicum
- nox, noctis is a noun, the adjective is nocturnus
280 Pelidae, cubat in faciem, mox deinde supinus:
281 [ergo non aliter poterit dormire; quibusdam]
282 sōmnūm rīxă făcīt. sēd quāmvīs īnprobus annis
- somnum rixa facit i.e. doing a brawl helps him fall asleep
283 atque mero fervens cavet hunc quem coccina laena
284 vitari iubet et comitum longissimus ordo,
285 multum praeterea flammarum et aenea lampas.
286 mē, quēm lūnă sŏlēt deducere vēl brĕvĕ lumen
287 candelae, cuius dispenso et tempero filum,
- The poor man travels by moonlight or candle-light, accompanied by no retinue at all, not even slaves, an indication of extreme poverty, cf. Cat. 24. ... The candle (made from string dipped in tallow) was typical of the poor man. (fc Braund)
288 contemnit. miserae cognosce prohoemia rixae,
289 si rixa est, ubi tu pulsas, ego vapulo tantum.
290 stat contra starique iubet. parere necesse est;
291 nam quid agas, cum te furiosus cogat et idem
292 fortior? "unde venis" exclamat, "cuius aceto,
293 cuius conche tumes? quis tecum sectile porrum
- sectile lol both means cut up
294 sutor et elixi vervecis labra comedit?
- vervex, vervecis = wether, ie a castrated male sheep or goat
295 nil mihi respondes? aut dic aut accipe calcem.
- calx, calcem
296 ede ubi consistas: in qua te quaero proseucha?"
- ubi consistas ind q
297 dicere si temptes aliquid tacitusve recedas,
298 tantumdem est: feriunt pariter, vadimonia deinde
299 irati faciunt. libertas pauperis haec est:
300 pulsatus rogat et pugnis concisus adorat
301 ut liceat paucis cum dentibus inde reverti.
Drunk and aggressive, (only) by chance he murdered nothing,
he gives punishments, he endures the night of Pelides mourning his friend,
he lies down on his face, soon then on his back:
thus he not otherwise would've been able to sleep; with the same things
a quarrel makes sleep. But, ever so much shameless with years
and raging with unmixed (wine), he is wary of this guy, whom a red cloak
orders to be shunned and a very long line of comrades,
moreover, many flames and a bronze lamp, [guards].
Me, whom the moon or the brief light of a wax-light is accustomed to escort,
the thread of which I weigh out and measure,
he disdains. Percieve the introduction of a miserable fight,
if it is a fight, where you hit, I am only beaten.
Stand opposite and be ordered to stand. It is necessary to yield;
for what would you ask, when the rage summons you and the same thing
is more vigourous? "Where do you come from," he shouts, "with whose vinegar,
whose bean, are you swollen? Which shoemaker devours the cut leek
and eats the lips of a throughly boiled wether?
You respond nothing to me? Either speak or accept the heel.
Declare where you are stopping: in which prayer-house do I look for you?"
If you try to say something or silently recede,
there is just as much: they bring in an equal degree, then
they, angry, make bail. The freedom of the poor man are these:
Beaten, he begs and, cut to pieces by fists, he supplicates
so that it is permitted to turn back to where he came from with a few teeth.