Monday, April 30, 2012

Grato Servisse Patrono

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 2:32. You can read about Alexander the Great's famous horse, Bucephalus, at Wikipedia.

Grato Servisse Patrono
Gratus equo ut fuerit, magnus docet ille Macedo:
Ornat honore novo, condidit huic tumulum.




The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list, plus one proper name:

Macedo - the Macedonian, Alexander the Great
orno -āre: fit out, equip; embellish, adorn
patrōnus -ī m.: protector, defender, patron
tumulus, m. - mound, hill, tomb

condō -dere -didī -ditum: build, found; store up; hide, conceal
doceō -ēre -uī doctum: teach
equus -ī m.: horse
grātus -a -um: pleasant; grateful
hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
honor -ōris m.: honor, glory; office, post
ille illa illud: that
māgnus -a -um great
novus -a -um: new
serviō -īre: be a slave, serve (+ dat.)
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)

Pro Lege Et Pro Grege

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:30, with an English rendering by George Wither. The poem is about the legend of the pelican, who supposedly nourishes its chicks with the blood of its own breast, symbolic of the offering made by Jesus on the cross, as you can see in the background of the emblem. You can read more about the legend at the Medieval Bestiary website.

Pro Lege Et Pro Grege
Dux, vitam, bonus, et pro lege, et pro grege ponit,
Haec veluti pullos sanguine spargit avis.


Our Pelican, by bleeding, thus
Fulfill'd the Law, and cured Vs.


Here is the vocabulary:

pro - for, on behalf of
lex - law
et - and
grex - flock
dux - leader
vita - life
bonus - good
et...et... - both...and...
pono - place, put
hic - this, this one
veluti - like, just as
pullus - chick
sanguis - blood
spargo - sprinkle
avis - bird

Qui Vult Esse Altus, Sit Humilis

Here is today's distich by Michele Verinus:

Qui Vult Esse Altus, Sit Humilis
Esto humilis, quisquis fieri cupis incola caeli;
Fastus Tartareis excruciatur aquis.


Here is the vocabulary:

qui - who, which, that
volo - want, wish, will
sum - be, exist
altus - high, tall, loft
humilis - lowly, humble, obscure
quisquis - whoever
fio - become, be made, happen
cupio - desire, yearn
incola - resident
caelum - sky, heaven
fastus - contempt, disdain, arrogance
Tartareus - belonging to the underworld
excrucior - torture, torment
aqua - water

Sacrificium Mundum

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 9.58.

Sacrificium Mundum
Hic mundus, templum domini; crux, ara; sacerdos,
Et mactanda deo victima, Christus homo.


AN UNSPOTTED SACRIFICE
Gods Temple’s th’ Earth, Altar the Cross, the Priest,
The Sacrifice, and Sacrificer’s Christ.

Here is the vocabulary:

sacrificium - sacrifice
mundus - clean, pure
hic - this, this one
mundus - world
templum - temple
dominus - lord
crux - cross
ara - altar
sacerdos - priest
et - and
macto - sacrifice, slaughter
deus - god
victima - victim
Christus - Christ
homo - person, man

Notarius

Here is today's distich by Martial, 14.208:

Currant verba licet, manus est velocior illis:
Nondum lingua suum, dextra peregit opus.


The swifter hand doth the swift words out-run:
Before the tongue hath spoke, the hand hath done.
- Wright

Here is the vocabulary:

notarius - stenographer
curro - run
verbum - word
licet - although
manus - hand
sum - be, exist
velox - swift, fast
ille - that, that one
nondum - not yet
lingua - tongue
suus - reflexive possess
dextra - right (hand)
perago - finish, carry through
opus - work

Pinta trahit pintam,...

I found this poem in the collection Philosophia Patrum edited by Julius Wegeler.

Pinta trahit pintam, trahit altera pintula pintam;
et sic per pintas nascitur ebrietas.



The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are two words which are not on the DCC list:

ēbrietas, -ātis f. - drunkenness
pinta f. - pint; diminutive pintula

alter altera alterum: other of two
et: and
nāscor nāscī nātus sum: be born; nātus, son
per: through (+acc.)
sīc: in this manner, thus; sīc . . . ut, in the same way as
traho -ere trāxī trāctum: drag, draw



Quod potes id tempta...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.33, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Quod potes id tempta; nam litus carpere remis
Utilius multo est quam velum tendere in altum.


Begin what thou to finish canst not fail;
Safer near shore than on the deep to sail.
(Chase)

Try only what you can: 'tis wiser far
To row inshore than sail beyond the bar.
(Duff)

Here is the vocabulary:

qui - who, which, that
possum - can, be able
is - he/she/it
tempto - test, try
nam - for, the fact is
litus - shore, beach
carpo - pluck, graze, erode
remus - oar
utilis - useful
multus - much, many
sum - be, exist
quam - than
velum - sail
tendo - stretch, extend
in - in, into
altus - high, tall, lofty

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Latin Without Latin: Beatus

This is my thirteenth "Latin without Latin" essay. For background and a link to other essays, see this page: About the English Essays. This little poem comes from the distichs of John Owen, a Renaissance Latin poet who was born in Wales around 1564. The poem uses the metaphor of the summer solstice (the shortest night of the year, and the longest day) as a metaphor for human life. Before the "Old Style" calendar was reformed in 1752, the summer solstice fell on June 11, as you can see here in Owen's little poem.

Owen almost always gives his poems titles, and the title of this poem is BEÁTUS, which means "The Blessed Man" or "The Happy Man" (compare the English words beatific or the English name Beatrice).

Now let's see what the poem itself says!

Undécimo Iuni tua par sors laeta vidétur:
Post noctem fulsit lux tibi longa brevem.

Undécimo. This is from the Latin adjective undécimus, meaning eleventh. It is a compound: un- (one) plus décimus (tenth), hence the result: eleventh (compare the English words unity and decimal). It is in the ablative or dative form; we will have to wait and find out what form this is and also what noun the adjective modifies.

Iuni. This is from the Latin word Iunius, meaning Iunius mensis, the month of June. The month is named in honor of the goddess Juno. So now we know what noun the adjective undécimo refers to: undécimo (die), the eleventh day of June. We still don't yet know if it is in the ablative or dative case.

tua. This is from the Latin word tuus, meaning yours (the Latin word tu means you). It is either feminine singular or neuter plural in form; we will have to wait to find out which. Remember the title of the poem: beátus, the blessed or fortunate man. So, he is probably the "you" who is being addressed here.

par. This is a Latin adjective meaning equal or equal to (this is the origin of the English word pair). It takes a dative complement: so something of yours (we don't know yet what), tua, is equal to the eleventh of June, undécimo Iuni par, the old date of the summer solstice.

sors. This Latin word means lot or allotment, and it can have the sense of a supernatural allotment, a fate or destiny. (So the everyday English word sort comes from this Latin word, as does the supernatural word sorcery.) This gives us the feminine noun we were looking for: tua sors, your fate, is like the eleventh of June, undécimo Iuni par. The noun is in the nominative case, so we know it has to be the subject of the verb - and, as often in Latin, we are still waiting for the verb.

laeta. This is from the adjective laetus, meaning happy, joyful, glad (compare the English name Letitia, which is from the Latin noun laetitia, joyfulness). It is in the feminine singular form, so it tells us more about your fate - not just any fate, but a happy fate: tua sors laeta.

vidétur. As often, the Latin verb comes at the very end. This is from the verb videre, meaning to see (compare the English word video). The form vidétur is a passive form, meaning it is seen to be or, more simply, it seems. It is third person singular, which is what we want for our subject, sors, fate.

So that gives us the first line, and it's something like a riddle: somehow, you lucky person (beátus), your happy fate, tua sors laeta, seems equal, par vidétur, to the 11th of June: undécimo Iuni. As often in a distich poem, the structure is like a riddle. The first line leaves us asking: what does a happy life have in common with the summer solstice? The second line of the poem will answer that question for us.

Post. This is the Latin preposition meaning after (compare the Latin phrase post meridiem, after noon). The preposition takes an accusative complement.

noctem. This is from the Latin word nox, meaning night (compare the English word nocturnal). It is in the accusative case, which is just what we want: post noctem, after a night.

fulsit. This is from the Latin verb fulgere, meaning to shine (compare the English words fulgent, effulgent, refulgent). It is a perfect tense verb form, third person singular: after a night, post noctem, something (we don't know what yet) has begun to shine, fulsit.

lux. This is the Latin verb that means light, daylight (as in the famous Latin phrase, fiat lux, let there be light). The noun is in the nominative case, which gives us the subject of our verb: after a night, post noctem, the day has begun to shine, fulsit lux.

tibi. This is from the Latin pronoun tu, meaning you. It is in the dative form, meaning for you. So the day has dawned for you, fulsit lux tibi.

longa. This is from the Latin adjective longus, meaning long. As often in Latin poetry, the poet elegantly surprises us with some additional adjectives after the main statement. This adjective has to go with the word lux, light, so now we know what kind of light has dawned - it is a long daylight, lux longa, that has begun to shine for you, fulsit tibi.

brevem. This is from the Latin adjective brevis, meaning short or brief (compare the English word brevity). This is another surprise adjective at the end of the line. As it is in the accusative case, it goes with noctem, which is also in the accusative case: post noctem brevem, after a short night. Notice how the phrase post noctem ... brevem wraps around the entire line, a kind of elegant word order that is just not possible in English.

So, we now have our answer: a happy life is like the summer solstice because after just a short night (only a little darkness, just a brief period of despair), post nocetem brevem, a long daylight, lux longa, has shone upon you: fulsit tibi! The blessed life has the shortest night and the longest day, metaphorically speaking.

Now you can put both lines together:

Undécimo Iuni tua par sors laeta vidétur:
Post noctem fulsit lux tibi longa brevem.

For an English verse translation, here is one by Thomas Harvey:

Like Junes eleventh Day the Fates shine bright,
A long-long Day succeeds thy short-short Night.

Although English cannot manage the same elegant word order as the Latin, I do like Harvey's use of long-long day and short-short night!

For more of Owen's poems in Latin, you can visit the Owen stream in my Latin distichs blog. Here is a link to the blog post for this specific poem. As I add new English essays, you will be able to find those in the English stream at the blog. The next essay is about a life of hope and work: In Spe et Labore.

Meanwhile, for an image, here is the dawn of the summer solstice at Stonehenge:

Stertentes Opprimit Hostis

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 4:31. The title, Stertentes Opprimit Hostis, means "The Enemy Overwhelms Those Who Snore." :-)

Ut capiat pisces, piscator nocte laborat;
Ut seipsum servet, surgere nemo paret?





The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

piscātor, piscātōris m. - fisherman
piscis -is m.: fish

capiō capere cēpī captum: seize
ipse ipsa ipsum: him- her- itself
labōrō -āre: toil, work; be in trouble
nēmo: no one (gen. nullius, dat. nulli, abl. nullo or nulla > nullus -a -um)
nox noctis f.: night
parō -āre: prepare, acquire; parātus -a -um, ready
servō -āre: save, watch over
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
surgō surgere surrēxī surrēctum: rise
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)

Pedetentim

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:19, with an English rendering by George Wither. The poem is a variation on the famous Latin adage, festina lente.

Pedetentim
Per glaciem cautus pedetentim transeo, lente
Qui properat, tarde qui sapit, ille sapit.


His Pace, must wary be, and slow
That hath a Slippery-way to goe.


Here is the vocabulary:

pedetentim - step by step, slowly
per - by, through, over
glacies - ice
cautus - cautious
transeo - go across, cross
lente - slowly, sluggishly
qui - who, which, that
propero - hurry, hasten
tarde - tardy, slowly
sapio - be wise
ille - that, that one

Fictilibus Tutius

Here is today's distich by Michele Verinus:

Fictilibus Tutius
Fictilibus cenare pudet gemmasque requiris:
Ah, nescis, demens, quanta pericla manent.


Here is the vocabulary:

fictile - earthenware vessel
tutus - safe
ceno - dine, have supper
pudet - be a source of shame
gemma - precious stone, cup
que - and
requiro - require, seek, ask for
nescio - not know
demens - madman
quantus - how much, how many
periculum - danger
maneo - await, remain

Cygnus

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 7.58. The poem alludes to the famous legend of the swan song.

Cygnus
Cum me fata vocant, ad amoeni fluminis oram
Me moriens maesto carmine solor olor.


THE SWAN
When Fates me call, the Rivers Bank close by,
I sweetly sing my Requiem, and die.

Here is the vocabulary:

cygnus - swan
cum - when
ego - I, me
fatum - fate
voco - call
ad - to, towards
amoenus - beautiful, pleasant, agreeable
flumen - river, stream
ora - shore
morior - die
maestus - sad, gloomy
carmen - song
solor - console, comfort
olor - swan

Argenti libram mittebas...

Here is today's distich by Martial, 10.57:

Argenti libram mittebas; facta selibra est,
Sed piperis: tanti non emo, Sexte, piper.


You'd wont to send a pound of plat each year,
But half a pound does now from you appear,
And that of spice: I buy not spice so dear.
- Anon. 1695

Here is the vocabulary:

argentum - silver
libra - pound
mitto - send
fio - become, be made
selibra - half-pound
sed - but
piper - pepper
tantus - so much
non - not
emo - buy
Sextus - Sextus

Non hominis mores...

Here is today's Rhyming Distich, and here are some more posts with Rhyming Distichs. This one comes from the Florilegium Gottingense edited by Voigt.

Non hominis mores cito noscimus interiores;
Hinc laudis flores cito non tribuas vel honores.



The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list:

interior, interius; interiōris - inner, interior, intimate

cītus -a -um: swift
flōs, flōris m.: flower, bloom
hīc, here; hinc: from here
homo hominis m.: human being
honor -ōris m.: honor, glory; office, post
laus, laudis f.: praise, glory
mōs mōris m.: custom, habit; (pl.) character
nōn: not
nōsco nōscere nōvī nōtum: learn, know
tribuo -ere -uī tribūtum: assign, bestow, grant
vel: or else, or; even; vel . . . vel, either… or



Dum fortuna tibi est...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.32, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Dum fortuna tibi est rerum discrimine prava,
Alterius specta cui sit discrimine peior.


When fortune's favor seems not thine, take thought
Of him to whom Dame Fortune less hath brought.
(Chase)

When fortune at a crisis serves thee ill,
Look at that other who is served worse still.
(Duff)

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

discrīmen, discrīminis n. - division, difference, crisis, danger
pēior, pēiōris - worse
prāvus -a -um - vicious, perverse, bad; adv. prave

alter altera alterum: other of two
dum: while (+ indic.); until (+ subj.); provided that (+ subj.)
fortūna -ae f.: fortune
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
rēs reī f.: thing (rēs pūblica, commonwealth; rēs familiāris, family property, estate; rēs mīlitāris, art of war; rēs novae, revolution)
specto -āre: look at, consider
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)



Saturday, April 28, 2012

Et Voluisse Sat Est

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 3:31. Camerarius' essay explains the use of the velamentum and vincula which are used in hawking; even when restrained in this way, the hawk strives to fly up and away.

Et Voluisse Sat Est
Saepius excelsis tenuis res officit ausis,
Et tamen attollit mens generosa caput.



Here is the vocabulary:

et - and, even
volo - want, will, wish
sat - enough
sum - be, exist
saepe - often
excelsus - lofty, high, exalted
tenuis - fine, delicate, slight
res - thing
officio - block, check, impede
ausum - bold deed, exploit
tamen - but, however
attollo - lift, raise up, exalt
mens - mind
generosa - noble, of noble birth
caput - head

Transitus Celer Est Et Avolamus

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:18, with an English rendering by George Wither.

Transitus Celer Est Et Avolamus
Transitus hinc celer est, subitoque volare videmur
Caelestem in patriam, ad gaudia sancta poli.


Where er'e we dwell, the Heav'ns are neere
Let us but fly, and wee are there.


Here is the vocabulary:

transitus - passage, crossing
celer - swift, speedy, fast
sum - be, exist
et - and
avolo - fly, vanish, rush off
hinc - from here
subito - suddenly, unexpectedly
que - and
volo - fly
video - see; videor - seem
caelestis - heavenly, celestial
in - in, into
patria - fatherland, homeland, home
ad - to, towards
gaudium - joy
sanctus - sacred, holy
polus - pole, heaven, sky

Feminae Occursus

Here is today's distich by Michele Verinus. You can read about the proverbial "Parthian shot" at Wikipedia.

Feminae Occursus
Formosae occursus mulieris daemonis arma:
Parthorum tamquam dira sagitta ferit.


Here is the vocabulary:

femina - woman
occursus - meeting, encounter
formosus - beautiful, shapely
mulier - woman
daemon - demon, devil
arma - weapons
Parthus - Parthian
tamquam - just as
dirus - cruel, awful
sagitta - arrow
ferio - wound

O Tempora!

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 8.58.

O Tempora!
“Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.”
Quomodo? Fit semper tempore peior homo.


O THE TIMES!
The Times are Chang’d, and in them Chang’d are we:
How? Man as Times grow worse, grows worse we see.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list:

pēior, pēiōris - worse

et: and
fīo fierī factus sum: become
homo hominis m.: human being
ille, illa, illud: that
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
mūto -āre: change
nōs, nostrum/nostrī nobis nōs: we
quōmodo: in what way, how?
semper: always, ever
tempus -oris n.: time

Qui potuit Bacchi matrem...

Here is today's distich by Martial, 5.72. The distich joking alludes to Dionysus' birth from Zeus' thigh.

Qui potuit Bacchi matrem dixisse Tonantem,
ille potest Semelen dicere, Rufe, patrem.

He that affirms Jove Bacchus' mother may
Prove Semele his father the same way.
- Anon.

Here is the vocabulary:

qui - who, which, that
possum - can, be able
Bacchus - Bacchus
mater - mother
dico - say
Tonans - thundering; Thunderer
ille - that, that one
Semele - Semele
Rufus - Rufus
pater - father

Senex et Iuvenis


102     -     103     -     104


Senex et Iuvenis
Nemo senex adeo, quin annum vivere possit,
Nemo tam iuvenis, quin ipse mori cito possit.


Source: Andreas Gartner, Proverbialia Dicteria (1578). Meter: Dactylic Hexameter. The word quin is a contraction of qui and ne, which fits this poem very nicely; you can read more about the many different uses of quin in the Lewis & Short Dictionary entry.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:

There is no man so old (nemo adeo senex) that he could not (quin possit) live another year (vivere annum); there is no man so young (nemo tam iuvenis) that he could not (quin ipse possit) suddenly die (cito mori).

adeō: (adv.) to such a degree, so
annus -ī m.: year
cītus -a -um: swift; citō swiftly
ipse ipsa ipsum: him- her- itself
iuvenis -is m.: youth
morior morī mortuus sum: die
nēmo: no one (gen. nullius, dat. nulli, abl. nullo or nulla > nullus -a -um)
possum posse potuī: be able
quīn: (adv.) indeed, in fact; (conjunction) so that . . . not (+ subj.)
senex -is m.: old man, elder; senior, older
tam: so
vīvō vīvere vīxī victum: live







Demissos animo...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.31, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Demissos animo et tacitos vitare memento:
Quod flumen placidum est, forsan latet altius unda.


Who silent is and melancholy, shun;
Perchance the quiet rivers too deep run.
(Chase)

Gloomy and silent men take care to shun;
Still waters haply all too deep may run.
(Duff)

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

dēmitto, -ere, dēmīsī, dēmissum - let down, stop, send down
forsan - perhaps, perchance

altus -a -um: high, lofty; deep
animus -ī m.: spirit, mind
et: and
flūmen -inis n.: stream, river
lateo -ēre latuī: lie hidden, be hidden
meminī meminisse: remember, recollect
placidus -a -um: quiet, calm, gentle, kindly
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
taceo -ēre -uī -itum: be silent; tacitus -a -um, silent
unda -ae f.: wave, flowing water, water
vīto -āre: avoid, shun



Friday, April 27, 2012

Latin Without Latin: Adversis Succumbens

This is my twelfth "Latin without Latin" essay. For background and a link to other essays, see this page: About the English Essays. This little poem comes from the distichs of Publius Faustus Andrelinus (c. 1460-1518). He was born in Forli in northern Italy and later moved to France, where he taught at the University of Paris. He wrote many types of Latin poetry, including distichs! You can find his hecatodistichon, his "hundred distichs," at Google Books. Andrelinus assigns titles to his poems, and the title of this poem is: Advérsis Succúmbens. So, let's start with the title!

Advérsis. This is from the Latin adjective, advérsus, meaning opposed, hostile. (Compare the English words adverse and adversity.) The form here could be dative plural or ablative plural; we will have to wait and see which it is.

Succúmbens. This is from the Latin verb succumbere, to lie down, surrender, succumb. The form is a present active participle, surrendering. The verb takes a dative complement, which is just what we wanted: Advérsis Succúmbens, Surrendering to Adverse (Things), Surrendering to Adversity.

So the poem is going to be about someone who gives in when the going gets tough. Let's read the poem to find out more:

Cásibus advérsis fracta qui mente recúmbit,
Fortúna ignórat dexterióre frui.

Let's see what it says!

Cásibus. This is from the Latin masculine noun, casus, which is a verbal noun from the verb cadere, to fall. So a casus is a falling, a downfall, an overthrow - but it also means chance or accident. You can see the Latin root in the English word accident, and it's lurking there in the word chance, too: English chance comes from Old French cheance, from Latin cadentia. So this poem has something to do with chance circumstances, in either the dative or ablative case. We'll have to keep reading to find out just how the word is being used.

advérsis. This is the word we saw in the title; here it matches the word cásibus, giving us the noun phrase: cásibus advérsis, adverse accidents or, more simply, what we would call bad luck.

fracta. This is from the Latin adjective fractus, broken (compare the English words fracture and fraction). The ending is either feminine or neuter, but we can't be sure which until we read on.

qui. This is the Latin relative pronoun, who. It is masculine singular here, and it's nominative, so we have the subject of our relative clause! That means we've got three noun phrases in play so far (cásibus advérsis, fracta, and qui), but nothing to tie them together yet.

mente. This is from the Latin feminine noun, mens, meaning mind (compare the English word mental). It is in the ablative case and goes with fracta, giving us fracta mente, a broken mind. Broken by what? Broken by bad luck, cásibus advérsis (we can safely identify that phrase now as ablative plural). This entire phrase is what is called an ablative absolute in Latin, a noun phrase that can stand on its own in the sentence: his mind being broken by bad luck, cásibus advérsis fracta mente. Now we just need a verb to go with our relative pronoun, qui.

recúmbit. This is the verb we were looking for! It is from recumbere, to sink down, lie down, collapse (compare the English recumbent, as in a recumbent bicycle). The form is third-person singular, which is what we wanted: qui recúmbit, (he) who collapses when his mind is broken by bad luck, cásibus advérsis fracta mente. Note that this verb, recúmbit, echoes the participle in the title: Advérsis Succúmbens, Surrendering to Adversity.

This first line is not a complete statement, but is instead a relative clause, describing a certain type of person. We will need to read the second line to find out more about that person:

Fortúna. This is the name of a goddess in Latin, Fortúna, whom we might call Lady Luck in English, or fortune - which can be good or bad fortune, good or bad luck. Just as we don't know yet whether this is good or bad fortune, we also don't know yet whether she is in the nominative or the ablative case; we will have to read on to find out.

ignórat. This is from the Latin verb ignorare, to be ignorant, to not know how. The form is third-person singular: he does not know, he does not know how to. But it needs an infinitive complement: to not know how to do what...? We need to keep reading to find out.

dexterióre. This is from the Latin adjective dexter, which means right (i.e. not left), but also favorable, propitious, positive (compare the English word dexterity).. More specifically, it is from the comparative, dextérior, meaning more favorable, more positive. The form dexterióre is ablative singular, so that identifies Fortúna as ablative: Fortúnā dexterióre, more favorable fortune, better luck. As a result, we've now got an ablative phrase, Fortúna dexterióre, and a verb, ignórat, but we need an infinitive to tie it all together.

frui. Here is our infinitive! The verb frui means to use, to enjoy, to delight in. Even better: the verb frui takes an ablative complement. So now we have a complete statement: ignórat frui, he doesn't know how enjoy fortúna dexterióre, his better luck. In other words, when his luck does take a turn for the better, he doesn't know how to take advantage of it!

Note how the words of this line are elegantly interwoven, with the noun phrase Fortúna dexterióre woven into the verb phrase ignórat frui, something that is just impossible in English but very natural and elegant in Latin: Fortúna ignórat dexterióre frui.

So, now we can put it all together. As often, the two-line poem is based on a contrast between the topic of the first line - cásibus advérsis, bad luck - and the topic of the second line - Fortúna dexterióre, more favorable luck. More specifically, the poem tells us that the person who collapses, qui recúmbit when his mind is broken by bad luck, cásibus advérsis fracta mente, is not able to take advantage of better circumstances when his luck changes, Fortúna ignórat dexterióre frui.

The message, then, is don't give up when things look bad - if you give in to bad luck, you won't be able to enjoy your good luck when the time finally does come! After all, the famous Wheel of Fortune does turn around and around - if you're down, don't worry: the wheel will turn you upright again.

Cásibus advérsis fracta qui mente recúmbit,
Fortúna ignórat dexterióre frui.

Andrelinus was quite famous in his day, but is now forgotten; by reviving some of his poems here, I hope to bring him back a little bit of the fame he once enjoyed - a bit of Fortúna dextérior as it were. Meanwhile, As I add new English essays, you will be able to find those in the English stream at the blog. The next essay is a poem about the summer solstice: Beatus.

Nec Dum Cessat Amor

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 1:31. The image shows a turtle dove, a symbol of faithful love and devotion. Meanwhile, the almond tree alludes to the story of Phyllis and Demophoon.

Nec Dum Cessat Amor
Omnia cum rapiat mors, non extinguit amorem,
Quo devincta sibi est usque marita fides.




The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

cesso -āre - delay, stop, cease
dēvinciō, -īre, dēvinxī, dēvinctum - bind together, tie up, oblige
exstinguo, -ere, exstinxī, exstinctum - put out, quench, kill

amor -ōris m.: love
cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
dum: while (+ indic.); until (+ subj.); provided that (+ subj.)
fidēs -eī f.: trust, faith
marītus -ī m.: husband
mors mortis f.: death
neque nec: and not, nor; neque . . . neque, neither . . . nor
nōn: not
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
rapiō rapere rapuī raptum: seize, tear away
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
ūsque: up to; continuously

Prudente Simplicitate

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:17, with an English rendering by George Wither. The visual emblem alludes the simplicity of the doves and the prudence of snakes, and in the background you can see Mary's encounter with Jesus as a gardener:


Prudente Simplicitate
Vitam quod faciat beatiorem
Prudens simplicitas, pie putamus.


Man's life, no Temper, more doth blesse
Then Simple-prudent-harmelessenesse.


Here is the vocabulary:

prudens - sensible, farseeing
simplicitas - simplicity, candor
vita - life
quod - because, insofar as
facio - make
beatus - blessed, happy
pius - devout, dutiful, pious
puto - think

Recta Conscientia

Here is today's distich by Michele Verinus:

Recta Conscientia
Gaudia vera dabit mens omnis criminis expers:
Hei mihi, quam pauci gaudia vera ferent.


The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

conscientia f. - shared knowledge, conscience, sense of guilt
expers, expertis - having no part in, free from
hei - alas! woe!

crīmen -inis n.: verdict, accusation
dō dare dedī datum: give
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
ferō ferre tulī lātum: bear, carry
gaudium -ī n.: delight, joy, pleasure
mēns mentis f.: mind
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
paucī -ae -a: few
quam: how?; (after comparative) than
rectus -a -um: straight, direct
vērus -a -um: true; vērē, truly



De Iure et Iustitia

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 3.56. Owen address this poem to his friend Richard Trevor, Doctor at Law, Ad Amicum Suum Ricardum Trevor, L. L. Doctorem.

De Iure et Iustitia
Trita magis iuris quam iustitiae via, quamquam
Iuris iter longum, iustitiaeque breve est.


OF LAW AND JUSTICE
The way to Law than Justice more we trace,
Though this the shorter, that’s the longer Race.


The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

iustitia f. - justice, righteousness
terō -ere, trīvī, trītum - wear away, wear out, tread

brevis -e: short, shallow, brief; adv. breviter
dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
et: and
iter itineris n.: journey, route
iūs iūris n.: right, justice, law
longus -a -um: long, far; longē: far, far off
magis: more
quam: how?; (after comparative) than
quamquam: however, although
que (enclitic) - and
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
via -ae f.: way, street



Qui ducis vultus...

Here is today's distich by Martial, 1.40:

Qui ducis vultus et non legis ista libenter,
omnibus invideas, livide: nemo tibi.


Who read'st these lines, from rancorous spleen not free,
May'st envy all, and none e'er envy thee!
- Anon. 1695

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

invideo -ēre, invīdī, invīsum - envy, be jealous, begrudge
libens, libentis - willing, glad; adv. libenter
līvidus -a -um - black-and-blue, livid, spiteful

dūco dūcere dūxī ductum: lead; uxōrem ducere, marry
et: and
iste, ista, istud: that, that of yours; adv. istīc or istūc, over there; istinc, from over there
lego legere lēgī lēctum: gather, choose, read
nēmo: no one (gen. nullius, dat. nulli, abl. nullo or nulla > nullus -a -um)
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
vultus -ūs m.: look, expression, face



Cordi, Non Chartae

Here is today's Rhyming Distich, and here are some more posts with Rhyming Distichs. The computer hard drive is the modern equivalent of the medieval carta! This one comes from the Florilegium Gottingense edited by Voigt.

Cordi, non chartae, credas, quae noveris arte,
Quod, si charta cadat, tecum sapientia vadat.


The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

charta f. - leaf of papyrus, paper, writing
sapientia f. - wisdom
vādo, -ere - go, walk, hurry

ars artis f.: skill
cado cadere cecidī cāsum: fall, be killed
cor cordis n.: heart; cordī est, it is pleasing to (+ dat.)
crēdo -ere crēdidī crēditum: believe
cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
nōn: not
nōsco nōscere nōvī nōtum: learn, know
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
sī: if
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)



Cum Venere et Baccho...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.30, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Cum Venere et Baccho lis est et iuncta voluptas:
Quod lautum est, animo conplectere, sed fuge lites.


With love and wine pleasure and strife are knit;
Cleave to the good in these; the bad omit.
(Chase)

With love and wine are strife and pleasure knit:
Take to your heart the joy; the strife omit.
(Duff)

Here is the vocabulary:

cum - with
Venus - goddess of love, love
Bacchus - god of wine
lis - quarrel, lawsuit
sum - be, exist
et - and, also
iungo - join
voluptas - pleasure
qui - who, which, that
lautus - elegant, fine, sumptuous
animus - spirit, mind
conplector - embrace
sed - but
fugio - flee, run away from

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Haec Vera Potentia Est

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 2:31. In the essay, Camerarius invokes Plato's use of the horse allegory in the Phaedrus to which this emblem alludes.

Haec Vera Potentia Est
Affectus quisquis mentis moderatur habenis,
Fertur equo domito; qui vagus, ille fero.



Here is the vocabulary:

hic - this, this one
verus - true
potentia - power
sum - be, exist
affectus - affection, love, emotion
quisquis - whoever, anyone, everyone
mens - mind
moderor - guide, control, govern
habena - halter, reins
fero - carry, bear, report
equus - horse
domo - subdue, master, tame
qui - who, which, that
ille - that, that one
ferus - wild

In Spe Et Labore Transigo Vitam

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:16, with an English rendering by George Wither. You can see the emblems of hope both by land (the farmer sows in hope) and by sea (the anchor is the sailor's hope).

In Spe Et Labore Transigo Vitam
Spes me alit atque labor, miseram sic transigo vitam;
Non nisi in aeterna est pace beata quies.



Our Dayes, untill our Life hath end
In Labours, and in Hopes, wee spend.



The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

quies, quiētis f. - calm, rest, quiet
transigo -ere, transēgī, transactum - drive through, bring to an end, conclude

aeternus -a -um: everlasting, eternal
alō alere aluī alitum: nourish
atque, ac: and in addition, and also, and; (after comparatives) than; simul atque, as soon as
beatus -a -um: happy, blessed, prosperous, fortunate
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
et: and
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
labor -ōris m.: toil, exertion
miser misera miserum: wretched, pitiable
nisi/nī: if not, unless
nōn: not
pāx pācis f.: peace
sīc: in this manner, thus; sīc . . . ut: in the same way as
spēs speī f.: hope
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
vīta -ae f.: life

De Gloria

Here is today's distich by Michele Verinus:

De Gloria
Gloria si dulcis, studeas virtute parare:
Quo labor est maior, gloria maior erit.


The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:

dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
dulcis -e: sweet
glōria -ae f.: glory, fame
labor -ōris m.: toil, exertion
māior -ius: greater, older; maiōres -um: ancestors
parō -āre: prepare, acquire; parātus -a -um, ready
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sī: if
studeō -ēre -uī: be eager, be zealous, care for (+ dat.)
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
virtūs -ūtis f.: valor, manliness, virtue


Patiens Inversus, et Patientia Diversa

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 7.56.

Patiens Inversus, et Patientia Divisa
Esse volo patiens, si nolo cogor, at in spe:
Hac ego fio potens entia cuncta pati.


PATIENCE
I will, or must be patient, hoping still:
All things by this I suffer can, or will.

Here is the vocabulary:

patior - endure, suffer
inverto - turn upside down, change
et - and
patientia - endurance, patience
divido - divide, separate
sum - be, exist
volo - want, wish, will
si - if
nolo - want not, refuse
cogo - collect, compel, force
at - but
in - in, into
spes - hope
hic - this, this one
ego - I, me
fio - be made, become, happen
potens - powerful, capable
cunctus - all, every, entire

Cui legisse satis...

Here is today's distich by Martial, 1.118:

Cui legisse satis non est epigrammata centum,
nil illi satis est, Caediciane, mali.


He who a hundred epigrams reads o'er,
No ill's enough for him, if he wants more.
- Anon. 1695

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

Caedicianus - proper name
epigramma, epigrammatis n. - epigram
 
malus -a -um: evil
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
satis/sat: enough, sufficient
nōn: not
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
centum: one hundred
lego legere lēgī lēctum: gather, choose, read
ille, illa, illud: that
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?




Dilectio Vera


165     -     166     -     167


Dilectio Vera
Tempore felici non cognoscuntur amici;
Sorte patet misera, quae sit dilectio vera.


Source: Philosophia Patrum (ed. Wegeler), 1354. Meter: Dactylic Hexameter. Note the rhymes: felici-amici and misera-vera.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list:

dīlectio (dīlectiōnis, f.): love, affection

amīcus -a -um: friendly; (as subst.) friend
cōgnōsco -ere -gnōvī -gnitum:  learn, understand
fēlīx -īcis: lucky; adv. fēlīciter
miser misera miserum: wretched, pitiable
nōn: not
pateo -ēre patuī: lie open, extend, spread
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
sors, sortis f.: lot, fate, destiny; oracle
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tempus -oris n.: time
vērus -a -um: true; vērē, truly



Discere Nolle


316     -     317     -     318


Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.29, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Discere Nolle

Non pudeat, quae nescieris, te velle doceri:
Scire aliquid laus est, culpa est nil discere velle.


To wish for knowledge is no cause for shame;
To have it merits praise; to scorn it, blame.
(Chase)

Blush not to wish, where ignorant, to be taught:
Knowledge wins praise: drones wish to study naught.
(Duff)

Source: The Distichs of Cato (4th century), 4.29. Meter: Dactylic Hexameter.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list:

pudeo, pudēre: shame, be ashamed

aliquis -quae -quod: some, any; si quis, si quid: anyone who, anything that
culpa -ae f.: guilt, fault, blame
disco -ere didicī: learn
doceo -ēre -uī doctum: teach
laus, laudis f.: praise, glory
nescio -scīre: not know, be ignorant
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
nōn: not
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
scio -īre -īvī/-iī -ītum: know
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
volo velle voluī: wish, be willing



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Latin Without Latin: Sapientia et Stultitia

This is my eleventh "Latin without Latin" essay. For background and a link to other essays, see this page: About the English Essays. This little poem comes from Disticha de Educatione of Urbano Appendini, published in 1834; you can see the whole book at Google Books. This particular poem comes from the section concerning the social graces, de educatione sociali.

Vis tua laudétur sapiéntia? Saepe tacébis;
Stultítia ut láteat vis tua? Saepe tace.

Vis. This is from the Latin verb velle, meaning to want or wish (the same root as in the English word voluntary). It is the second-person singular form, so it means you want or you wish. So, we are on the lookout for an infinitive or other construction that can explain just what is wanted.

tua. This is from the Latin adjective tuus, your. So, in addition to being on the lookout for an infinitive, we're on the lookout for a noun to go with this adjective.

laudétur. This from the verb laudare, to praise (compare the Latin phrase summa cum laude, with highest praise). It is third-person singular, passive, and the mood is subjunctive: should be praised. That will go nicely with our verb vis, you want - vis tua laudétur, do you want that your (something) should be praised? We're still waiting to find out just what!

sapiéntia. This is the Latin word that means wisdom (compare the adjective sapiens, wise, as in homo sapiens, the wise human). So, this gives us the first half of the line, in the form of a question: Vis tua laudétur sapiéntia? Do you want your wisdom to be praised? Notice that the word wisdom has an emphatic position at the end of the sentence; that style of word order is hard to convey in English.

Now let's see what the second half of the line offers.

Saepe. This is the Latin adverb meaning often.

tacébis. This is from the Latin verb tacere, to be quiet, be silent. It is second-person singular, future tense: you will be silent.

So, the second half of the line answers the question answered in the first half: Vis tua laudétur sapiéntia? Do you want your wisdom to be praised? Saepe tacébis, then you will often keep quiet. The idea is that if you can just manage to keep silent, people will take your silence for wisdom!

Now let's see what the second line holds:

Stultítia. This is the Latin word that means foolishness, stupidity (compare the English word stultify). So, this second question begins with a word, stultítia, that is the opposite of the word in the first question, sapiéntia.

ut. This is a word that means so or so that. It is commonly used to introduce a subjunctive verb. In fact, if the poet had wanted to include it in the first line, he could have done so: vis (ut) tua laudétur sapiéntia? It's a coordinating word that is easily omitted if it doesn't fit the meter. So we're on the lookout for a similar construction in this line - we need a verb in the subjunctive mood, just like we had before.

láteat. This is from the Latin verb lateo, to hide, stay hidden, lurk (compare the English word latent). It is third person singular, active this time, and this is just the subjunctive verb we were looking for. Now you can probably even guess what the next word will be!

vis. Here is vis again, just as expected. So we have a question again in this line, just as in the first line: Stultítia ut láteat vis? Do you want foolishness to stay hidden? Ah, but whose foolishness?

tua. Your foolishness, of course: stultítia tua.

So, as in the first line, the second line opens with a question: Stultítia ut láteat vis tua? Do you want your foolishness to stay hidden? Notice again the elegant word order: in the first question the key word, sapiéntia, wisdom, came in last place; in this question, stultítia, wisdom's opposite, is in first place. (The first place and the last place are the most emphatic positions in a Latin sentence.)

Now we are ready for the second half of the line, telling us what we need to do to keep our stupidity hidden. Can you guess the answer?

Saepe. This is the adverb we saw before: often.

tace. This is from the verb we saw before: tacere, to be silent. This time it is an imperative: tace, be silent! So, if you want for your foolishness to remain hidden, stultítia ut láteat vis tua, then keep your silence often: saepe tace!

So, even though sapiéntia and stultítia are opposites, you can use the same strategy to manage them both: tacére, being silent.

You might know the English saying, "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." This Latin poem is even more optimistic: if you keep silent, you can actually be thought to be wise, in addition to keeping a lid on your foolishness!

So here it is again; see if you can put it all together:

Vis tua laudétur sapiéntia? Saepe tacébis;
Stultítia ut láteat vis tua? Saepe tace.

Of course, by publishing all these things in my blog, I am going against the advice of this little poem, ha ha - but then if I kept silent, I wouldn't be able to share these little poems with you. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed this one, and as I add new English essays, you will be able to find those in the English stream at the blog. The next essay is about bad luck and good luck: Adversis Succumbens.

Praedae Spes Vana Capit

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 4:30. As you can see, there are lines with hooks dangling from the gourds which are set adrift in the water and then pulled in on a single line.

Praedae Spes Vana Capit
Pisciculos viden' ut pomposa cucurbita fallat?
Nil solidi illa tamen, sed tegit insidias.



Here is the vocabulary:

praeda - booty, loot, plunder
spes - hope
vanus - empty, vain
capio - catch
pisciculus - little fish
video - see
-ne - question particle
ut - as, so
pomposus - pompous, solmen
curcurbita - gourd
fallo - deceive, disappoint
nil - nothing
solidus - solid, dense
ille - that, that one
tamen - however
sed - but
tego - cover
insidiae - ambush, plot, snare

Non Dormit Qui Custodit

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:15, with an English rendering by George Wither.The crane was supposed to use a sly strategy for staying awake while on guard: the crane would hold up a rock with one leg so that, if the crane fell asleep, the rock hitting the ground would wake him up. The text of the poem reads sapori, but I have changed it to sopori. Can anybody think of a reason not to make this correction? Note also that the emblem contains the letters EPISCOP, from the Greek epi- (over) and -scop (look), which gives us the English word bishop.

Non Dormit Qui Custodit
Detinet hunc non alta quies similisque sopori,
Qui vigili, nostras res, ratione, regit.


A Shepherd carefull of the Sheepe
At all times, faithfull Watch doth keepe.


Here is the vocabulary:

non - no
dormio - sleep
qui - who, which, that
custodio - guard, stand guard
detineo - hold, keep, occupy
hic - this, this one
altus - high, talle, deep
quies - quiet, rest
similis - like, similar
que - and
sopor - deep sleep
vigil - awake, alert
noster - our, ours
res - thing
ratio - reckoning, plan, reasoning
rego - rule, guide, direct

De Risu

Here is today's distich by Michele Verinus:

De Risu
Immodicus risus non est sapientis et index
Stultitiae; lepidi sint sine dente ioci.


Here is the vocabulary:

de - about, concerning
risus - laughter
immodicus - excessive, immoderate
non - not
sum - be, exist
sapiens - wise; wise man
et - and
index - sign, proof, indicator
stultitia - foolishness
lepidus - agreeable, charming
sine - without
dens - tooth
iocus - joke