Yesterday I shared on Twitter a pick up strategy from Ovid that Pound alludes to in the Cantos. I’ve had a request to translate a few more. Here are some of my favorites:
From I.139-142. A great place to pick up a pretty girl is at the Circus:
Sit as close as possible to your lady, nothing is forbidden in the Circus.
Press your leg as close to her leg as possible at all times.
With those close seats there are no boundaries, even if it annoys you,
So you pretty much have to touch your lady when you’re in the Circus.
From I.153-156. And if she has a wardrobe malfunction make sure you help her:
If the hems of her skirt are dragging on the ground,
then gather them up and lift them from the dirt, and immediately,
as a reward for your attentiveness—if she allows it, of course—
your eyes will get a good look at her bare legs.
From 1.455-458. A little love note is always a good thing:
Go ahead and send her a letter with flattering sentiments,
and use this to explore her feelings and to test the road first.
From 1.505-506 and 509-510. Look presentable but not too metro:
Don’t curl your hair with the curling iron,
and don’t pluck all the hair from your legs.
A man is more handsome when he is not so fussy
about his appearance; Theseus, for example,
carried off Ariadne without spending any time
on his looks.
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