Ennodius of Pavia → Arator, Man
Tradução moderna em inglês
Ennodius to Arator.
You left for distant parts and forgot all about friendship. Your devotion to me was apparently not allowed past the city walls. While you live in town, you guard your artful courtesies with considerable skill. But the moment you decide to head for the countryside, you drop the memory of your friends like heavy baggage.
So you have gone off to enjoy your rural pleasures, and here we remain, stuck among the miseries of urban life, written off. The affection you profess clearly had no roots — you shed it like a burden the moment the road opened up before you.
You may ask: why so quick with the complaint? Because not even a fair accusation should be delayed when friendship is at stake. I sent a letter ahead of me; you sent nothing back. If silence is your answer, I know where I stand. But I would rather hear otherwise. Farewell.
Texto latino / grego
IIII. ENNODIVS ARATORI. Ad longinqua digrediens caritatis inmemor extitisti. non licuit tecum piam diligentiam muros exire. dum urbis habitator es, fabricatas blanditias non sine daedala arte custodis: at ubi rus petendum esse decreueris, quasi graues sarcinas amicorum memoriam derelinquis. tu uillares delicias expetisti, et nos apud te inter moenium mala remansimus. non habuit radicem affectio, quam uelut curarum tormenta separasti. dicas, unde tam uelox exprobratio? nec aequum esse parari ante 1 filoBophiam B nihil] fi T 2 ueteris B locatus Lb 3 silentii L\' curam om. T 4 immuta T 9 in quo] iniquo L constrigebaris L eximeras B promissi B 10 successu L 11 incoationem B dirigetis B 12 iunxistes B1 domine LTYb messale Bl 15 adcepto B correctum LTV sucgestionibus B resigna muniis frequentibus T IIll. 19 exstitisti V 20 licuet B 21 es om. Pb, et B dedala BLTY ad BL 22 rus om. T 23 uilasres T dilicias B 24 babuet B 25 pasti B 26 tam B s. L delicta tortorem. scripturum te, mox fuisses ad optata peruectus, sine cunctatione promisisti: quantum pater tuus semper culparum tuarum uulgator exposuit, iam a te pueri paginis uacui commearunt. timeo, ne ista taciturnitas diuturnitate conualescat et in usum silentii turpis crescat incuria. domine mi, saluto ergo et promissi te memorem debere esse conuenio, quatenus inter cana nemora redimitus hederis efferaris.