Etiamne
imus
cubitum? —
Plautus, Casina
977
Let’s go to bed now?
More literally: Are we going (away in order) to lie down?
Etiamne: etiam (particle): even now, still; even—sometimes emphasizes a question in colloquial speech (the enclitic particple –ne turns the word into part of a question). Īmus is the first person plural form of eō, īre, iī/īvī, itum (irreg.): to go, advance, proceed. Cubō, cubāre, cubuī, cubitum (1): to lie down—the accusative supine.
Then I go to bed.
More literally: Then I go (away in order) to sleep.
Deinde (adv.): afterward, next, then; thereafter. Eo, īre, īvī/iī, itum (irreg.): to go (the ending is short here). Dormiō, dormīre, dormīvī/dormiī, dormītum (4): to sleep.
They came from Casinum to pay their respects.
Alt. : They came from Casinum to greet him.
Casīnō is the ablative singular form of Casīnum, Casīnī (2n) (a town south of Rome). Salūtō, salūtāre, salūtāvī, salūtātum (1): to greet; pay respects. Veniēbant is the third person plural imperfect form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come.
They came to complain of wrongs.
Vēnērunt is the third person plural perfect form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come. Questum is the accusative supine form of queror, querī, questus sum (3, deponent): to complain; lament. Iniūriās is the accusative plural form of iniūria, iniūriae (1f): wrong, injury.
They come to see, they come that they themselves may be seen.
Spectō, spectāre, spectāvī, spectātum (1): to watch, look at. Veniunt is the third person plural form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come. Veniunt is the third person plural form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come. Spectentur is the third person plural passive subjunctive form of spectō, spectāre, spectāvī, spectātum (1): to watch, look at (subjunctive because it’s the verb of a purpose clause). Ut (conj.): so that. Ipsae is the feminine nominative plural form of ipse/ipsa/ipsum (pron. or adj.): himself/herself/itself/oneself/myself/etc. ; in person; the very.
They send envoys to Caesar to ask for help.
Lēgātōs is the accusative plural form of lēgātus, lēgātī (2m): ambassador. Ad (prep.): to (takes the accusative). Caesarem is the accusative singular form of Caesar, Caesaris (3m): Caesar. Mittunt is the third person plural form of mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum (3): to send. Rogō, rogāre, rogāvī, rogātum (1): to ask (for). Auxilium is the accusative singular form of auxilium, auxiliī (2n): help, aid.
That wife is an enemy, who is given to a man in marriage against her will.
More literally: The wife is an enemy, who unwilling is given to a man in order to marry.
Hostis, hostis (3m/f): enemy. Est: is. Uxor, uxōris (3f): wife. Invītus/ invīta /invītum (1/2): unwilling, reluctant. Quī/ quae /quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Virō is the dative singular form of vir, virī (2m): man. Nūbō, nūbere, nūpsī, nūptum (3): to marry (usually said of a woman). Datur is the third person singular passive form of dō, dare, dedī, datum (1, irreg.): to give. Note that while to give doesn’t convey motion as obviously as to come or to go, a subtler kind of motion is still implied.
And you knew, did you, that this charge would be brought against you?
More literally: You knew someone was going to give this for a charge for you?
Sciēbās is the second person singular imperfect form of sciō, scīre, scīvī/sciī, scītum (4): to know. Tibi is the dative form of tū: you. Crīminī is the dative singular form of crīmen, crīminis (3n): charge, accusation; crime. Dō, dare, dedī, datum (1, irreg.): to give; assign, impute—with double dative: to impute something (accusative) to someone (dative) as something (e. g. , a fault; dative). Īrī is the passive infinitive form of eō, īre, īvī/iī, itum (irreg.): to go.
The man whom you defend hopes to be acquitted.
More literally: He whom you defend hopes that people are going to acquit him.
(Quoting an adversary.) Quem is the masculine accusative singular form of quī/quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Dēfendis is the second person singular form of dēfendō, dēfendere, dēfendī, dēfēnsum (3): to defend. Spērat is the third person singular form of spērō, spērāre, spērāvī, spērātum (1): to hope (for). Sē is the accusative form of the reflexive pronoun. Absolvō, absolvere, absolvī, absolūtum (3): to loosen; release; acquit. Īrī is the passive infinitive form of eō, īre, īvī/iī, itum (irreg.): to go.
Wonderful to relate!
Alt. : Astonishing to say!
Mīrābilis/mīrābilis/ mīrābile (3): wonderful, astonishing. Dictū is the ablative supine (to say/in respect to saying) of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say. This phrase is strongly associated with Virgil; it appears five times in the Aeneid and rarely elsewhere in classical literature. It has passed into occasional use in English. It typically serves as a kind of parenthetical comment to frame whatever is about to be said. Elsewhere in the Aeneid is horrendum dictū — horrible to say! —this time using the neuter nominative singular form of the gerundive horrendus/horrenda/horrendum (1/2).
Wretched to behold!
Alt. : Sad to see!
Miserābilis/miserābilis/ miserābile (3): wretched, pitiable, sad. Vīsū is the ablative supine (to see/in respect to seeing) of video, vidēre, vīdī, vīsum (2): to see. Also appears in the reversed sequence: visū miserābile.
Virtue is difficult to find.
(You need a guide.) Virtūs, virtūtis (3f): virtue, moral excellence; courage, valor. Difficilis/ difficilis /difficile (3): hard, difficult, troublesome. Inventū is the ablative supine of inveniō, invenīre, invēnī, inventum (4): to find. Est: is.
It is difficult to do, but I will try nevertheless.
Difficilis/difficilis/ difficile (3): difficult. Factū is the ablative supine of faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make. Est: it is. Sed (conj.): but. Cōnābor is the first person singular future form of cōnor, cōnārī, cōnātus sum (1, deponent): to try. Tamen (adv.): nevertheless, yet, still.
Oh, a thing foul not just to see, but even to hear of!
Ō (interjection): O! Oh! Rem is the accusative singular form of rēs, reī (5f): thing; matter, affair; the accusative can be used for exclamations, as shown here. Nōn: not. Modo (adv.): just, only. Vīsū is the ablative supine of video, vidēre, vīdī, vīsum (2): to see. Foedam is the feminine accusative singular form of foedus/foeda/foedum (1/2): foul, disgusting. Sed (conj.): but. Etiam (particle): even. Audītū is the ablative supine of audiō, audīre, audīvī/audiī, audītum (4): to hear.
Not even the heavenly phenomena could have been more difficult to recount.
Nōn: not. Caelestia is the neuter nominative plural form of caelestis/caelestis/caeleste (3): celestial, heavenly. Ēnārrātū is the ablative supine of ēnārrō, ēnārrāre, ēnārrāvī, ēnārrātum (1): to recount or explain in detail. Difficiliōra is the neuter nominative plural form of difficilior/difficilior/difficilius (3) is the comparative form of difficilis/difficilis/difficile (3): difficult. Fuerint is the third person plural perfect subjunctive form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be (a potential subjunctive).