Magic’s Pawn

Laudantem Selium cenae cum retia tendit accipe, sive legas, sive patronus agas: “Effecte! Graviter! Cito! Nequiter! Euge! Beate!”. “Hoc volui! Facta est iam tibi cena, tace”. When Selius is spreading his nets for a dinner, take him with you to applaud, whether you are reciting or acting as counsel. “How consummate! Weighty that! How ready! A hard it! Bravo! Splendid!”. That is what I wanted. You’ve got your dinner now, so hold your tongue. Quando Selio ti tende le reti a scroccarti una cena, senti come ti loda, se tu difendi o declami: “Pronto! Profondo! Mirabile! Eh, furbo! Imbattibile! Evviva!”. “Questo volevo. La cena è guadagnata. Ora taci”.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 2, XXVII
English translation by Holden Caulfield
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini