# Epigrammata 10.3

Martial, Epigrammata, Poem 10.3. Latin.

Canonical: https://interlinea.aeterna-institute.org/library/latin/martial/epigrammata/10.3

Vernaculorum dicta, sordidum dentem,
Et foeda linguae probra circulatricis,
Quae sulphurato nolit empta ramento
Vatiniorum proxeneta fractorum,
Poeta quidam clancularius spargit
Et volt videri nostra. Credis hoc, Prisce?
Voce ut loquatur psittacus coturnicis
Et concupiscat esse Canus ascaules?
Procul a libellis nigra sit meis fama,
Quos rumor alba gemmeus vehit pinna:
Cur ego laborem notus esse tam prave,
Constare gratis cum silentium possit?

---

Martial, Epigrammata, ed. Wilhelm Heraeus, Jacobus Borovskij. Text: the Perseus Digital Library, canonical-latinLit, CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: apostrophes normalised and the text divided into reading sections by Interlinea.
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Source: https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-latinLit/blob/master/data/phi1294/phi002/phi1294.phi002.perseus-lat2.xml.