adde merum vinoque novos conpesce dolores,
occupet ut fessi lumina victa sopor,
Bring wine and quell these new sufferings with wine
That sleep might occupy my tired eyes
neu quisquam multo percussum tempora Baccho
excitet , infelix dum requiescit amor .
Let no one rouse me, struck to the temples as I am by much wine
While my unfortunate love lies dormant
nam posita est nostrae custodia saeva puellae, clauditur et dura ianua firma sera.
For a cruel house arrest has been set for my girlfriend
A strong door closed with a sturdy bolt
ianua difficilis domini, te verberet imber,
te Iovis imperio fulmina missa petant.
O Door, of an unyielding master, may the rain beat upon you,
May thunderbolts sent by the power of Jupiter seek you
ianua , iam pateas uni mihi, victa querelis ,
neu furtim verso cardine aperta sones.
Door, how may you open for me alone, conquered by my laments
Let you not make a sound, once opened with a hinge turned secretly.
et mala siqua tibi dixit dementia nostra,
ignoscas : capiti sint precor illa meo
If any madness of mine cursed you,
Forgive me; I pray that they may be for my head
te meminisse decet, quae plurima voce peregi
supplice , cum posti florida serta darem .
It is right that you remember those many things I have uttered with my
Pleading voice, when I was giving flowery garlands to your doorposts
tu quoque ne timide custodes, Delia, falle, audendum est : fortes adiuvat ipsa Venus .
You also Delia, deceive the guards without fear, don’t be deceived,
One must be bold: Venus herself favours the bold
illa favet, seu quis iuvenis nova limina temptat,
seu reserat fixo dente puella fores;
She favours if a young man tries new thresholds,
Or if a girl unlocks a fixed bolt with the toothed bar
illa docet molli furtim derepere lecto,
illa pedem nullo ponere posse sono,
She teaches people how to steal away secretly from a soft bed
She teaches them how to be able to place a foot without a sound
illa viro coram nutus conferre loquaces
blandaque conpositis abdere verba notis.
She teaches them how to exchange eloquent nods when the husband’s present,
And hides sweet words amongst unassuming signs.
nec docet hoc omnes, sed quos nec inertia tardat
nec vetat obscura surgere nocte timor.
She does not teach everyone this, but to those whom idleness does not slow
Or those who’s fear does not prevent them from going out at night
en ego cum tenebris tota vagor anxius urbe, …………………………………………………………………….
Look, even I am anxious when I wander the whole city in the shadows
But I feel safe because Venus protects me
nec sinit occurrat quisquam, qui corpora ferro
volneret aut rapta praemia veste petat.
She does not let anyone to run into me, who might wound
bodies with a blade or who might seek rewards with stolen clothing.
quisquis amore tenetur, eat tutusque sacerque
qualibet : insidias non timuisse decet.
Whoever is besieged by love, may he go both safe and untouched
Wherever he wishes: it behoves him not to fear treachery.
non mihi pigra nocent hibernae frigora noctis,
non mihi, cum multa decidit imber aqua.
The numbing cold of a wintry night does not harm me,
Not I, though the rain pours down on me with great torrents.
non labor hic laedit, reseret modo Delia postes
et vocet ad digiti me taciturna sonum.
This work does not hurt me, if only Delia may unbolt the door
And make a sound to summon me silently with her finger.
parcite luminibus, seu vir seu femina fiat obvia: celari volt sua furta Venus .
Spare your eyes, whether man or woman are in the way:
Venus wants her affairs to be hidden.
neu strepitu terrete pedum neu quaerite nomen
neu prope fulgenti lumina ferte face .
Neither frighten us with the noise of feet, nor search for a name,
Nor bring the lamps with a glowing torch nearby.
siquis et inprudens adspexerit, occulat ille
perque deos omnes se meminisse neget :
If anyone should catch sight of us carelessly, let him conceal and
Deny through all the gods that he can remember:
nam fuerit quicumque loquax, is sanguine natam,
is venerem e rapido sentiet esse mari.
For whoever was talkative, that man will feel that Venus
was born in blood from the quick sea.
nec tamen huic credet coniunx tuus, ut mihi verax
pollicita est magico saga ministero.
However, your spouse will not believe this, as a truthful witch
Promised me with her magic rights.
hanc ego de caelo ducentem sidera vidi, fluminis haec rapidi carmine vertit iter,
I have seen this woman leading the stars across the sky,
This woman turns the direction of the quick river with her incantation,
haec cantu finditque solum manesque sepulcris elicit et tepido devocat ossa rogo ;
This woman both splits the ground with a spell and summons the spirits from
their tombs and conjures the bones from a still warm pyre;
