Who says with last night’s wine Acerra stinks,
Is much deceived: till day Acerra drinks.

[Hesterno fetere mero qui credit Acerram,
Fallitur: in lucem semper Acerra bibit.]

Marcus Valerius Martial
Martial (AD c.39-c.103) Spanish Roman poet, satirist, epigrammatist [Marcus Valerius Martialis]
Epigrams [Epigrammata], Book 1, epigram 28 (1.28) (AD 85-86) [tr. Wright (1663)]
    (Source)

(Source (Latin)). Alternate translations:

Acerra smells of last night's wine, you say.
Don't wrong Acerra: he topes on till day.
[tr. Elphinston (1782), Book 12, ep. 117]

Whoever believes it is of yesterday's wine that Acerra smells, is mistaken: Acerra always drinks till morning.
[tr. Bohn's Classical (1859)]

Lest you think Afer smells of his yesterday's wine
I give warning
That Afer continues potating each night
Till it's morning.
[tr. Nixon (1911), "By the Book"]

He who fancies that Acerra reeks of yesterday's wine is wrong. Acerra always drinks till daylight.
[tr. Ker (1919)]

He reeks, you might think, of his yesterday's drink;
But knowing his customs and ways,
You are wrong, I'll be sworn, for he drank till the morn,
So the savour is truly today's.
[tr. Pott & Wright (1921)]

You say he still reeked of last night's wine
When he spoke to you, stifling a yawn?
Oh no, you are wrong, you're mistaken, sir!
He always drinks till dawn.
[tr. Marcellino (1968)]

Acerra reeks of last night's wine?
No. He drinks on into the sunshine.
[tr. Bovie (1970)]

Anybody who thinks that Acerra reeks of yesterday's wine misses his guess. Acerra always drinks till sunrise.
[tr. Shackleton Bailey (1993)]

They claimed, with blamings not condign,
He reeked at morn of last night's wine.
He intermits not in such ways:
Not last night's wine -- it was today's.
[tr. Wills (2007)]

Whoever thinks Acerra stinks of last night's wine
is wrong. He drinks till light begins to shine.
[tr. McLean (2014)]

To say Acerra stinks of day-old booze is wrong!
Each drink is freshened all night long!
[tr. Juster (2016)]


 
Added on 17-Mar-23 | Last updated 27-Nov-23
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