Your husband shall attend the same banquet as we are:
I pray that it may be your husband’s last meal.
Then am I (as a table companion) merely to gaze at the girl
Whom I adore? Will there be another to relish your touch,
Will you snuggle up close to another and warm his breast?
When he wishes will he place his hand upon your neck?
I cease to marvel, that when the wine is served, the fair girl of Atrax
Compelled the men of double-form to fight;
Neither is the forest my home, nor are my limbs joined to a horse:
Yet I hardly seem able to keep my hands from you.
However, understand what you must do, neither give my words
To the East Wind nor to the warm South to carry away.
Arrive before your husband does; I cannot see what can be done,
If you do arrive before him, but regardless, come before him.
When he lies on the couch, you accompanying him with innocent expression
Must when you sit beside him, touch my foot secretly;
Watch me and my nods and my expressive features:
Catch my furtive signs and you yourself return them.
Words that are spoken without voice, I shall speak with my eyebrows;
You will understand the words traced by my fingers, words written in wine.
When the wantonness of our love comes into your mind,
With tender thumb touch your blushing cheeks;
If you shall complain about me in the silence of your mind,
Your soft hand should hang from the end of your ear;
My dear light, when I do or say things which please you,
Turn your ring round and round your fingers;
Touch the table with your hand, as men in prayer do,
When you pray for many sufferings upon your deserving husband.
You should be wise, and bid him drink himself what he mixes for you;
Quietly ask the boy for what you yourself want:
I shall drink first the cup which you have returned.
And I shall drink from the place where you have drunk.
If by chance he offers you what he has first tasted himself
Refuse food that has been touched by his mouth;
He should not squeeze your neck with his imposed arms with your permission,
Nor lay your mild head on his hard chest,
Nor should the folds [of your dress] or soft nipples admit his fingers;
In particular you do not want to give him any kisses.
If you give him kisses, I shall become a declared lover
And say ‘They are mine’ and throw in my hand [to you].
However I will see these [things], but those which a cloak hides well,
They will be a cause of blind fear to me.
Do not engage your thigh with his thigh nor link with his leg
Nor join your tender foot with his hard foot.
Alas, I fear many things, because I have done many reckless things,
And I myself am tortured by the fear of my own example:
Often a hastened passion for me and my mistress
Has accomplished its sweet effort under a cloak thrown on top.
You will not do this; but so that you will not be thought to have done this,
Remove the knowing cloak from your back.
Ask your husband to continuously drink (though do not add kisses to your entreaties),
And while he is drinking, secretly, if you can, add wine.
If he lies well soothed by sleep and wine,
The situation and the place will give us a plan.
When you rise about to leave for home, and we all rise,
Be mindful that you should go into the middle column of the crowd:
In that column you shall find me or be found [by me];
Whatever [part] of me you can touch there, touch it.
Miserable me! I have advised that which benefits us for a few hours;
I am separated from my mistress when night gives the command.
At night her husband will lock her in; with tears welling up I shall follow
Sadly right up to the cruel door, which is allowed.
Now he will receive kisses, now he will take not only kisses:
That which you secretly give to me, you will give by enforced right.
But give unwillingly (this you can do) and like a forced woman:
Flatteries should be silent and Love should be spiteful
If my prayers fare well, I pray that it will also not please him;
If not so well, certainly then [I pray] nothing may please you.
But nevertheless, whatever fortune follows the night,
Tomorrow deny to me with a firm voice that you gave [anything].
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vir tuus est epulas nobis aditurus easdem:
ultima cena tuo sit precor illa viro.
ergo ego dilectam tantum conviva puellam
aspiciam? tangi quem iuvet, alter erit,
alteriusque sinus apte subiecta fovebis?
iniciet collo, cum volet, ille manum?
desino mirari, posito quod candida vino
Atracis ambiguos traxit in arma viros;
nec mihi silva domus nec equo mea membra cohaerent:
vix a te videor posse tenere manus.
quae tibi sint facienda tamen cognosce, nec Euris
da mea nec tepidis verba ferenda Notis.
ante veni quam vir; nec quid, si veneris ante,
possit agi video, sed tamen ante veni.
cum premet ille torum, vultu comes ipsa modesto
ibis ut accumbas, clam mihi tange pedem;
me specta nutusque meos vultumque loquacem:
excipe furticas et refer ipsa notas.
verba superciliis sine voce loquentia dicam;
verba leges digitis, verba notata mero.
cum tibi succurret Veneris lascivia nostrae,
purpureas tenero pollice tange genas;
si quid erit, de me tacita quod mente queraris,
pendeat extrema mollis ab aure manus;
cum tibi, quae faciam, mea lux, dicamve, placebunt,
versetur digitis anulus usque tuis;
tange manu mensam, tangunt quo more precantes,
optabis merito cum mala multa viro.
quod tibi miscuerit, sapias, bibat ipse, iubeto;
tu puerum leviter posce, quod ipsa voles:
quae tu reddideris ego primus pocula sumam,
et, qua tu biberis, hac ego parte bibam.
si tibi forte dabit, quod praegustaverit ipse,
reice libatos illius ore cibos;
nec premat inpositis sinito tua colla lacertis,
mite nec in rigido pectore pone caput,
nec sinus admittat digitos habilesve papillae;
oscula praecipue nulla dedisse velis.
oscula si dederis, fiam manifestus amator
et dicam 'mea sunt!' iniciamque manum.
haec tamen adspiciam, sed quae bene pallia celant,
illa mihi caeci causa timoris erunt.
nec femori committe femur nec crure cohaere
nec tenerum duro cum pede iunge pedem.
multa miser timeo, quia feci multa proterve,
exemplique metu torqueor, ecce, mei:
saepe mihi dominaeque meae properata voluptas
veste sub iniecta dulce peregit opus.
hoc tu non facies; sed, ne fecisse puteris,
conscia de tergo pallia deme tuo.
vir bibat usque roga (precibus tamen oscula desint),
dumque bibit, furtim si potes, adde merum.
si bene conpositus somno vinoque iacebit,
consilium nobis resque locusque dabunt.
cum surges abitura domum, surgemus et omnes,
in medium turbae fac memor agmen eas:
agmine me invenies aut invenieris in illo;
quidquid ibi poteris tangere, tange, mei.
me miserum! monui, paucas quod prosit in horas;
separor a domina nocte iubente mea.
nocte vir includet, lacrimis ego maestus obortis,
qua licet, ad saevas prosequar usque fores.
oscula iam sumet, iam non tantum oscula sumet:
quod mihi das furtim, iure coacta dabis.
verum invita dato (potes hoc) similisque coactae:
blanditiae taceant, sitque maligna Venus.
si mea vota valent, illum quoque ne iuvet, opto;
si minus, at certe te iuvet inde nihil.
sed quaecumque tamen noctem fortuna sequetur,
cras mihi constanti voce dedisse nega.
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