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Lu nove komoedia

Lu mane ya-veni klare super lu Karthagine, ak lu sole iam ya-luke forte super le domu kiam Tazrint ya-exi in lu strata.
Morning came bright over Carthage, and the sun was already shining strongly over the houses when Tazrint went out into the street.

Lu kaelu era klare, lu aere era sikke, ak lu ventu de lu mare ya-move leve inter le domu ak ya-porta lu odore de lu portu.
The sky was clear, the air was dry, and the wind from the sea moved gently between the houses and carried the smell of the harbour.

Sed lu heri nokte lu urbe non era tale.
But last night, the city was not like this.

Lu heri nokte le grave nube ya-koperi lu kaelu, ak lu ventu ya-saevi forte inter le domu, ita ke le ianua ya-treme ak le fenestra ya-sona.
Last night, heavy clouds covered the sky, and the wind raged fiercely between the houses, so that the doors shook and the windows rattled.

Lu imbre ya-kade forte super le tegula, super le lapide de le strata ak super le hortu, ubi lu terra sikke ya-bibe lu aqua rapide.
The rain fell heavily on the roof tiles, on the stones of the streets and on the gardens, where the dry earth quickly drank up the water.

Postea lu tonitru ya-sona super lu urbe.
Then thunder sounded over the city.

Primo lu sonu ya-veni de prokul, profunde ak lente, sed mox ille ya-fie plus forte.
At first the sound came from far away, deep and slow, but soon it grew louder.

Lu fulgure ya-luke subite inter le nube ak ya-illumina le domu, le turre ak le strata.
Lightning suddenly flashed among the clouds and lit up the houses, the towers and the streets.

Per lu breve momentu lu urbe ya-fie klare quasi era lu die, ak postea lu obskuritate ya-reveni.
For a brief moment the city became bright as if it were day, and then the darkness returned.

Lu prokella ya-perge per le multe hora.
The storm continued for many hours.

Lu aqua ya-kurre per le strata, lu ventu ya-quassa le arbore, ak le homine ya-mane in le domu dum lu tonitru ya-sona super illus.
Water ran through the streets, the wind shook the trees, and the people stayed in their houses while thunder sounded above them.

Sed nunk tote hok iam ya-abi.
But now all of that had passed.

Lu sole ya-sikke le lapide de le strata, ak lu kalore ya-reveni rapide.
The sun dried the stones of the streets, and the heat quickly returned.

In le alique loku lu aqua adhuk ya-sta inter le lapide, ak ante le alique domu le parve ramu ak le folia ya-iake super lu terra post lu forte ventu.
In some places water still stood between the stones, and in front of some houses small branches and leaves lay on the ground after the strong wind.

Sed lu kaelu era nunk tote klare, ak lu Karthagine ya-fie vive iterum.
But the sky was now completely clear, and Carthage came alive again.

Le porta ya-fie aperte.
The doors opened.

Le merkatore ya-porta le sue merke in le strata, le pueru ya-kurre inter le domu, ak de lu parte de lu portu ya-veni le voke de le nauta ak lu sonu de lu labore.
The merchants carried their goods into the streets, boys ran between the houses, and from the direction of the harbour came the voices of sailors and the sounds of work.

Tazrint ya-ambula per lu via ad lu sue domu kum lu parve korbe in lu manu.
Tazrint walked along the road towards her house with a small basket in her hand.

In lu korbe era lu pane ak le pauke frukte ke illa ya-eme, ak illa ya-ambula kaute ubi le lapide adhuk era humide post lu imbre.
In the basket were bread and a few pieces of fruit that she had bought, and she walked carefully where the stones were still wet after the rain.

Illa ya-spekta ad le domu dum illa ya-praeteri illus.
She looked at the houses as she passed them.

Le humide tegula ya-nite sub lu sole, le fenestra era aperte, ak le femina iam ya-exi ante le porta ut ya-labora aut ya-loque kum le vikinu.
The wet roof tiles shone in the sun, the windows were open, and the women had already come out in front of their doors to work or talk with their neighbours.

Lu heri nokte lu urbe ya-sile sub lu prokella; nunk tote ya-move, ya-sona ak ya-vive iterum.
Last night, the city had been silent beneath the storm; now everything moved, sounded and lived again.

Tazrint iam era prope lu sue domu kiam illa subite ya-audi lu grande sonu ke ya-veni de lu altere via.
Tazrint was already near her house when she suddenly heard a loud noise coming from another street.

Illa ya-sta ak ya-auskulta.
She stopped and listened.

Lu sonu non era lu tonitru.
The sound was not thunder.

Era le voke de le multe homine, ak inter le voke illa ya-audi lu risu ak le forte klamore.
It was the voices of many people, and among them she heard laughter and loud shouting.

Ante kiam illa pote ya-vide lu kausa, lu sonu ya-fie plus forte, ak le homine ke era in lu strata ya-inkipi ya-spekta ad lu idem parte.
Before she could see what was causing it, the noise grew louder, and the people in the street began to look in the same direction.

Tazrint ya-move ad lu margine de lu via, ubi illa pote ya-vide plus bone.
Tazrint moved to the side of the road, where she could see better.

Lu grege ya-veni per lu strata, ak le omne homine de lu grege ya-dirige ad lu vetere theatru.
A group was coming along the street, and all the people in the group were heading towards the old theatre.

Ante illus ya-ambula lu unu viru kum lu grande voke, ke saepe ya-attolle le manu dum ille ya-klama ad le homine.
Ahead of them walked a man with a loud voice, who often raised his hands as he called out to the people.

Post eum le altere homine ya-ambula simul, ak le alique ya-ride ak ya-loque kum le homine ke ya-sta ante le domu.
Behind him the others walked together, and some laughed and talked with the people standing in front of the houses.

Le pueru ya-kurre iuxta lu grege, quia illus vole ya-ski ke ya-akkede.
The boys ran alongside the group because they wanted to know what was happening.

Le femina ya-exi de le taberna ak ya-sta ante le porta.
Women came out of the shops and stood in front of the doors.

Etiam le sene ke antea ya-sede tranquille sub lu sole ya-leva le kapite.
Even the old men who had been sitting quietly in the sun raised their heads.

Lu viru ante lu grege ya-attolle le ambe manu ak ya-exklama:
The man at the front of the group raised both hands and cried out:

“Ya-audi! Ya-audi! Kras in lu vetere theatru! Lu nove komoedia de Plautu!”
“Listen! Listen! Tomorrow at the old theatre! A new comedy by Plautus!”

Per lu breve momentu le homine ya-sile.
For a brief moment the people fell silent.

Postea lu risu ya-veni de lu turba.
Then laughter came from the crowd.

Tazrint ya-subride, quia etiam illa ya-ski ke alique re non era rekte.
Tazrint smiled, because she too knew that something was not quite right.

Lu sene ke ya-sta ante lu taberna ya-dike kum lu grande voke:
An old man standing in front of the shop called out loudly:

“Plautu?”
“Plautus?”

Lu viru de lu grege ya-verte ad eum.
The man from the group turned towards him.

“Ita! Plautu!”
“Yes! Plautus!”

Lu sene ya-ride ak ya-attolle lu manu.
The old man laughed and raised his hand.

“Ke ya-dike? Plautu iam ya-iake morte per le mille kente annu!”
“What are you saying? Plautus has been dead for eleven hundred years!”

Le homine kirke eum ya-inkipe ya-ride, sed lu viru de lu grege ya-pone lu manu super lu pektu ak ya-spekta ad lu sene kum lu serie vultu.
The people around him began to laugh, but the man from the group put his hand on his chest and looked at the old man with a serious expression.

“Nonne tu vole ya-vide lu nove komoedia?”
“Don’t you want to see the new comedy?”

“Jek vole ya-vide Plautu!” lu sene ya-responde.
“I want to see Plautus!” the old man replied.

“Si ille ya-skribe lu nove komoedia post le mille kente annu, jek vole ya-ski quomodo ille ya-fake hok!”
“If he has written a new comedy after eleven hundred years, I want to know how he did it!”

Ante kiam lu viru pote ya-responde, lu unu iuvene in lu turba ya-exklama:
Before the man could answer, a young man in the crowd cried out:

“Forsitan illus ya-habe lu bustirapu!”
“Perhaps they have a grave robber!”

Lu risu ya-fie plus forte.
The laughter grew louder.

Lu viru de lu grege ya-spekta ad lu iuvene quasi ille non ya-intellige.
The man from the group looked at the young man as if he did not understand.

“Lu bustirapu?”
“A grave robber?”

“Ita! Lu bustirapu ke ya-erue Plautu de lu sepulkru!”
“Yes! The grave robber who dug Plautus out of his tomb!”

“Forsitan illus ya-erue eum lu heri nokte dum le tote altere homine ya-mane in le domu propter lu prokella!”
“Perhaps they dug him up last night while everyone else stayed at home because of the storm!”

Nunk etiam Tazrint ya-ride.
Now even Tazrint laughed.

Lu viru de lu grege ya-pone lu manu super lu fronte.
The man from the group put his hand to his forehead.

“Eheu! Non! Lu bustirapu ya-pete plus lu kesef quam lu auktore!”
“Alas! No! The grave robber asks rather for money than an author!”

Lu risu ya-fie tale forte ke lu unu pueru ya-inkipe ya-salta in lu strata, quamquam ille klare non ya-intellige le omne verbu.
The laughter became so loud that one boy began jumping in the street, although he clearly did not understand all the words.

Lu sene ya-attolle lu manu iterum.
The old man raised his hand again.

“Sed si Plautu iam era morte, ke ya-skribe lu komoedia?”
“But if Plautus is already dead, who wrote the comedy?”

Lu viru ya-spekta ad eum kum lu serie vultu.
The man looked at him with a serious expression.

“Plautu.”
“Plautus.”

Lu sene ya-spekta ad eum.
The old man looked at him.

“Plautu?”
“Plautus?”

“Plautu.”
“Plautus.”

“Lu morte Plautu?”
“The dead Plautus?”

“Ita.”
“Yes.”

“Lu Plautu ke iam ya-iake in lu sepulkru per le mille kente annu?”
“The Plautus who has been lying in his tomb for eleven hundred years?”

“Lu idem.”
“The same one.”

Lu sene ya-sile per lu breve momentu, quasi ille ya-kogita vere super lu responsu.
The old man fell silent for a brief moment, as if he were seriously thinking about the answer.

Postea ille ya-dike:
Then he said:

“Papae! In lu Karthagine etiam le mortu debe ya-labora!”
“Good heavens! In Carthage even the dead have to work!”

Lu turba ya-ride iterum, ak lu altere viru de lu grege ya-klama super lu risu:
The crowd laughed again, and another man from the group shouted over the laughter:

“Kras! In lu vetere theatru! Ya-veni ak ya-vide lu nove komoedia!”
“Tomorrow! At the old theatre! Come and see the new comedy!”

Lu sene ya-dike:
The old man said:

“Jek ya-veni sole si lu bustirapu etiam era ibi.”
“I’ll come only if the grave robber is there too.”

“Ille debe ya-paga!” lu iuvene ya-exklama.
“He should have to pay!” the young man exclaimed.

“Immo!” lu viru de lu grege ya-responde.
“No!” the man from the group replied.

“Ille debe ya-agi in lu komoedia!
“He should act in the comedy!

Si ille pote ya-koge ad Plautu ut ya-skribe post le mille kente annu, ille pote ya-fake le omne re!
If he can make Plautus write after eleven hundred years, he can do anything!”

Lu sene ya-ride ak ya-feri le manu kontra le genu.
The old man laughed and slapped his hand against his knee.

“Bone! Nunk jek ya-veni!”
“Good! Now I’ll come!”

Lu grege ya-perge per lu strata, ak le pueru ya-sequi illus dum le voke ya-veni de plus prokul.
The group continued along the street, and the boys followed them as the voices came from farther away.

“Kras! In lu vetere theatru! Lu nove komoedia de Plautu!”
“Tomorrow! At the old theatre! A new comedy by Plautus!”

Tazrint ya-mane in lu via per lu breve tempore ak ya-spekta post illus.
Tazrint remained in the road for a short while and watched them go.

Illa adhuk ya-subride kiam illa ya-leva lu korbe iterum ak ya-perge ad lu domu.
She was still smiling as she lifted her basket again and continued towards the house.

Kiam Tazrint ya-veni, lu porta era aperte, ak de lu internu illa ya-audi le familiare voke.
When Tazrint arrived, the door was open, and from inside she heard the familiar voices.

Illa ya-intra ak ya-inveni Titrit ke ya-sede prope lu mensa, Marku ke ya-sta iuxta lu fenestra, ak Maximu ke ya-spekta le pannu ke era super lu mensa.
She went inside and found Titrit sitting near the table, Marku standing by the window, and Maximu looking at the cloth that lay on the table.

Tazrint ya-pone lu korbe super lu mensa.
Tazrint put the basket on the table.

Marku statim ya-spekta ad eam.
Marku immediately looked at her.

“Matre, ke era lu tote sonu in lu strata?
“Mother, what was all that noise in the street?

Jek ya-audi le homine de hik.”
“I could hear the people from here.”

Tazrint ya-responde dum illa ya-exime lu pane de lu korbe:
Tazrint answered as she took the bread out of the basket:

“Lu grege ya-praeteri per lu strata.
“A group passed along the street.

Illus ya-vade ad lu vetere theatru ak ya-pronuntia lu nove komoedia.”
“They were going to the old theatre and announcing a new comedy.”

Titrit ya-spekta subite ad lu matre.
Titrit suddenly looked at her mother.

“Lu theatru?
“The theatre?

Lu ke komoedia?”
“What comedy?”

Tazrint ya-pone le frukte iuxta lu pane ak ya-dike:
Tazrint put the fruit beside the bread and said:

“Illus ya-dike ke kras era lu nove komoedia de Plautu.”
“They said that tomorrow there would be a new comedy by Plautus.”

Maximu ya-leva le okulu de lu pannu.
Maximu raised his eyes from the cloth.

Marku ya-verte de lu fenestra.
Marku turned away from the window.

Titrit ya-spekta ad lu matre.
Titrit looked at her mother.

Per lu breve momentu nulle de illus ya-dike alique re.
For a brief moment none of them said anything.

Postea Maximu ya-interroga:
Then Maximu asked:

“Plautu?”
“Plautus?”

“Ita.”
“Yes.”

“Lu Plautu?”
“The Plautus?”

“Ita.”
“Yes.”

“Lu komoediante Plautu?”
“Plautus the playwright?”

“Jek non ya-kognoske altere Plautu.”
“I don’t know any other Plautus.”

Maximu ya-pone lu pannu super lu mensa.
Maximu put the cloth down on the table.

“Ille iam era morte.”
“He is already dead.”

“Hok etiam lu unu sene in lu strata ya-dike.”
“That’s what an old man in the street said too.”

Marku ya-appropinqua ad lu mensa kum lu grande interesse.
Marku approached the table with great interest.

“Ke ya-akkede postea?”
“What happened next?”

Tazrint ya-sede iuxta lu mensa.
Tazrint sat down beside the table.

“Lu sene ya-dike ke Plautu iam ya-iake morte per le mille kente annu ak ya-interroga quomodo ille pote ya-skribe lu nove komoedia.
“The old man said that Plautus had been dead for eleven hundred years and asked how he could write a new comedy.

Postea lu unu iuvene ya-interroga si lu grege ya-habe lu bustirapu ke ya-erue Plautu de lu sepulkru.”
“Then a young man asked whether the group had a grave robber who had dug Plautus out of his tomb.”

Marku ya-ride forte, ak etiam Titrit ya-pone lu manu ante lu ore quia illa non pote ya-kontine lu risu.
Marku laughed loudly, and even Titrit put her hand over her mouth because she could not contain her laughter.

Maximu ya-spekta ad Tazrint.
Maximu looked at Tazrint.

“Ak ke lu grege ya-responde?”
“And what did the group answer?”

“Lu viru ya-dike ke lu bustirapu ya-pete plus lu kesef quam lu auktore.”
“The man said that the grave robber was asking rather for money than the author.”

Marku ya-feri lu mensa kum lu manu.
Marku struck the table with his hand.

“Bone! Hok era bone!”
“Good! That was good!”

Titrit ya-interroga:
Titrit asked:

“Sed lu komoedia vere era de Plautu, aut illus sole ya-ute lu sue nomine?”
“But is the comedy really by Plautus, or are they just using his name?”

Tazrint ya-move lu kapite.
Tazrint shook her head.

“Jek non ya-ski.
“I don’t know.

Forsitan illus ya-dike tale ut le homine ya-veni.
“Perhaps they say that so that people will come.

Sed lu tote grege ya-vade ad lu vetere theatru, ak illus ya-klama ke lu komoedia era kras.”
“But the whole group was going to the old theatre, and they were shouting that the comedy was tomorrow.”

Maximu ya-nuta lente.
Maximu nodded slowly.

“Lu nomine de Plautu adhuk ya-habe lu valore.
“The name of Plautus still has value.

Si le homine ya-audi eum, illus vole ya-ski ke ya-akkede.”
If people hear it, they want to know what is happening.”

Marku ya-spekta ad lu patre.
Marku looked at his father.

“Patre, nos pote ya-vade?”
“Father, can we go?”

Maximu non ya-responde statim.
Maximu did not answer immediately.

Ille ya-leva lu pannu iterum, ya-spekta eum per lu breve tempore ak ya-fake quasi lu rogatione de Marku era minus interessante quam lu pannu.
He picked up the cloth again, looked at it for a short while and acted as if Marku’s question were less interesting than the cloth.

Marku ya-exspekta.
Marku waited.

Postea ille ya-dike:
Then he said:

“Jek vole ya-vide lu nove komoedia.
“I want to see the new comedy.

Nos non ya-vade ad lu theatru pro lu longe tempore.”
We haven’t been to the theatre for a long time.”

Titrit ya-dike:
Titrit said:

“Jek etiam vole ya-vade.
“I want to go too.

Jek vole ya-vide si lu bustirapu era ibi.”
I want to see if the grave robber is there.”

Tazrint ya-spekta ad Maximu kum lu parve risu.
Tazrint looked at Maximu with a small smile.

“Jek etiam ya-vole.”
“I want to as well.”

Maximu ya-pone lu pannu super lu mensa iterum ak ya-spekta ad illus tres.
Maximu put the cloth on the table again and looked at the three of them.

“Vos tres iam ya-statue ante kiam vos ya-interroga me.”
“You three already decided before you asked me.”

Tazrint ya-responde:
Tazrint replied:

“Non.
“No.

Nos sole iam ya-statue ke nos ya-vole.
We have only decided what we want.

Tu adhuk pote ya-statue ke nos ya-fake.”
You can still decide what we do.”

Maximu ya-spekta ad eam.
Maximu looked at her.

“Hok non ya-appare multe differente.”
“That doesn’t seem very different.”

Marku ya-dike:
Marku said:

“Patre, si Plautu ya-skribe lu nove komoedia post le mille kente annu, nos debe ya-vide eum.
“Father, if Plautus has written a new comedy after eleven hundred years, we have to see it.

Forsitan nos non ya-habe lu altere opportunitate.”
Perhaps we won’t get another opportunity.”

“Plautu non ya-skribe eum.”
“Plautus didn’t write it.”

“Quomodo tu ya-ski?”
“How do you know?”

“Quia ille era morte.”
“Because he is dead.”

Titrit ya-spekta ad lu patre kum lu serie vultu.
Titrit looked at her father with a serious expression.

“Forsitan lu bustirapu ya-erue eum.”
“Perhaps the grave robber dug him up.”

Per lu breve momentu Maximu ya-spekta ad eam, ak Titrit ya-mane tote serie.
For a brief moment Maximu looked at her, and Titrit remained completely serious.

Postea Maximu ya-ride.
Then Maximu laughed.

Tazrint ya-ride etiam, ak Marku ya-exklama:
Tazrint laughed too, and Marku exclaimed:

“Papae!
“Good heavens!

Titrit ya-fake ut lu patre ya-ride!”
Titrit made Father laugh!”

Titrit ya-subride.
Titrit smiled.

Maximu ya-move lu kapite, sed ille adhuk ya-ride.
Maximu shook his head, but he was still laughing.

“Satis era.
“That’s enough.

Jek iam ya-audi plus de lu bustirapu ke jek ya-vole.”
I’ve already heard more about the grave robber than I want to.”

“Ergo nos ya-vade?” Marku ya-interroga.
“So are we going?” Marku asked.

Maximu ya-spekta ad Tazrint.
Maximu looked at Tazrint.

Tazrint ya-dike:
Tazrint said:

“Kras lu labore non era multe.
“Tomorrow there won’t be much work.

Si nos ya-fini ante lu prandiu, nos pote ya-refokilla breve ak postea ya-vade simul.”
If we finish before lunch, we can rest for a while and then go together.”

Maximu ya-kogita per lu breve tempore.
Maximu thought for a short while.

Ille ya-spekta ad Marku, postea ad Titrit, ak tandem ad Tazrint.
He looked at Marku, then at Titrit, and finally at Tazrint.

“Bone.
“Good.

Kras nos ya-vade ad lu vetere theatru.”
Tomorrow we’ll go to the old theatre.”

Marku ya-gaude, ak Titrit ya-subride.
Marku rejoiced, and Titrit smiled.

“Ak si Plautu era ibi?” illa ya-interroga.
“And if Plautus is there?” she asked.

Maximu ya-responde:
Maximu replied:

“Si Plautu era ibi, jek ya-paga ad eum ipsu.”
“If Plautus is there, I’ll pay him myself.”

Tazrint ya-interroga:
Tazrint asked:

“Ak si lu bustirapu era ibi?”
“And if the grave robber is there?”

Maximu ya-spekta ad eam kum lu serie vultu.
Maximu looked at her with a serious expression.

“Jek non ya-paga eum.
“I won’t pay him.

Ille iam ya-pete lu plus kesef quam lu auktore.”
He already asks for more money than the author.”

Lu risu ya-sona in lu domu, ak per lu aperte porta lu kalide aere ya-intra de lu strata.
Laughter rang through the house, and warm air came in from the street through the open door.

Fore, lu sole ya-luke klare super lu Karthagine, ak lu ultime aqua de lu prokella ya-kurre lente inter le lapide dum lu die ya-fie plus kalide.
Outside, the sun shone brightly over Carthage, and the last water from the storm ran slowly between the stones as the day grew warmer.

Le nube de lu heri nokte iam ya-dispare, le strata ya-fie sikke, ak lu urbe ya-perge lu sue labore quasi lu prokella numquam ya-akkede.
The clouds from last night had already disappeared, the streets were drying, and the city went on with its work as if the storm had never happened.

Sed de prokul, inter le voke de le homine ak lu sonu de lu urbe, Tazrint ak lu familia adhuk pote ya-audi lu klama de lu grege:
But from far away, among the voices of the people and the sounds of the city, Tazrint and her family could still hear the group calling:

“Kras! In lu vetere theatru! Lu nove komoedia de Plautu!”
“Tomorrow! At the old theatre! A new comedy by Plautus!”

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