Letters to Atticus Passage 1

non modo si mihi tantum esset oti quantum est tibi, verum etiam si tam brevis epistulas vellem mittere quam tu soles, facile te superarem et in scribendo multo essem crebrior quam tu. sed ad summas atque incredibilis occupationes meas accedit quod nullam a me volo epistulam ad te absque argumento ac sententia pervenire. et primum tibi, ut aequum est civi amanti patriam, quae sint in re publica exponam; deinde quoniam tibi amore nos proximi sumus, scribemus etiam de nobis ea quae scire te non nolle arbitramur.

Not only if I had as much leisure as you, but even if I wished to send letters as short as those you usually send, I would easily surpass you and write much more frequently than you do. Yet, besides my immense and incredible occupations, I am determined that no letter from me shall reach you without substance and thought. First, as is proper for a citizen who loves his country, I shall explain the condition of the state. Then, since affection makes me your closest friend, I shall also write about myself what I suppose you are not unwilling to know.

Non seulement si j’avais autant de loisir que toi, mais même si je voulais envoyer des lettres aussi courtes que les tiennes d’ordinaire, je te surpasserais facilement et t’écrirais bien plus souvent que tu ne le fais. Mais à mes occupations extrêmes et incroyables s’ajoute mon refus de laisser aucune lettre parvenir de moi à toi sans matière ni pensée. Je t’exposerai d’abord, comme il convient à un citoyen qui aime sa patrie, l’état de la République; ensuite, puisque notre affection fait de nous les plus proches, je t’écrirai aussi sur moi-même ce que, je pense, tu ne refuses pas de savoir.