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ANNALES Volusi, cacata carta,
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1
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Chronicle of Volusius, defecated paper,
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uotum soluite pro mea puella.
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2
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discharge a vow on behalf of my love;
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nam sanctae Veneri Cupidinique
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3
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for she vowed to holy Venus and to Cupid
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uouit, si sibi restitutus essem
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that if I were restored to her love,
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desissemque truces uibrare iambos,
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and ceased to dart fierce iambics,
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electissima pessimi poetae
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she would give to the lamme-footed god
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scripta tardipedi deo daturam
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the choicest writings of the worst of poets,
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infelicibus ustulanda lignis.
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8
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to be burnt with wood from some accursed tree:
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et hoc pessima se puella uidit
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9
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and my lady perceived that these were the "worst poems"
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iocose lepide uouere diuis.
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10
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that she was vowing to the merry gods in pleasant sport.
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nunc o caeruleo creata ponto,
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11
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Now therefore, O thou whom the blue sea bare,
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quae sanctum Idalium Vriosque apertos
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who inhabitest holy Idalium and open Urii,
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quaeque Ancona Cnidumque harundinosam
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who dwellest in Ancona and reedy Cnidus
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colis quaeque Amathunta quaeque Golgos
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and in Amatbus and in Golgi,
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quaeque Durrachium Hadriae tabernam,
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15
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and in Dyrrhacium the meeting-place of all Hadria,
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acceptum face redditumque uotum,
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16
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record the vow as received and duly paid,
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si non illepidum neque inuenustum est.
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so surely as it is not out of taste nor inelegant.
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at uos interea uenite in ignem,
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Meantime come you her into the fire.
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pleni ruris et inficetiarum.
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you bundle of rusticity and clumsiness,
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annales Volusi, cacata carta.
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20
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chronicle of Volusius, defecated paper.
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