In this lesson, we read a sixth letter written by Cicero to his wife Terentia in which ordinary affairs are discussed. Note the use of the imperfect subjunctive verb in an “if…then…” construction in the past tense.
Latin Text
M.T.C. Terentiae S.P.D.
Si quid haberem, quod ad te scriberem, facerem id & pluribus verbis, & saepius. Nunc, quae sunt negotia vides. Ego autem quomodo sim affectus, ex Lepta & Trebatio poteris cognoscere. Tu fac, ut tuam & Tulliae valetudinem cures.
Vale.
Exposition
The following notes are provided to guide you through the translation of this reading. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Michael.
- SALUTATION: The salutation of this epistle is exactly the same as the last.
- Si quid haberem,
- Si: conjunction: “if”
- quid: pronoun, neuter, singular, accusative: “anything”
- haberem: verb, imperfect, active, subjunctive, 1st person, singular, “I did have”
- …quod ad te scriberem,
- quod: relative pronoun, neuter, singular, accusative: “which”
- ad: preposition: “to”
- te: pronoun, feminine, singular, accusative: “you”
- scriberem: verb, imperfect, active, subjunctive, 1st person, singular, “I might write”
- …facerem id & pluribus verbis, & saepius.
- facerem: verb, imperfect, active, subjunctive, 1st person, singular, “I would do”
- id: pronoun, neuter, singular, accusative: “it”
- &: conjunction: “both”
- pluribus: comparative adjective noun, neuter, plural, ablative: “with more”
- verbis: substantive noun, neuter, plural, ablative: “words”
- &: conjunction: “and”
- saepius: comparative adverb: “more often”
- Nunc, quae sunt negotia vides.
- Nunc: adverb: “now”
- quae: relative pronoun, neuter, plural, nominative: “what”
- sunt: verb, present, active, indicative, 3rd person, plural, “are”
- negotia: substantive noun, neuter, plural, accusative: “[my] affairs”
- vides: verb, present, active, indicative, 2nd person, singular, “you see”
- Ego autem quomodo sim affectus,
- Ego: pronoun, masculine, singular, nominative: “I”
- autem: conjunction: “however”
- quomodo: adverb: “how”
- sim: verb, present, active, subjunctive, 1st person, singular, “may be”
- affectus: adjective noun, masculine, singular, nominative: “affected”
- ex Lepta & Trebatio poteris cognoscere.
- ex: preposition: “from”
- Lepta: substantive noun, feminine, singular, ablative: “Lepta”
- &: conjunction: “and”
- Trebatio: substantive noun, masculine, singular, ablative: “Trebatius”
- poteris: verb, future, active, indicative, 2nd person, singular, “you will be able”
- cognoscere: verb, present, active, infinitive: “to learn”
- Tu fac, ut tuam & Tulliae valetudinem cures. Vale.
- Tu: pronoun, feminine, singular, nominative: “you”
- fac: verb, present, active, imperative, singular, 2nd person: “do”
- ut: conjunction: “so that”
- tuam: pronoun, feminine, singular, accusative: “your”
- Tulliae: substantive noun, feminine, singular, genitive: “of Tullia”
- valetudinem: substantive noun, feminine, singular, accusative: “health”
- cures: verb, present, active, subjunctive, singular, 2nd person: “you may take care of”
- Vale: verb, present, active, imperative, singular, 2nd person: “be well” or “fare well”
Translation
Marcus Tullius Cicero to Terentia says much health.
If anything I might have, which to you I might write, I might do it both with more words and more often. Now, what are my affairs you see. I however how [I] may be affected, from Lepta and Trebatio you shall be able to learn. You do, so that your and Tullia’s health you may care for.
Fare well.
