Thursday, March 17, 2016

Moral insolvency

Sexte, nihil debes, nil debes, Sexte, fatemur.
      Debet enim, si quis solvere, Sexte, potest.

You are not debtor, one and all we say,
      He only owes, who has the power to pay.

Tu non hai debiti, o Sesto; è vero, che tu non ne hai;
      debiti ha, Sesto, colui che soddisfare li può.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 2, III
English translation by A. L. Francis, M.A. and H. F. Tatum, M.A.
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

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