Ego minus saepe do ad vos litteras,

Ego minus saepe do ad vos litteras, quam possum,
because, though I am always wretched, propterea quod cum omnia mihi tempora sunt misera,
yet when I write to you or read a letter from you, tum vero, cum aut scribo ad vos aut vestras lego,
I am in such floods of tears conficior lacrimis sic,
that I cannot endure it. ut ferre non possim.
Oh, that I had clung less to life! Quod utinam minus vitae cupidi fuissemus!
I should at least never have known real sorrow, or not much of it,
in my life.
certe nihil aut non multum in vita mali vidissemus.
Yet if fortune has reserved for me any hope of recovering at any
time any position again,
Quod si nos ad aliquam alicuius commodi aliquando
recuperandi spem fortuna reservavit,
I was not utterly wrong to do so: minus est erratum a nobis;
if these miseries are to be permanent, si haec mala fixa sunt,
I only wish, my dear, ego vero te quam primum, mea vita,
to see you as soon as possible and to die in your arms, cupio videre et in tuo complexu emori,
since neither gods, quoniam neque di,
whom you have worshipped with such pure devotion, quos tu castissime coluisti,
nor men, neque homines,
whom I have ever served, quibus ego semper servivi,
have made us any return. nobis gratiam rettulerunt.
I have been thirteen days at Brundisium in the house of M.Lænius
Flaccus,
Nos Brundisii apud M. Laenium Flaccum dies XIII fuimus,
a very excellent man, virum optimum,
who has despised the risk to his fortunes and civil existence in
comparison to keeping me safe,
qui periculum fortunarum et capitis sui prae mea salute
neglexit
nor has been induced by the penalty of a most iniquitous law neque legis improbissimae poena deductus est,
to refuse me the rights and good offices of hospitality and
friendship.
quo minus hospitii et amicitiae ius officiumque praestaret: