Pliny, Letter 4.27

Sentius Augurinus' little poems

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Ep. 4.27.1Tertius diēs est quod audīvī recitantem Sentium Augurīnum cum summā meā voluptāte, immō etiam admīrātiōne.It is now three days since I heard Sentius Augurinus giving a reading, with the greatest pleasure on my part, indeed even with admiration. Ep. 4.27.1Poēmatia appellat.He calls them 'little poems'. Ep. 4.27.1Multa tenuiter multa sublīmiter, multa venustē multa tenēre, multa dulciter multa cum bīle.Much is fine-spun, much lofty, much graceful, much tender, much sweet, much full of bile. Ep. 4.27.2Aliquot annīs putō nihil generis eiusdem absolūtius scrīptum, nisi forte mē fallit aut amor eius aut quod ipsum mē laudibus vexit.For several years, I think, nothing of the same kind has been written more perfectly, unless perhaps I am misled either by my affection for him or by the fact that he has extolled me myself with praises. Ep. 4.27.3Nam lemma sibi sūmpsit, quod ego interdum versibus lūdō.For he took as his theme the fact that I sometimes amuse myself with verse. Ep. 4.27.3Atque adeō iūdiciī meī tē iūdicem faciam, sī mihi ex hōc ipsō lemmate secundus versus occurrerit;Indeed I shall make you the judge of my judgement, if the second line of this very piece comes back to me; Ep. 4.27.3nam cēterōs teneō et iam explicuī.for I have the rest and have already recalled them.

Ep. 4.27.4" Cantō carmina versibus minūtīs, hīs ōlim quibus et meus Catullus et Calvus veterēsque.'I sing songs in little verses, those in which once my Catullus sang, and Calvus, and the poets of old. Ep. 4.27.4Sed quid ad mē?But what is that to me? Ep. 4.27.4Ūnus Plīnius est mihi priōrēs: māvult versiculōs forō relictō et quaerit quod amet, putatque amārī.Pliny alone is all my forerunners to me: leaving the forum, he prefers little verses, and seeks something to love, and thinks himself loved. Ep. 4.27.4Ille ō Plīnius, ille quot Catōnēs!Oh, that Pliny, that man worth how many Catos! Ep. 4.27.4Ī nunc, quisquis amās, amāre nōlī.Go now, whoever you are who love, and refuse to love.' Ep. 4.27.4" Vidēs quam acūta omnia quam apta quam expressa.You see how sharp it all is, how apt, how well expressed. Ep. 4.27.5Ad hunc gustum tōtum librum reprōmittō, quem tibi ut prīmum pūblicāverit exhibēbō.To match this taste I promise you the whole book, which I shall present to you as soon as he has published it. Ep. 4.27.5Interim amā iuvenem et temporibus nostrīs grātulāre prō ingeniō tālī, quod ille mōribus adōrnat.Meanwhile, love the young man and congratulate our times on such a talent, which he adorns with his character.

Ep. 4.27.5Vīvit cum Spurinnā, vīvit cum Antōnīnō, quōrum alterī affīnis, utrīque contubernālis est.He lives with Spurinna, he lives with Antoninus, being related to the one by marriage and a close companion of both. Ep. 4.27.6Possīs ex hōc facere coniectūram, quam sit ēmendātus adulēscēns, quī ā gravissimīs senibus sīc amātur.You can infer from this how faultless a young man he is, who is loved like this by most serious old men. Ep. 4.27.6Est enim illud vērissimum: " γινώσκων ὅτι τοιοῦτὸς ἐστιν, οἷσπερ ἥδεται συνών.For this saying is very true: 'knowing that a man is like those whose company he enjoys.' Ep. 4.27.6" Valē.Farewell.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×2, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (128 words)

tertius, -a, -um	third
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.	day
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	hear; listen or attend to
recitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	read aloud
cum, prep, with abl.	with
summus, -a, -um	uppermost, highest, greatest
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
voluptās, -tātis, f.	pleasure
immō (adv.)	no rather, on the contrary; immō vērō: no, indeed, even
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
admīrātiō, -ōnis f.	wonder, admiration
poēmatium, -ī n.	little poem
appellō, -pellāre, -pellāvī, -pellātus	call, name
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
tenuiter (adv.)	thinly
sublīmiter (adv.)	loftily, in an elevated style
venustē (adv.)	charmingly, gracefully
teneō, -ēre, -uī, -tus	hold, keep; hold back, restrain, stop
dulciter (adv.)	sweetly, pleasantly
bīlis, -is f.	bile, gall; anger, irritation
aliquot (indecl.)	several, some
annus, -ī, m.	year
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
nihil, n., indecl.	nothing
genus, generis, n.	kind, nature
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
absolūtus, -a, -um	finished, complete, perfect
scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptus	write
nisi, conj.	if not, unless
forte, adv.	by chance, accidentally
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
fallō, fallere, fefellī, falsus	deceive
aut, conj.	or; aut ... aut, either ... or
amor, -ōris, m.	love
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
laus, laudis f.	praise, glory
vehō, vehere, vexī, vectus	carry
nam, conj.	for
lemma, -atis n.	theme, subject (of a poem)
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
sūmō, sūmere, sūmpsī, sūmptus	take under or up, take; poenam sūmere, to exact or inflict punishment
interdum (adv.)	sometimes
versus, -ūs m.	line (of writing), verse
lūdus, -ī, m.	game, sport
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
adeō (adv.)	so far, to such a degree; so
iūdicium, -ī n.	trial, court; judgment
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
iūdex, iūdicis, m.	judge
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
sī, conj.	if
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
secundus, -a, -um	following, favorable
versus (adv.)	toward, in the direction of (often after ad or in + acc.)
occurrō, -currere, -currī, -cursus	run against, meet
cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.	the other, the remaining, the rest of
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
iam, adv.	now, already
explicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	unfold, spread out; set out, explain
cantō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	sing
carmen, -minis, n.	song, charm
minūtus, -a, -um	small, tiny; petty
ōlim, adv.	once upon a time, once, formerly, of old
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
vetus, veteris	old, former
que, enclitic conj.	and
sed, conj.	but
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
prior, prius	earlier, former; in front (priōrēs: those in front)
mālō, mālle, māluī	wish rather, prefer
versiculus, -ī m.	little verse, short line of poetry
forum, -ī n.	market place, public square
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus	leave behind, leave
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus	seek; ask, inquire
amō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	love
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
ō (interj.)	O! oh!
quot (indecl.)	how many
eō, īre, iī, itus	go
nunc, adv.	now
quisquis, quidquid (quicquid)	whoever, whatever
nōlō, nōlle, nōluī	not wish, be unwilling
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
acūtus, -a, -um	sharp, pointed
omnis, -e	all, every
aptus, -a, -um	fit, suited
exprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus	press out
gustus, -ūs m.	taste, flavour; a tasting, sample, foretaste
tōtus, -a, -um	all the, the whole or entire
liber, librī m.	book; record
reprōmittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missus	promise in return; promise
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
prīmum, adv.	first, in the first place
pūblicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	confiscate, make public property
exhibeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	show, display, present
interim (adv.)	meanwhile
iuvenis, -is, m.	young man, youth
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
noster, -tra, -trum	our
grātulor, -ārī, -ātus sum	congratulate
prō, prep. with abl.	before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
ingenium, -ī n.	natural ability, talent, cleverness; character
tālis, -e	such
mōs, mōris, m.	way, manner, habit, custom
adōrnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	prepare, equip; urge on
vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctus	live
alter, -era, -erum	one or the other (of two); another, second
affīnis, -e	neighbouring; connected (with), implicated (in) (+ dat.)
uterque, utraque, utrumque	each, either, both
contubernālis, -is m.	tent-mate, comrade; companion who shares one's house
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
coniectūra, -ae f.	guess, inference
ēmendō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	correct, make good, remove faults
adulēscēns, -entis, m.	youth, young man
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
gravis, -e	heavy; severe, grievous, serious
senex, senis, m.	old man
sīc, adv.	so, thus
enim, conj.	for
vērus, -a, -um	true; rē vērā, in truth, in fact
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.