It’s not because I knew you well or thought you faithful,
Gellius, or thought you could keep your mind from vile sin,
that I expected you to be true to me
in this hopeless ruinous love of mine:
but because I was aware that she, for whom a vast desire
consumes me, was no mother or sister of yours.
And though I was closely linked to you by friendship,
I didn’t think that was enough excuse for you.
You considered it enough: there’s so much pleasure
in every game to you, in which there’s any sin.

Non ideo, Gelli, sperabam te mihi fidum
in misero hoc nostro, hoc perdito amore fore,
quod te cognossem bene constantemue putarem
aut posse a turpi mentem inhibere probro;
sed neque quod matrem nec germanam esse videbam
hanc tibi, cuius me magnus edebat amor.
et quamuis tecum multo coniungerer usu,
non satis id causae credideram esse tibi.
tu satis id duxti: tantum tibi gaudium in omni
culpa est, in quacumque est aliquid sceleris.