Monday, October 17, 2016

Arcovazzi’s patronage

Unguentum fuerat, quod onyx modo parva gerebat:
olfecit postquam Papylus, ecce, garum est.

That little onyx box, with fragrant essence stored,
Smelt to by Papilus, stunk like rotten fish.

Unguento fui, conchiuso testé in un vasetto di onice;
Pàpilo m’ha odorato: ecco, son fatto caviale.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 7, XCIV
English translation by Holden Caulfield
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

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