Paul reads as his own all the poems he buys.
Well, all that he pays for is his, I surmise.

[Carmina Paulus emit, recitat sua carmina Paulus.
Nam quod emas, possis iure vocare tuum.]

Marcus Valerius Martial
Martial (AD c.39-c.103) Spanish Roman poet, satirist, epigrammatist [Marcus Valerius Martialis]
Epigrams [Epigrammata], Book 2, epigram 20 (2.20) (AD 86) [tr. Pott & Wright (1921)]
    (Source)

Martial returns to this theme (and Paulus) in epigram 6.12. Original Latin. Alternate translations:

Paulus buys verse, recites, and owns them all,
For what thou buy'st, thou may'st thine truly call.
[tr. Fletcher (1656)]

Bought verses for his own Paul doth recite,
For what you buy you may call yours by right.
[tr. Wright (1663)]

Paul verses buys; and what he buys, recites.
Alike his own are what he buys and writes.
[tr. Elphinson (1782)]

Sly Paul buys verse as he buys merchandise,
Then for his own he'll pompously recite it --
Paul scorns a lie -- the poetry is his --
By law his own, although he could not write it.
[tr. New Monthly Magazine (1825)]

Paulus buys verses; Paulus recites his own verses. And they are his own, for that which you buy, you have a right to call yours.
[tr. Amos (1858), 2.32]

Paullus buys poems, and aloud,
As his, recites them to the crowd.
For what you buy it is well known
You have a right to call your own.
[tr. Webb (1879)]

Paulus buys verses: Paulus recites his own verses; and what you buy you may legally call your own.
[tr. Bohn's Classical (1897)]

Paullus buys poems; his own poems he'll recite,
For what he buys is surely his by right.
[ed. Harbottle (1897)]

Paulus buys a book of verse
And reads us then his own.
One's right, of course, to what one buys
Can legally be shown.
[tr. Nixon (1911)]

Paul buys up poems, and to your surprise,
Paul then recites them as his own:
And Paul is right; for what a person buys
Is his, as can by law be shown!
[tr. Duff (1929)]

Paulus buys poems, Paulus recites
his own poems. What you can buy
you are entitled to call your own.
[tr. Bovie (1970)]

He buys up poems for recital
And then as "author" reads.
Why not? The purchase proves the title.
our words become his "deeds."
[tr. Michie (1972)]

Paulus buys poems, Paulus recites his poems. For what you buy, you may rightly call your own.
[tr. Shackleton Bailey (1993)]

Paulus buys poems; Paulus gives readings from his poems.
After all, what you buy you can rightfully call your own.
[tr. Williams (2004)]

A poet's name is what you sought.
The name, you found, is all you bought.
[tr. Wills (2007)]

Paulus buys verse, which he recites as his,
for if the things you buy aren't yours, what is?
[tr. McLean (2014)]

Paul is reciting poems he buys.
At least he doesn’t plagiarize.
[tr. Juster (2016)]


 
Added on 17-Jun-21 | Last updated 27-Nov-23
Link to this post | 1 comment
Topics: , , ,
More quotes by Martial

1 thought on “<i>Epigrams [Epigrammata]</i>, Book 2, epigram 20 (2.20) (AD 86) [tr. Pott & Wright (1921)]”

  1. Pingback: Epigrams [Epigrammata], Book 6, epigram 12 (6.12) [tr. McLean (2014)] - Martial | WIST Quotations

Thoughts? Comments? Corrections? Feedback?