Pliny, Letter 4.14

Pliny sends his hendecasyllables

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Ep. 4.14.1Tū fortasse ōrātiōnem, ut solēs, et flāgitās et exspectās;Perhaps you are, as usual, both demanding and expecting a speech; Ep. 4.14.1at ego quasi ex aliquā peregrīnā dēlicātāque merce lūsūs meōs tibi prōdō.but I am offering you my diversions, as if they were some foreign and dainty merchandise. Ep. 4.14.2Accipiēs cum hāc epistulā hendecasyllabōs nostrōs, quibus nōs in vehiculō in balineō inter cēnam oblectāmus ōtium temporis.With this letter you will receive my hendecasyllables, with which I amuse my leisure hours in the carriage, in the bath, at dinner. Ep. 4.14.3Hīs iocāmur lūdimus amāmus dolēmus querimur īrāscimur, dēscrībimus aliquid modo pressius modo ēlātius, atque ipsā varietāte temptāmus efficere, ut alia aliīs quaedam fortasse omnibus placeant.In them I joke, play, love, grieve, complain, grow angry, describe something now in a plainer, now in a loftier style, and by this very variety I try to bring it about that different pieces may please different people, and some perhaps everyone. Ep. 4.14.4Ex quibus tamen sī nōn nūlla tibi petulantiōra paulō vidēbuntur, erit ērudītiōnis tuae cōgitāre summōs illōs et gravissimōs virōs quī tālia scrīpsērunt nōn modo lascīviā rērum, sed nē verbīs quidem nūdīs abstinuisse;If, however, some of them seem to you a little too wanton, it will befit your learning to reflect that those great and most serious men who wrote such things did not refrain from lewd subjects, nor even from plain words; Ep. 4.14.4quae nōs refugimus, nōn quia sevēriōrēs - unde enim?which I have avoided, not because I am stricter — for how could I be?

Ep. 4.14.4-, sed quia timidiōrēs sumus.— but because I am more timid. Ep. 4.14.5Scīmus aliōquī huius opusculī illam esse vērissimam lēgem, quam Catullus expressit: Nam castum esse decet pium poētam ipsum, versiculōs nihil necesse est, quī tunc dēnique habent salem et lepōrem sī sunt molliculī et parum pudīcī.Besides, I know that the truest law of this kind of little work is the one Catullus expressed: 'For the true poet ought himself to be chaste, but his little verses need not be at all; for they only have salt and charm if they are a little soft and not too modest.' Ep. 4.14.6Ego quantī faciam iūdicium tuum, vel ex hōc potes aestimāre, quod māluī omnia ā tē pēnsitārī quam ēlēcta laudārī.How much I value your judgement you can estimate even from this, that I have preferred to have everything weighed by you rather than selected pieces praised. Ep. 4.14.6Et sānē quae sunt commodissima dēsinunt vidērī, cum paria esse coepērunt.And indeed the most pleasing pieces cease to seem so, once they begin to be all alike. Ep. 4.14.7Praetereā sapiēns subtīlisque lēctor dēbet nōn dīversīs cōnferre dīversa, sed singula expendere, nec dēterius aliō putāre quod est in suō genere perfectum.Moreover, a wise and discerning reader ought not to compare different things with different things, but weigh each by itself, nor think worse than another what is perfect in its own kind.

Ep. 4.14.8Sed quid ego plūra?But why say more? Ep. 4.14.8Nam longā praefātiōne vel excūsāre vel commendāre ineptiās ineptissimum est.For to excuse or commend follies in a long preface is the greatest folly of all. Ep. 4.14.8Ūnum illud praedīcendum vidētur, cōgitāre mē hās meās nūgās ita īnscrībere "hendecasyllabī", quī titulus sōlā metrī lēge cōnstringitur.One thing it seems I should say beforehand: that I am thinking of entitling these trifles of mine 'Hendecasyllables', a title bound only by the law of the metre. Ep. 4.14.9Proinde, sīve epigrammata sīve idyllia sīve eclogās sīve, ut multī, poēmatia seu quod aliud vocāre mālueris, licēbit vocēs;So whether you prefer to call them epigrams or idylls or eclogues or, as many do, little poems, or anything else, you may call them so; Ep. 4.14.9ego tantum hendecasyllabōs praestō.I offer only hendecasyllables. Ep. 4.14.10Ā simplicitāte tuā petō, quod dē libellō meō dictūrus es aliī, mihi dīcās;I ask of your candour that what you are going to say about my little book to others, you should say to me; Ep. 4.14.10neque est difficile quod postulō.and what I ask is not difficult. Ep. 4.14.10Nam sī hoc opusculum nostrum aut potissimum esset aut sōlum, fortasse posset dūrum vidērī dīcere: "Quaere quod agās";For if this little work of ours were my chief or my only one, it might perhaps seem harsh to say: 'Find something to do'; Ep. 4.14.10molle et hūmānum est: "Habēs quod agās."but it is gentle and kind to say: 'You have something else to do.' Ep. 4.14.10Valē.Farewell.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×4, gerunds and gerundives ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (187 words)

tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
fortasse (adv.)	perhaps
ōrātiō, -ōnis, f.	speech; ōrātiōnem habēre, to deliver an oration, speak
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
soleō, -ēre, solitus sum	be accustomed, usually do
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
flāgitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	demand urgently
exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātus	look out for, wait for, await, expect; wait
at, conj.	but
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
quasi, conj.	as if
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.	some, any
peregrīnus, -ī, m.	stranger, foreigner
dēlicātus, -a, -um	dainty, pampered, effeminate
que, enclitic conj.	and
merx, mercis f.	goods, wares, merchandise
lūsus, -ūs m.	play, game, sport
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
prōdō, -ere, -didī, -ditum	hand down; betray
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
cum, prep, with abl.	with
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
epistula, -ae f.	letter
hendecasyllabus, -ī m.	eleven-syllable verse; (pl.) light poems in that metre
noster, -tra, -trum	our
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
nōs	plur. of ego
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
vehiculum, -ī n.	vehicle, carriage
balineum (balneum), -ī n.	bath, bathroom
inter, prep, with acc.	among, between
cēna, -ae, f.	dinner
oblectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	delight, amuse, entertain
ōtium, -ī n.	leisure, rest; peace, quiet
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
iocor, -ārī, -ātus sum	joke, jest, play
lūdō, -ere, lūsī, lūsum	play; mock, deceive
amō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	love
doleō, -ēre, doluī, dolitum	grieve, be pained
queror, -ī, questus sum	complain
īrāscor, īrāscī, īrātus	be angry
dēscrībō, -scrībere, -scrīpsī, -scrīptus	write out; mark out, arrange, plan
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.	someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
modo, adv.	only
pressē (adv.)	concisely, precisely; distinctly; (comp.) pressius
ēlātē (adv.; comp. ēlātius)	loftily, boastfully
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
varietās, -ātis f.	variety; mottled color
temptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	try, attempt
efficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus	make or work out, accomplish, effect
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.	a certain, certain
omnis, -e	all, every
placeō, -ēre, placuī, placitum (+ dat.)	please (placuit eī: he decided)
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
sī, conj.	if
nōn, adv.	not
nūllus, -a, -um	not any, none, no
petulāns, -antis	pert, impudent, unruly
paulō, adv.	by a little, a little, somewhat
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
ērudītiō, -ōnis f.	learning, scholarship
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
cōgitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	consider, think over
summus, -a, -um	uppermost, highest, greatest
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
gravis, -e	heavy; severe, grievous, serious
vir, virī, m.	man
tālis, -e	such
scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptus	write
lascīvia, -ae f.	playfulness; wantonness, licence
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
sed, conj.	but
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
verbum, -ī, n.	word
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
nūdus, -a, -um	naked, bare
abstineō, -ēre, abstinuī, abstentum	keep away, hold back (from)
refugiō, -fugere, -fūgī	flee back, run away, retreat
quia (conj.)	because
sevērus, -a, -um	stern, strict, severe
unde, adv.	whence
enim, conj.	for
timidus, -a, -um	fearful, timid
sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	know
aliōquī (adv.)	otherwise; in other respects
opusculum, -ī n.	little work, short piece of writing
vērus, -a, -um	true; rē vērā, in truth, in fact
lēx, lēgis f.	law
exprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus	press out
nam, conj.	for
castus, -a, -um	pure, chaste, spotless
decet, decēre, decuit (impers.)	it is fitting, it is proper
pius, -a, -um	dutiful, devoted, pious
poēta, -ae, m.	poet
versiculus, -ī m.	little verse, short line of poetry
nihil, n., indecl.	nothing
necesse, indecl. adj.	necessary
tunc (adv.)	then, at that time
dēnique, adv.	lastly, finally
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	have, hold; consider
sāl, salis, m.	salt
lepōs, -ōris m.	charm, grace, wit
molliculus, -a, -um	soft, tender; voluptuous
parum (comp. minus, superl. minimē)	too little; minimē: least, not at all
pudīcus, -a, -um	chaste, modest, faithful
quantus, -a, -um	how great or much?
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
iūdicium, -ī n.	trial, court; judgment
vel	or; vel … vel: either … or
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
aestimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	value, reckon
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
mālō, mālle, māluī	wish rather, prefer
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
pēnsitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	pay (taxes, tribute); weigh, ponder
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
ēligō, -ere, ēlēgī, ēlēctum	pick out, choose
laudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	praise
sānē, adv.	certainly, by all means; very
commodus, -a, -um	convenient, suitable
dēsinō, -sinere, -siī, -situs	stop, cease (+ inf.)
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
pār, paris	equal
coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action)	have begun, began
praetereā, adv.	besides this, besides, moreover
sapiēns, -entis	wise; as noun, a wise man, a philosopher
subtīlis, -e	fine, delicate; precise, discriminating
lēctor, -ōris m.	reader
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	owe; with infin., ought
dīversus, -a, -um	turned different ways, opposite, contrary, different
cōnferō, cōnferre, contulī, conlātus	bring together; grant, confer; sē cōnferre, to betake oneself, make one's way
singulī, -ae, -a	one at a time, single
expendō, -ere, -pendī, -pēnsus	weigh out; pay (a penalty)
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
dēterior, -ius	worse, poorer
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
genus, generis, n.	kind, nature
perficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus	do or make through, accomplish
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
plūrēs, -a, plur. adj.	more, many, several
longus, -a, -um	long; tedious
praefātiō, -ōnis f.	preface, introductory remarks
excūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	excuse, make excuses for
commendō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	entrust, commit; recommend
ineptiae, -ārum f. pl.	silliness, absurdities, trifles, nonsense
ineptus, -a, -um	foolish, absurd, out of place
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
praedīcō, -dīcere, -dīxī, -dictus	say beforehand, foretell, predict
nūgae, -ārum f. pl.	trifles, nonsense; jokes, light entertainment
ita, adv.	in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
īnscrībō, -scrībere, -scrīpsī, -scrīptus	write on, inscribe
titulus, -ī m.	notice, inscription, label
sōlus, -a, -um	alone
metrum, -ī n.	metre, verse
cōnstringō, -ere, -strīnxī, -strictus	bind tight; restrain, hold in check
proinde (adv.)	therefore, accordingly; so then
sīve or seu, conj.	or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
epigramma, -atis n.	an epigram, a short poem
idyllium, -ī n.	idyll, short pastoral poem
ecloga, -ae f.	eclogue, short poem
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
poēmatium, -ī n.	little poem
sīve or seu, conj.	or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	call, summon
licet, -ēre, -uit or -itum est, impers.	is lawful or permitted
tantum, adv.	so much or far, only
praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitus	stand in front; show
simplicitās, -ātis f.	simplicity, sincerity, guilelessness; naivety
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus	seek, ask; attack
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
libellus, -ī m.	little book; written document; libellus repudiī: certificate of divorce
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
difficilis, -e	not easy, difficult
postulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	ask, request, demand
aut, conj.	or; aut ... aut, either ... or
potissimus, -a, -um	chief, most important (superlative of potior)
dūrus, -a, -um	hard; harsh; difficult
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus	seek; ask, inquire
agō, agere, ēgī, āctus	drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
mollis, -e	soft, weak
hūmānus, -a, -um	of man, human
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus	be strong or effectual, have effect, prevail

Pliny, Epistulae IV. Latin text: the Perseus digital text of Pliny's Letters, public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.