I'll be taking a holiday break from the Latin Audio Proverbs blog, but I'll start back up again in January!
Meanwhile, I've created a Latin Christmas Carol blog for the month of December! You can keep up with the new Latin Christmas Carol for each day in December by checking the news at the Bestiaria Latina blog.
Happy Holidays!
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December 17, 2006
December 16, 2006
Assidua stilla saxum excavat
In English: The persistent drip wears through stone.
After the water theme of yesterday's proverb and the day before, I thought this proverb would be a good follow-up. It is one of my favorite proverbs in Latin! The idea, of course, is that "slow and steady wins the race," but in this case, the scenario is much more plausible than a tortoise actually outrunning a hare. Water really does wear away stone! The drip drip drip of the water can wear away stone, even though the water is so soft, and the stone is so very hard. It is a profound but everyday event in the world of nature, and the metaphorical applications are enormous. If there is some daunting task that you face, some task that might even seem impossible, this is the kind of proverb that can inspire you to keep going! Be like the water... don't worry if your opponents are stone: you really can wear them down and follow your own path.
This is one of the proverbs that made its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 3.3.3. Erasmus cites many parallel passages from both Greek and Latin sources which express this same basic idea, and one of the parallels he cites is this couplet from Ovid's Ars Amatoria:
Quid magis est durum saxo, quid mollius unda?
Dura tamen molli saxa cavantur aqua.
What is more hard than stone, what is softer than the wave?
Nevertheless, the hard stones are worn away by the soft water.
This is another great example of how it is possible to generate many different forms of the "same" proverb, each with a slightly different shade of meaning or style. You can take the same basic idea and by changing one or two of the words, or just by altering the word order, you can come up with a version of the proverb exactly suited to the point you wish to make.
For example, today's proverb calls attention to the persistent dripping of the water, drop by drop by drop: assidua stilla. Ovid's version, on the other hand, calls attention to the paradox of soft versus hard. So, if you want to emphasize the need to be persistent in the face of adversity, use the saying assidua stilla saxum excavat. If instead you want to emphasize the paradox of how something hard can be overcome by something that is not hard at all, go with Ovid's version. The choice is yours!
Also, if the Latin word stilla, "drop," is new to you, just think of the English word "still," where liquor is dis-stilled (Latin de-stillare), drop by drop.
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1088. Assidua stilla saxum excavat.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
After the water theme of yesterday's proverb and the day before, I thought this proverb would be a good follow-up. It is one of my favorite proverbs in Latin! The idea, of course, is that "slow and steady wins the race," but in this case, the scenario is much more plausible than a tortoise actually outrunning a hare. Water really does wear away stone! The drip drip drip of the water can wear away stone, even though the water is so soft, and the stone is so very hard. It is a profound but everyday event in the world of nature, and the metaphorical applications are enormous. If there is some daunting task that you face, some task that might even seem impossible, this is the kind of proverb that can inspire you to keep going! Be like the water... don't worry if your opponents are stone: you really can wear them down and follow your own path.
This is one of the proverbs that made its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 3.3.3. Erasmus cites many parallel passages from both Greek and Latin sources which express this same basic idea, and one of the parallels he cites is this couplet from Ovid's Ars Amatoria:
Quid magis est durum saxo, quid mollius unda?
Dura tamen molli saxa cavantur aqua.
What is more hard than stone, what is softer than the wave?
Nevertheless, the hard stones are worn away by the soft water.
This is another great example of how it is possible to generate many different forms of the "same" proverb, each with a slightly different shade of meaning or style. You can take the same basic idea and by changing one or two of the words, or just by altering the word order, you can come up with a version of the proverb exactly suited to the point you wish to make.
For example, today's proverb calls attention to the persistent dripping of the water, drop by drop by drop: assidua stilla. Ovid's version, on the other hand, calls attention to the paradox of soft versus hard. So, if you want to emphasize the need to be persistent in the face of adversity, use the saying assidua stilla saxum excavat. If instead you want to emphasize the paradox of how something hard can be overcome by something that is not hard at all, go with Ovid's version. The choice is yours!
Also, if the Latin word stilla, "drop," is new to you, just think of the English word "still," where liquor is dis-stilled (Latin de-stillare), drop by drop.
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1088. Assidua stilla saxum excavat.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
December 15, 2006
Aqua profunda est quieta
In English: Deep water is still.
After "rowing against the current" in yesterday's proverb, I thought an observation about deep waters would be a good follow-up for today. The English saying "still waters run deep" is still very well-known, and this Latin saying is just a slightly different way to say the same thing: water that is deep, aqua profunda, is still quieta.
As often, Heinrich Kocher offers many related Latin sayings for comparison:Altissima quaeque flumina minimo labuntur sono, "The deepest waters glide by with the least sound," Flumina tranquillissima saepe sunt altissima, "The most tranquil streams are often the deepest," Quamvis sint lenta, sint credula nulla fluenta, "Not matter how slow-moving, no streams can be trusted," Qui fuerit lenis, tamen haud bene creditur amni, "It might be slow-moving, but it is still not a good idea to trust a river."
These variants sayings are more explicit in their warnings: there are dangers that lurk in the deep waters! In our modern lives, we don't have to stand at the shore of a stream and decide whether or not it is safe for us to cross. We just use the bridge provided for us and cross the water without a second thought.
This was not so in the ancient world where you could easily find yourself facing a creek or stream or even a river and having to decide for yourself whether it was safe for you to cross it (on foot, on horse, with your wagon, etc.). This proverb served an important function, warning you that even if the stream looked calm on top, it still might be deep, and therefore dangerous for you to cross.
Practically speaking, then, the literal application of this proverb is a useful one, warning you to be careful when deciding whether or not to ford a river. Metaphorically, it can offer a huge range of applications, far beyond the world of river crossings. The warning is that, just like the deceptive river waters, many things in life might look smooth and tranquil, but there are depths to the situation which you cannot perceive, and which you could plunge into at your peril.
The phrase "still waters run deep" is still widely recognized in English, but I wonder how many people have really thought about what it means? In Roman times, the literal meaning of the proverb was reinforced every time you crossed a river. In modern times, the literal meaning has become irrelevant to our lives. I suspect that takes away from the force of the metaphorical applications of the saying as a result. If we do not appreciate the real and present danger of being swept away in the waters of a river, can we really understand what it means to say "still waters run deep"?
So, with that question to ponder, here is today's proverb read out loud:
19. Aqua profunda est quieta.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
After "rowing against the current" in yesterday's proverb, I thought an observation about deep waters would be a good follow-up for today. The English saying "still waters run deep" is still very well-known, and this Latin saying is just a slightly different way to say the same thing: water that is deep, aqua profunda, is still quieta.
As often, Heinrich Kocher offers many related Latin sayings for comparison:Altissima quaeque flumina minimo labuntur sono, "The deepest waters glide by with the least sound," Flumina tranquillissima saepe sunt altissima, "The most tranquil streams are often the deepest," Quamvis sint lenta, sint credula nulla fluenta, "Not matter how slow-moving, no streams can be trusted," Qui fuerit lenis, tamen haud bene creditur amni, "It might be slow-moving, but it is still not a good idea to trust a river."
These variants sayings are more explicit in their warnings: there are dangers that lurk in the deep waters! In our modern lives, we don't have to stand at the shore of a stream and decide whether or not it is safe for us to cross. We just use the bridge provided for us and cross the water without a second thought.
This was not so in the ancient world where you could easily find yourself facing a creek or stream or even a river and having to decide for yourself whether it was safe for you to cross it (on foot, on horse, with your wagon, etc.). This proverb served an important function, warning you that even if the stream looked calm on top, it still might be deep, and therefore dangerous for you to cross.
Practically speaking, then, the literal application of this proverb is a useful one, warning you to be careful when deciding whether or not to ford a river. Metaphorically, it can offer a huge range of applications, far beyond the world of river crossings. The warning is that, just like the deceptive river waters, many things in life might look smooth and tranquil, but there are depths to the situation which you cannot perceive, and which you could plunge into at your peril.
The phrase "still waters run deep" is still widely recognized in English, but I wonder how many people have really thought about what it means? In Roman times, the literal meaning of the proverb was reinforced every time you crossed a river. In modern times, the literal meaning has become irrelevant to our lives. I suspect that takes away from the force of the metaphorical applications of the saying as a result. If we do not appreciate the real and present danger of being swept away in the waters of a river, can we really understand what it means to say "still waters run deep"?
So, with that question to ponder, here is today's proverb read out loud:
19. Aqua profunda est quieta.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
December 14, 2006
Contra aquam remigamus
English: We are rowing against the current.
I thought after the discouraging essentialist proverbs of the past few days (crabs who will never walk straight, elephants who cannot dance, iron that cannot swim, etc.), I would post a saying today that is about how we can, in fact, do what might seem unnatural or even impossible. Although it requires enormous effort on our part, we can indeed choose to row against the water!
Now, admittedly, this is not an easy choice to make. This particular phrase is used by the philosopher Seneca in one of his letters actually to argue against rowing against the water. Here is how Seneca closes one of his letters to Lucilius: Ideo, Lucili, tenenda nobis uia est quam natura praescripsit, nec ab illa declinandum: illam sequentibus omnia facilia, expedita sunt, contra illam nitentibus non alia vita est quam contra aquam remigantibus., "Thus, Lucilius, we should keep to the way which Nature has prescribed, and not deviate from it: if we follow Nature's way, all things are easy and unhampered, but if we strive against Nature's way, our life becomes nothing but rowing against the waters."
For Seneca, the idea of rowing against the water is something difficult and even futile, and he argues we should not take that approach to life. At the same time, from my own experience I know full well that the course we choose in life may demand that we swim upstream, at least for a little while, or even get out of the boat entirely and hoist it up above our heads and carry it for a ways.
Heinrich Kocher's website provides a handy and thought-provoking list of synonyms for this particular idiom in Latin: adverso flumine remigare, "to row as the current is going the other way," adverso flumine niti, "to strive as the current is going the other way," contra impetum fluminis tendere, "to contend against the onrush of the current" (I like that one!), contra ictum fluvii natare, "to swim against the force of the stream," contra torrentem niti, "to strive against the flood, contra torrentem bracchia dirigere, "to move your arms up and down against the flood."
In any situation, you have to decide whether to "go with the flow" (a very fine English idiom!), or whether you are going to "row against the water." There's no absolute right or wrong approach that can apply to all situations. It's both a profoundly philosophical question (the way of Nature which Seneca invokes is not always so easy to discern, after all), but also a profoundly practical question as well. We might even consider coming up with a personality inventory based on a continuum between these two extremes. Are you a go-with-the-flow person, or a row-against-the-water person? Well, when it comes to my life as an online teacher, I'm definitely a row-against-the-water person! There are still plenty of people out there who think online teaching and online learning are "unnatural" compared to the classroom... but I keep on rowing against those traditional waters, contra aquam remigo!
And in the spirit of learning with online audio, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1036. Contra aquam remigamus.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
I thought after the discouraging essentialist proverbs of the past few days (crabs who will never walk straight, elephants who cannot dance, iron that cannot swim, etc.), I would post a saying today that is about how we can, in fact, do what might seem unnatural or even impossible. Although it requires enormous effort on our part, we can indeed choose to row against the water!
Now, admittedly, this is not an easy choice to make. This particular phrase is used by the philosopher Seneca in one of his letters actually to argue against rowing against the water. Here is how Seneca closes one of his letters to Lucilius: Ideo, Lucili, tenenda nobis uia est quam natura praescripsit, nec ab illa declinandum: illam sequentibus omnia facilia, expedita sunt, contra illam nitentibus non alia vita est quam contra aquam remigantibus., "Thus, Lucilius, we should keep to the way which Nature has prescribed, and not deviate from it: if we follow Nature's way, all things are easy and unhampered, but if we strive against Nature's way, our life becomes nothing but rowing against the waters."
For Seneca, the idea of rowing against the water is something difficult and even futile, and he argues we should not take that approach to life. At the same time, from my own experience I know full well that the course we choose in life may demand that we swim upstream, at least for a little while, or even get out of the boat entirely and hoist it up above our heads and carry it for a ways.
Heinrich Kocher's website provides a handy and thought-provoking list of synonyms for this particular idiom in Latin: adverso flumine remigare, "to row as the current is going the other way," adverso flumine niti, "to strive as the current is going the other way," contra impetum fluminis tendere, "to contend against the onrush of the current" (I like that one!), contra ictum fluvii natare, "to swim against the force of the stream," contra torrentem niti, "to strive against the flood, contra torrentem bracchia dirigere, "to move your arms up and down against the flood."
In any situation, you have to decide whether to "go with the flow" (a very fine English idiom!), or whether you are going to "row against the water." There's no absolute right or wrong approach that can apply to all situations. It's both a profoundly philosophical question (the way of Nature which Seneca invokes is not always so easy to discern, after all), but also a profoundly practical question as well. We might even consider coming up with a personality inventory based on a continuum between these two extremes. Are you a go-with-the-flow person, or a row-against-the-water person? Well, when it comes to my life as an online teacher, I'm definitely a row-against-the-water person! There are still plenty of people out there who think online teaching and online learning are "unnatural" compared to the classroom... but I keep on rowing against those traditional waters, contra aquam remigo!
And in the spirit of learning with online audio, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1036. Contra aquam remigamus.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Collecta dirige, electa age
Let's call this a "special edition" of Latin Audio Proverbs. This Latin saying, collecta dirige, electa age, is a Latin saying that I composed today at the request of one of my husband's colleagues. Curious? Here's the story!
Apparently there is a slogan in military circles: OODA, which stands for "observe - orient - decide - act." I was asked to render this into Latin, and since I have suggested in previous blog posts that people create their own Latin proverbs and mottoes, I thought I would quickly explain how I created this one.
First of all, I thought about the vocabulary. My goal in creating Latin sayings for modern use is to try to find Latin words that have a strong connection to existing English vocabulary, so that it's possible to make a meaningful connection to the word. In addition, it's important to use parallel vocabulary in order to promote some sound play in the resulting proverb.
The Latin verb observare has somewhat different connotations that English "observe" (it means something more like keeping watch over something, and is related to the same root in English "preserve," for example). So I thought about what we are doing when we observe, which is collecting information. So I decided on the Latin colligere, which gives us the English word "collect."
For "orient," I also had to avoid the Latin origin of this word. The Latin verb oriri means "rise" (and so the "Orient" is the land of the "rising sun"). We use the word "orient" (British "orientate") meaning to arrange, organize, set up in order. So for that I chose the Latin dirigere, meaning "to put in order, line up," which gives us the English word "direct."
English "decide" ultimately comes from a Latin word, decidere, but again that Latin word usually did not have the same meaning as "decide." Instead, I went with Latin eligere, "to choose, select," which is where we get the English word "elect."
For "act," the Latin word facere (as in the word "fact" or "factory") is a possibility, but so is agere (as in the word "act" itself!). I chose agere for reasons of sound play: agere is a good word to pair for dirigere.
So now I've got my four Latin words: colligere (collect), dirigere (order), eligere (choose), and agere (act). Now I need to decide how to put them together grammatically. The English suggests four imperatives in a row, or perhaps four infinitives. Latin, however, has many more possibilities, and in order to create the parallelism that is a hallmark of proverbs, I decide to go with a 2-2 structure, breaking the sequence into two pairs. Each pair can then contain a participle and an imperative. Here's how it came out: collecta dirige, electa age.
Literally, then, in English it means: "the-things-that-are-gathered, arrange them" (collecta dirige), "the-things-that-are-chosen, do them" (electa age).
I'm happy with how this came out, since there is a double pattern of sound play, with collecta-electa making one very nice pair, and dirige-age making another nice pair. Parallel structures and sound play are hallmarks of Latin proverbs, and I am glad to have found a way to render the "OODA" (observe - orient - decide - act) into a pseudo-proverb that really does sound like a Latin proverb, I think!
So here is the neo-proverb read out loud:
Collecta dirige, electa age.
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Apparently there is a slogan in military circles: OODA, which stands for "observe - orient - decide - act." I was asked to render this into Latin, and since I have suggested in previous blog posts that people create their own Latin proverbs and mottoes, I thought I would quickly explain how I created this one.
First of all, I thought about the vocabulary. My goal in creating Latin sayings for modern use is to try to find Latin words that have a strong connection to existing English vocabulary, so that it's possible to make a meaningful connection to the word. In addition, it's important to use parallel vocabulary in order to promote some sound play in the resulting proverb.
The Latin verb observare has somewhat different connotations that English "observe" (it means something more like keeping watch over something, and is related to the same root in English "preserve," for example). So I thought about what we are doing when we observe, which is collecting information. So I decided on the Latin colligere, which gives us the English word "collect."
For "orient," I also had to avoid the Latin origin of this word. The Latin verb oriri means "rise" (and so the "Orient" is the land of the "rising sun"). We use the word "orient" (British "orientate") meaning to arrange, organize, set up in order. So for that I chose the Latin dirigere, meaning "to put in order, line up," which gives us the English word "direct."
English "decide" ultimately comes from a Latin word, decidere, but again that Latin word usually did not have the same meaning as "decide." Instead, I went with Latin eligere, "to choose, select," which is where we get the English word "elect."
For "act," the Latin word facere (as in the word "fact" or "factory") is a possibility, but so is agere (as in the word "act" itself!). I chose agere for reasons of sound play: agere is a good word to pair for dirigere.
So now I've got my four Latin words: colligere (collect), dirigere (order), eligere (choose), and agere (act). Now I need to decide how to put them together grammatically. The English suggests four imperatives in a row, or perhaps four infinitives. Latin, however, has many more possibilities, and in order to create the parallelism that is a hallmark of proverbs, I decide to go with a 2-2 structure, breaking the sequence into two pairs. Each pair can then contain a participle and an imperative. Here's how it came out: collecta dirige, electa age.
Literally, then, in English it means: "the-things-that-are-gathered, arrange them" (collecta dirige), "the-things-that-are-chosen, do them" (electa age).
I'm happy with how this came out, since there is a double pattern of sound play, with collecta-electa making one very nice pair, and dirige-age making another nice pair. Parallel structures and sound play are hallmarks of Latin proverbs, and I am glad to have found a way to render the "OODA" (observe - orient - decide - act) into a pseudo-proverb that really does sound like a Latin proverb, I think!
So here is the neo-proverb read out loud:
Collecta dirige, electa age.
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
December 12, 2006
Cancri numquam recte ingrediuntur
In English: Crabs never walk straight.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb about "teaching an elephant to dance" or "teaching iron to swim." Elephants don't dance, iron doesn't swim and, as today's proverb tells us, crabs don't walk straight. If you wanted to recast today's proverb according to the pattern of yesterday's proverbs, it would go something like this: cancrum recte ingredi doces, "you're teaching a crab to walk straight." In other words, you're wasting your time.
There's a great Aesop's fable which uses the theme of crabs and their crooked walk to very good effect. It's about a mother crab who is trying to compel her offspring to walk straight, even though she cannot do it herself. I thought I would share Caxton's English version of this fable... from 1484! (Caxton's Aesop was the first edition of Aesop's fables to be printed in book form in English.) I've also provided a more modern English version by Joseph Jacobs, in case you find Caxton a bit baffling:
I like the way this little fable builds on the essentialism of today's proverb ("crabs never walk straight") and expands it into a drama, all-too-human, of preaching and hypocrisy. It's definitely a lesson all teachers can take to heart! If we are going to do our jobs right, we need to try to set a good example for our students.
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
3035. Cancri numquam recte ingrediuntur.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb about "teaching an elephant to dance" or "teaching iron to swim." Elephants don't dance, iron doesn't swim and, as today's proverb tells us, crabs don't walk straight. If you wanted to recast today's proverb according to the pattern of yesterday's proverbs, it would go something like this: cancrum recte ingredi doces, "you're teaching a crab to walk straight." In other words, you're wasting your time.
There's a great Aesop's fable which uses the theme of crabs and their crooked walk to very good effect. It's about a mother crab who is trying to compel her offspring to walk straight, even though she cannot do it herself. I thought I would share Caxton's English version of this fable... from 1484! (Caxton's Aesop was the first edition of Aesop's fables to be printed in book form in English.) I've also provided a more modern English version by Joseph Jacobs, in case you find Caxton a bit baffling:
Caxton (1484): He whiche wyll teche and lerne some other / ought first to corryge & examyne hym self / as it appereth by this fable of a creuysse / whiche wold haue chastysed her owne doughter bicause that she wente not wel ryght / And sayd to her in this manere / My doughter / hit pleaseth me not that thow goost thus backward / For euylle myght wel therof come to the / And thenne the doughter sayd to her moder My moder I shalle go ryght and forward with a good will but ye must goo before for to shewe to me the waye / But the moder coude none other wyse goo / than after her kynd / wherfore her doughter sayd vnto her / My moder fyrst lerne your self for to goo ryght and forward / and thenne ye shalle teche meAnd therfore he that wylle teche other / ought to shewe good ensample / For grete shame is to the doctour whanne his owne coulpe or faulte accuseth hymFor Greek and Latin versions of this story, see the fables collected under Perry 322 at the aesopica.net website.
Joseph Jacobs (1894): One fine day two Crabs came out from their home to take a stroll on the sand. "Child," said the mother, "you are walking very ungracefully. You should accustom yourself, to walking straight forward without twisting from side to side." "Pray, mother," said the young one, "do but set the example yourself, and I will follow you." Example is the best precept.
I like the way this little fable builds on the essentialism of today's proverb ("crabs never walk straight") and expands it into a drama, all-too-human, of preaching and hypocrisy. It's definitely a lesson all teachers can take to heart! If we are going to do our jobs right, we need to try to set a good example for our students.
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
3035. Cancri numquam recte ingrediuntur.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
December 11, 2006
Elephantem saltare doces
In English: You're teaching an elephant to dance.
I thought this would be a good counterpoint to yesterday's proverbs about teaching an eagle to fly or a dolphin to swim. Today's proverb is also about an absurd situation, but for the opposite reason! Teaching an elephant to dance is a waste of time, because the poor elephant - despite his many talents! - is not likely to be a graceful dancer.
This is not to say that elephants are unteachable. The Greeks and the Romans were well aware of the intelligence of elephants, and elephants were trained to accomplish a remarkable variety of feats in the ancient world, including their use in warfare. There is a wonderful anecdote in Pliny's Natural History about an elephant who was slower to learn than the other elephants, but stayed up late into the night doing his homework! Here is the passage in Pliny, along with the wonderful Renaissance English translation by Philemon Holland:
This saying about teaching elephants to dance follows a basic proverbial "pattern" which can be used to generate other proverbs following the same pattern. Consider this proverb for example: ferrum natare doces, "you are teaching iron to swim." Clearly, it is a waste of time trying to teach a piece of iron to swim, just as it is a waste of time teaching an elephant to dance.
Together with yesterday's proverbs, these four proverbs form quite an elegant little set that perhaps will inspire you to write your own proverbs in Latin! All you need is a noun and a verb! If the verb "fits" the noun, you end up with a proverb like "teaching an eagle to fly" or "teaching a dolphin to swim." if the verb does not "fit" the noun, you end up with proverbs like "teaching an elephant or dance" or "teaching iron to swim." As you can see, it's very easy to generate an endless series of proverbs based on this basic pattern, matching nouns and verbs that either logically go together, or which are logical impossibilities.
What is interesting is that in both types of proverbs, the message is still the same: you are wasting your time! There's a great English saying that explores this idea even further: "Don't try to teach a pig to sing! It's a waste of your time, and it annoys the pig!" I've seen this phrase attributed to Mark Twain - although I suspect that is simply because most witty English sayings end up getting attributed to Mark Twain, sooner or later.
Meanwhile, here are today's proverbs read out loud:
1550. Elephantem saltare doces.
1549. Ferrum natare doces.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
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I thought this would be a good counterpoint to yesterday's proverbs about teaching an eagle to fly or a dolphin to swim. Today's proverb is also about an absurd situation, but for the opposite reason! Teaching an elephant to dance is a waste of time, because the poor elephant - despite his many talents! - is not likely to be a graceful dancer.
This is not to say that elephants are unteachable. The Greeks and the Romans were well aware of the intelligence of elephants, and elephants were trained to accomplish a remarkable variety of feats in the ancient world, including their use in warfare. There is a wonderful anecdote in Pliny's Natural History about an elephant who was slower to learn than the other elephants, but stayed up late into the night doing his homework! Here is the passage in Pliny, along with the wonderful Renaissance English translation by Philemon Holland:
certum est unum tardioris ingeni in accipiendis quae tradebantur, saepius castigatum verberibus, eadem illa meditantem noctu repertumSo the point of the proverb is not that elephants are unteachable, but rather that you should choose appropriate subjects for the elephants to study!
THIS is knowne for certaine, that upon a time there was one Elephant among the rest, not so good of capacitie, to take out his lessons, and learn that which was taught him: and being beaten and beaten againe for that blockish and dull head of his, was found studying and conning those feats in the night, which he had been learning in the day time.
This saying about teaching elephants to dance follows a basic proverbial "pattern" which can be used to generate other proverbs following the same pattern. Consider this proverb for example: ferrum natare doces, "you are teaching iron to swim." Clearly, it is a waste of time trying to teach a piece of iron to swim, just as it is a waste of time teaching an elephant to dance.
Together with yesterday's proverbs, these four proverbs form quite an elegant little set that perhaps will inspire you to write your own proverbs in Latin! All you need is a noun and a verb! If the verb "fits" the noun, you end up with a proverb like "teaching an eagle to fly" or "teaching a dolphin to swim." if the verb does not "fit" the noun, you end up with proverbs like "teaching an elephant or dance" or "teaching iron to swim." As you can see, it's very easy to generate an endless series of proverbs based on this basic pattern, matching nouns and verbs that either logically go together, or which are logical impossibilities.
What is interesting is that in both types of proverbs, the message is still the same: you are wasting your time! There's a great English saying that explores this idea even further: "Don't try to teach a pig to sing! It's a waste of your time, and it annoys the pig!" I've seen this phrase attributed to Mark Twain - although I suspect that is simply because most witty English sayings end up getting attributed to Mark Twain, sooner or later.
Meanwhile, here are today's proverbs read out loud:
1550. Elephantem saltare doces.
1549. Ferrum natare doces.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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December 10, 2006
Aquilam volare doces
In English: You are teaching an eagle to fly.
I thought after the doves of yesterday, it would be appropriate to do a proverb today about an eagle. The eagle is the greatest of the high-flying birds, so if you are teaching an eagle to fly, you are wasting your time. The eagle knows how to fly. It does not need to be taught!
Other animals have their inborn traits and abilities of course, and you can find similar sayings about other animals based on other traits. For example, another Latin saying states, delphinum natare doces, "you are teaching a dolphin to swim." Once again, a waste of time - because the dolphin knows how to swim. Earlier this year, I wrote about another proverb of this type: pisces natare doces, "you're teaching fish how to swim."
As you can see, proverbs are a highly productive system, where you can take a basic pattern and generate all kinds of variations. If you are Latin teacher, you might consider using this a classroom exercise, to help students start writing their own Latin compositions - composing proverbs! It's easy to find the names of animals in Latin (I have a list of some common names at my Bestiaria Latina site). In order to create the proverb, you just have to pair the name of the animal, in the accusative, with an appropriate infinitive that expresses one of the inborn abilities of that animal. It's fun and creative, and it's a great way to begin learning Latin composition. Even if it's just three words long, a newly invented proverb like this is indeed an original Latin composition!
Meanwhile, here are today's proverbs read out loud:
1546. Aquilam volare doces.
1548. Delphinum natare doces.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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I thought after the doves of yesterday, it would be appropriate to do a proverb today about an eagle. The eagle is the greatest of the high-flying birds, so if you are teaching an eagle to fly, you are wasting your time. The eagle knows how to fly. It does not need to be taught!
Other animals have their inborn traits and abilities of course, and you can find similar sayings about other animals based on other traits. For example, another Latin saying states, delphinum natare doces, "you are teaching a dolphin to swim." Once again, a waste of time - because the dolphin knows how to swim. Earlier this year, I wrote about another proverb of this type: pisces natare doces, "you're teaching fish how to swim."
As you can see, proverbs are a highly productive system, where you can take a basic pattern and generate all kinds of variations. If you are Latin teacher, you might consider using this a classroom exercise, to help students start writing their own Latin compositions - composing proverbs! It's easy to find the names of animals in Latin (I have a list of some common names at my Bestiaria Latina site). In order to create the proverb, you just have to pair the name of the animal, in the accusative, with an appropriate infinitive that expresses one of the inborn abilities of that animal. It's fun and creative, and it's a great way to begin learning Latin composition. Even if it's just three words long, a newly invented proverb like this is indeed an original Latin composition!
Meanwhile, here are today's proverbs read out loud:
1546. Aquilam volare doces.
1548. Delphinum natare doces.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
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December 09, 2006
Mitior columba
In English: More peaceful than a dove.
After the vicious wolves of yesterday's proverb, I thought this nice saying about the peaceful dove would be a good follow-up. For the Romans, as for us still today, the dove is a creature who represents meekness and mildness. So if you say that someone is more peaceful than a dove, then that person is very peaceful indeed!
Earlier this year, I posted another proverb about doves in Latin: Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas, "The censor forgives the crows and harasses the doves." This is one of those Realpolitik proverbs, where the dove's vaunted meekness becomes an occasion for suffering at the hands of the authorities.
The poor meek doves also come to a bad end in the Aesopic fable about the doves and the kite. Because the doves are not able to mount their own defense against the hawk, they enlist the aid of the kite. This is a serious mistake, of course. No sooner do they put themselves at the mercy of the kite, that bird then begins to gobble the doves up one by one. You can read an annotated Latin version of this fable at LatinViaFables.com, along with an audio reading at AudioLatin.com.
Things do not always go badly for the dove, however. In the Aesop's fable about the dove and the ant, an ant was about to take a drink of water at a stream, and slipped into the waves. The dove saw what happened and threw a leafy branch down to the ant, thus rescuing it. Later on, when a bird-catcher was about to snare the bird in a trap, the ant crept up and bit the bird-catcher, who dropped the snare, allowing the dove to get away. In this case, the good-hearted nature of the dove is well-rewarded - not a very common event in the world of Aesop's fables, which usually focus on the punishment of a mistake, rather than on rewards for good deeds.
So here is today's saying read out loud:
609. Mitior columba.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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After the vicious wolves of yesterday's proverb, I thought this nice saying about the peaceful dove would be a good follow-up. For the Romans, as for us still today, the dove is a creature who represents meekness and mildness. So if you say that someone is more peaceful than a dove, then that person is very peaceful indeed!
Earlier this year, I posted another proverb about doves in Latin: Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas, "The censor forgives the crows and harasses the doves." This is one of those Realpolitik proverbs, where the dove's vaunted meekness becomes an occasion for suffering at the hands of the authorities.
The poor meek doves also come to a bad end in the Aesopic fable about the doves and the kite. Because the doves are not able to mount their own defense against the hawk, they enlist the aid of the kite. This is a serious mistake, of course. No sooner do they put themselves at the mercy of the kite, that bird then begins to gobble the doves up one by one. You can read an annotated Latin version of this fable at LatinViaFables.com, along with an audio reading at AudioLatin.com.
Things do not always go badly for the dove, however. In the Aesop's fable about the dove and the ant, an ant was about to take a drink of water at a stream, and slipped into the waves. The dove saw what happened and threw a leafy branch down to the ant, thus rescuing it. Later on, when a bird-catcher was about to snare the bird in a trap, the ant crept up and bit the bird-catcher, who dropped the snare, allowing the dove to get away. In this case, the good-hearted nature of the dove is well-rewarded - not a very common event in the world of Aesop's fables, which usually focus on the punishment of a mistake, rather than on rewards for good deeds.
So here is today's saying read out loud:
609. Mitior columba.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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December 08, 2006
Regnant qualibet urbe lupi
English: Wolves reign in every city.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb about the wolf and the sheep. Today's proverb is one that can only be understood metaphorically because, no, wolves - those four-footed wild cousins of the dog - do not really rule in every city... but it might seem like they do! These "wolves" are politicians who do as they please and take what they want, with no regard for what is just or what is right.
The saying comes from a medieval collection of Aesop's fables (often attributed to Walter of England). The plot of the fable is an old and famous one. A wolf and a lamb have come to the same stream to drink, and the wolf definitely plans on eating the lamb, but he wants to find a good excuse. First, he declares the lamb is muddying the waters so that the wolf cannot drink, but the lamb notes that the wolf is standing upstream, not downstream. Depending on which version of the story you read, the wolf then launches into a series of absurd accusations, all of which the lamb is able to refute. One of my favorite versions of the story is by Sir Roger L'Estrange:
1311. Regnant qualibet urbe lupi.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb about the wolf and the sheep. Today's proverb is one that can only be understood metaphorically because, no, wolves - those four-footed wild cousins of the dog - do not really rule in every city... but it might seem like they do! These "wolves" are politicians who do as they please and take what they want, with no regard for what is just or what is right.
The saying comes from a medieval collection of Aesop's fables (often attributed to Walter of England). The plot of the fable is an old and famous one. A wolf and a lamb have come to the same stream to drink, and the wolf definitely plans on eating the lamb, but he wants to find a good excuse. First, he declares the lamb is muddying the waters so that the wolf cannot drink, but the lamb notes that the wolf is standing upstream, not downstream. Depending on which version of the story you read, the wolf then launches into a series of absurd accusations, all of which the lamb is able to refute. One of my favorite versions of the story is by Sir Roger L'Estrange:
As a Wolf was lapping at the Head of a Fountain, he spy'd a Lamb paddling at the same time a good way off down the Stream. The Wolf had no sooner the Prey in his eye, but away he runs open-mouth to't. Villain (says he) how dare you lie muddling the Water that I'm a drinking? Indeed, says the poor Lamb, I did not think that my drinking here below could have foul'd your Water so far above. Nay, says t'other, you'll never leave your chopping of Logick, till your Skin's turn'd over your Ears, as your Father's was, a matter of six months ago, for prating at this saucy rate; you remember it full well, Sirrah. If you'll believe me, Sir, (quoth the innocent Lamb, with fear and trembling) I was not come into the World then. Why thou Impudence, cries the Wolf, hast thou neither Shame nor Conscience? But it runs in the Blood of your whole Race, Sirrah, to hate our Family; and therefore since Fortune has brought us together so conveniently, you shall e'en pay some of your Forefathers Scores before you and I part. And so without any more ado, he leap'd at the Throat of the miserable helpless Lamb, and tore him immediately to pieces.In appending a moral to the story, L'Estrange uses the wonderful English proverb, Tis an easy Matter to find a Staff to beat a Dog. In Walter of England's medieval version, which is written in elegiac couplets, the moral is expressed as follows:
Sic nocet innocuo nocuus, causamque nocendiIf you are interested in reading an ancient Roman version of this fable, you can find it online over at LatinViaFables.com, with English translation and grammar help, and there is an audio reading over at AudioLatin.com.Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
Invenit. Hi regnant qualibet urbe lupi.
Thus the harmful one harms the harmless, and finds a reason for doing the harm. These wolves reign in every city.
1311. Regnant qualibet urbe lupi.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
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December 07, 2006
Non curat numerum lupus
In English: The wolf doesn't worry about the number.
Since I had written about dogs in yesterday's post (and also the day before), I thought I would do a proverb about the wolf today. There are many Latin proverbs about wolves, and in particular about wolves, sheep and shepherds, which is the clue you need to understand the meaning of today's proverb. Just what number is it that the wolf ignores? It is the number of the sheep!
In other words, the shepherd can keep track of his sheep, counting them and recounting them, but that is not going to stop the wolf from taking what he can. Are there supposed to be fifty sheep in your flock? The wolf doesn't care. He takes one... and all of a sudden you have just forty-nine.
Metaphorically speaking, this refers to any disaster that upsets your best laid plans. The weather doesn't care if you have invited five hundred guests to an outdoor wedding; it's going to rain anyway. The traffic light doesn't care if you are running late, desperately late, to an important job interview. Although it's not quite the same idea, it's something like the English saying: "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" (from a poem by Robert Burns).
The Latin proverb was clearly in common usage, as it is an implied text in one of Vergil's Eclogues, where a shepherd is singing the praises of bright light and a warm fire on a cold night:
As often with proverbs, this one circulates in a fuller form which is less enigmatic: Lupus non curat numerum ovium, "The wolf does not care about the number of the sheep." In theLatin Via Proverbs book, I included both versions, purely for grammatical reasons. Latin students can do the simpler version of the proverb as soon as they know the first conjugation verbs (curat) and the second declension nouns (numerum lupus). They can then attempt the more complex version as soon as they have learned the third declension (ovium, which a nice i-stem noun students need to learn early on so that they can keep their eggs and their sheep separate - a pair of nouns easily confused in Latin!).
Here, then, are both proverbs read out loud:
1058. Non curat numerum lupus.
1171. Lupus non curat numerum ovium.
The numbers here are the numbers for these proverbs inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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Since I had written about dogs in yesterday's post (and also the day before), I thought I would do a proverb about the wolf today. There are many Latin proverbs about wolves, and in particular about wolves, sheep and shepherds, which is the clue you need to understand the meaning of today's proverb. Just what number is it that the wolf ignores? It is the number of the sheep!
In other words, the shepherd can keep track of his sheep, counting them and recounting them, but that is not going to stop the wolf from taking what he can. Are there supposed to be fifty sheep in your flock? The wolf doesn't care. He takes one... and all of a sudden you have just forty-nine.
Metaphorically speaking, this refers to any disaster that upsets your best laid plans. The weather doesn't care if you have invited five hundred guests to an outdoor wedding; it's going to rain anyway. The traffic light doesn't care if you are running late, desperately late, to an important job interview. Although it's not quite the same idea, it's something like the English saying: "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" (from a poem by Robert Burns).
The Latin proverb was clearly in common usage, as it is an implied text in one of Vergil's Eclogues, where a shepherd is singing the praises of bright light and a warm fire on a cold night:
Hic focus et taedae pingues, hic plurimus ignisIn other words, we heed the North Wind not at all, just as the wolf does not heed the number of the sheep!
semper, et adsidua postes fuligine nigri.
hic tantum Boreae curamus frigora quantum
aut numerum lupus aut torrentia flumina ripas.
Here is the hearth and the well-fueled torches, here there's always an abundant fire, and the doorposts are black with constant soot. Here we heed the North Wind's blasts just as much as the wolf heeds the number or the raging rivers heed their banks.
As often with proverbs, this one circulates in a fuller form which is less enigmatic: Lupus non curat numerum ovium, "The wolf does not care about the number of the sheep." In the
Here, then, are both proverbs read out loud:
1058. Non curat numerum lupus.
1171. Lupus non curat numerum ovium.
The numbers here are the numbers for these proverbs in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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December 06, 2006
Etiam me meae latrant canes
In English: Even my own dogs are barking at me.
I thought I would follow up on yesterday's proverb with another saying about dogs. Today's saying (taken from Plautus's Poenulus) is about someone who is in such a desperate situation that even his own dogs are hostile to him! A dog is supposed to be man's best friend, so you know you are in serious trouble if even your own dogs are barking at you. Metaphorically, this saying can apply to any situation in which you are being attacked by your own friends or allies (I wonder if Bush feels a bit like this with Gates telling the Senate that he doesn't think America is winning the war in Iraq...).
In order to illustrate this saying I thought I would choose two great storytelling moments. The first moment is the homecoming of Odysseus. This is not so much an illustration of today's saying as a counter-illustration. The great hero Odysseus has come home, but things are not good in Ithaca, so he has to infiltrate his own home disguised as a beggar. The faithful servant Euryclea recognizes Odysseus, even in disguise, because as she washes his feet, she recognizes the scar on his thigh (this scene is famously the subject of an essay by Erich Auerbach, "Odysseus' Scar," the first chapter in his wonderful book Mimesis). But even before he is recognized by Euryclea, there is someone else who recognizes Odyssues: his faithful dog, Argos. Remember that Odysseus has been gone nigh on twenty years, so Argos is a very old dog indeed at this time. As soon as he recognizes his master, he lowers his ears and tries to wag his tail in greeting. As he does so, he give out one last whimper and passes away. This is the perfect opposite of today's saying: even while Odysseus has to disguise himself from his family and his neighbors, his dog is utterly loyal and faithful, recognizing Odysseus even when others fails to do so.
For a completely different homecoming, which perfectly illustrates today's saying, consider the story of the Emperor Jovinianus from the ever-delightful Gesta Romanorum. Jovinianus was proud and boastful, and he was punished by God to have his place occupied by a body double, a guardian angel who takes Jovinianus's place in every way: the heaven-sent impostor takes Jovinianus's clothes, his horse, and his home, leaving Jovinianus naked and desperate, unrecognized by any of his friends or servants. And, in a moment of desperation like the one expressed in today's saying, Jovinianus is attacked even by one of his own dogs:
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud (no barking, I promise!):
1312. Etiam me meae latrant canes.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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I thought I would follow up on yesterday's proverb with another saying about dogs. Today's saying (taken from Plautus's Poenulus) is about someone who is in such a desperate situation that even his own dogs are hostile to him! A dog is supposed to be man's best friend, so you know you are in serious trouble if even your own dogs are barking at you. Metaphorically, this saying can apply to any situation in which you are being attacked by your own friends or allies (I wonder if Bush feels a bit like this with Gates telling the Senate that he doesn't think America is winning the war in Iraq...).
In order to illustrate this saying I thought I would choose two great storytelling moments. The first moment is the homecoming of Odysseus. This is not so much an illustration of today's saying as a counter-illustration. The great hero Odysseus has come home, but things are not good in Ithaca, so he has to infiltrate his own home disguised as a beggar. The faithful servant Euryclea recognizes Odysseus, even in disguise, because as she washes his feet, she recognizes the scar on his thigh (this scene is famously the subject of an essay by Erich Auerbach, "Odysseus' Scar," the first chapter in his wonderful book Mimesis). But even before he is recognized by Euryclea, there is someone else who recognizes Odyssues: his faithful dog, Argos. Remember that Odysseus has been gone nigh on twenty years, so Argos is a very old dog indeed at this time. As soon as he recognizes his master, he lowers his ears and tries to wag his tail in greeting. As he does so, he give out one last whimper and passes away. This is the perfect opposite of today's saying: even while Odysseus has to disguise himself from his family and his neighbors, his dog is utterly loyal and faithful, recognizing Odysseus even when others fails to do so.
For a completely different homecoming, which perfectly illustrates today's saying, consider the story of the Emperor Jovinianus from the ever-delightful Gesta Romanorum. Jovinianus was proud and boastful, and he was punished by God to have his place occupied by a body double, a guardian angel who takes Jovinianus's place in every way: the heaven-sent impostor takes Jovinianus's clothes, his horse, and his home, leaving Jovinianus naked and desperate, unrecognized by any of his friends or servants. And, in a moment of desperation like the one expressed in today's saying, Jovinianus is attacked even by one of his own dogs:
Qui cum taliter nudus introductus fuisset, canis quidam, qui antea multum eum dilexerat, ad guttur suum saltabat, ut eum occideret, sed per familiam impeditus est, sic quod nullum ab eo accepit malum.Interested in reading more of this absolutely delightful medieval tale? You can find the Latin text online at The Latin Library.
When Jovinianus was thus brought into the court wearing no clothes, a certain dog, one who had previously loved Jovinianus greatly, leaped at Jovinianus's throat, seeking to kill him, but he was prevented by the household servants so that Jovinianus was not hurt.
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud (no barking, I promise!):
1312. Etiam me meae latrant canes.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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December 05, 2006
Perit panis quo peregrinum canem alis
In English: The bread is lost by which you feed a stray dog.
Yesterday's proverb was a very lofty and moral proverb that started with the word perit. I thought I would choose another proverb today starting with perit, but one which takes a much more utilitarian, even ruthless, point of view, rather than the high-minded idealism of yesterday's saying. The world of Latin proverbs is rich in both types of wisdom, as taught in the school of virtue, but also in the school of hard knocks.
The message of today's saying is that it is a waste of bread if you feed it to a stray dog who is likely to wander off without the least notice. You can take that literally, if you want - if there's not much bread to go around and you squander it on a dog who is going to wander off, then you have indeed wasted your bread. You either need to not feed that stray dog, or else you need to put a collar on him and keep him. (For a brilliant Aesop's fable about whether it's worth it or not for the dog to wear that collar, see the story of The Dog and The Wolf.)
As often with proverbs, there is also a message here that goes beyond the simple question or whether or not to feed a stray dog. In business terms, it means not to lay out money if you are not going to get a return on your investment. In the world of romance, it suggests that you do not to treat someone to dinner unless you think there's something serious about to develop. And so on... the metaphorical applications are endless, all very Realpolitik, very Machiavellian.
The word peregrinus here had a very practical meaning in Latin. It was someone foreign, someone who came from abroad, literally from across (per) the field (ager), an outsider, a stranger. Over time, however, the word came to take on a much more specific meaning in later Christian Latin culture. The peregrinus was the person who had left their home to go elsewhere on a pilgrimage, and the English word "pilgrim" ultimately derives from the Latin peregrinus, via the late Latin form pelegrinus, which yielded an Anglo-Norman word "pilegrine," and finally "pilgrim".
Today's proverb, of course, advocates a decidedly un-Christian answer to the question of whether or not to feed that pilgrim dog!
Here is today's proverb read out loud (I didn't say anything about alliteration in my comments today but, just like yesterday's proverb, you will hear some great alliteration in this one):
2241. Perit panis quo peregrinum canem alis.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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Yesterday's proverb was a very lofty and moral proverb that started with the word perit. I thought I would choose another proverb today starting with perit, but one which takes a much more utilitarian, even ruthless, point of view, rather than the high-minded idealism of yesterday's saying. The world of Latin proverbs is rich in both types of wisdom, as taught in the school of virtue, but also in the school of hard knocks.
The message of today's saying is that it is a waste of bread if you feed it to a stray dog who is likely to wander off without the least notice. You can take that literally, if you want - if there's not much bread to go around and you squander it on a dog who is going to wander off, then you have indeed wasted your bread. You either need to not feed that stray dog, or else you need to put a collar on him and keep him. (For a brilliant Aesop's fable about whether it's worth it or not for the dog to wear that collar, see the story of The Dog and The Wolf.)
As often with proverbs, there is also a message here that goes beyond the simple question or whether or not to feed a stray dog. In business terms, it means not to lay out money if you are not going to get a return on your investment. In the world of romance, it suggests that you do not to treat someone to dinner unless you think there's something serious about to develop. And so on... the metaphorical applications are endless, all very Realpolitik, very Machiavellian.
The word peregrinus here had a very practical meaning in Latin. It was someone foreign, someone who came from abroad, literally from across (per) the field (ager), an outsider, a stranger. Over time, however, the word came to take on a much more specific meaning in later Christian Latin culture. The peregrinus was the person who had left their home to go elsewhere on a pilgrimage, and the English word "pilgrim" ultimately derives from the Latin peregrinus, via the late Latin form pelegrinus, which yielded an Anglo-Norman word "pilegrine," and finally "pilgrim".
Today's proverb, of course, advocates a decidedly un-Christian answer to the question of whether or not to feed that pilgrim dog!
Here is today's proverb read out loud (I didn't say anything about alliteration in my comments today but, just like yesterday's proverb, you will hear some great alliteration in this one):
2241. Perit panis quo peregrinum canem alis.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
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December 04, 2006
Perit voluptas, virtus immortalis est.
In English: Pleasure perishes; personal worth is immortal.
In yesterday's post, I cited a passage from Saint Augustine, where he posed the contrast between how life passes by (transit), while the word of God remains (manet). Today's saying poses a similar contrast between fleeting pleasure, voluptas, and undying virtus.
The translation of the Latin word virtus poses a basically insurmountable problem in English, for which I do not have a good solution. In this proverb, there is clearly a sound play between the "v" in voluptas and the "v" in virtus. It's almost as if the proverb is saying: don't be fooled - these two words might start with the same letter, but they lead to completely different ends! Notice also the sound play with perit and voluptas, where there are echoes of "perishing" in "pleasure" itself.
Luckily the sound play between "perish" and "pleasure" works very nicely in English. But how to translate virtus to keep the sound play with "pleasure" in English? There are so many possible translations of Latin virtus: virtue (which is a very moralizing word in English, much more limited than the Latin), physical prowess, resourcefulness, bravery. So, in order to pick up on that sound play between voluptas and virtus, I chose "pleasure" and "personal worth" as the English translation here, although it's not an entirely satisfactory solution. Translation is never entirely satisfactory - as anyone knows who has worked seriously at it.
Luckily, the Latin grammar of this saying is so entirely simple that you don't really need to rely on the English translation at all! The saying itself comes from Publilius Syrus, one of my very favorite sources for Latin proverbs and adages. You can find Publilius "The Syrian" at The Latin Library online, and in book form Publilius is included in the fascinating Loeb volume, Minor Latin Poets I. I suspect it is simply to torment us that when they broke it up into two volumes, they put Publilius in volume I, while the Dicta Catonis are in Minor Latin Poets II.
If you are wondering why Publilius is included in the "poets," this is because his maxims do scan! Although most American Latin students get short-changed when it comes to learning iambic meters in Latin, the iambic meter is actually an easy one for English speakers, if you want to read this maxim metrically: Perit ~ volup~tas, vir~tus im~morta~lis est."
And here is today's proverb read out loud (but not with any emphasis on the meter):
2245. Perit voluptas, virtus immortalis est.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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In yesterday's post, I cited a passage from Saint Augustine, where he posed the contrast between how life passes by (transit), while the word of God remains (manet). Today's saying poses a similar contrast between fleeting pleasure, voluptas, and undying virtus.
The translation of the Latin word virtus poses a basically insurmountable problem in English, for which I do not have a good solution. In this proverb, there is clearly a sound play between the "v" in voluptas and the "v" in virtus. It's almost as if the proverb is saying: don't be fooled - these two words might start with the same letter, but they lead to completely different ends! Notice also the sound play with perit and voluptas, where there are echoes of "perishing" in "pleasure" itself.
Luckily the sound play between "perish" and "pleasure" works very nicely in English. But how to translate virtus to keep the sound play with "pleasure" in English? There are so many possible translations of Latin virtus: virtue (which is a very moralizing word in English, much more limited than the Latin), physical prowess, resourcefulness, bravery. So, in order to pick up on that sound play between voluptas and virtus, I chose "pleasure" and "personal worth" as the English translation here, although it's not an entirely satisfactory solution. Translation is never entirely satisfactory - as anyone knows who has worked seriously at it.
Luckily, the Latin grammar of this saying is so entirely simple that you don't really need to rely on the English translation at all! The saying itself comes from Publilius Syrus, one of my very favorite sources for Latin proverbs and adages. You can find Publilius "The Syrian" at The Latin Library online, and in book form Publilius is included in the fascinating Loeb volume, Minor Latin Poets I. I suspect it is simply to torment us that when they broke it up into two volumes, they put Publilius in volume I, while the Dicta Catonis are in Minor Latin Poets II.
If you are wondering why Publilius is included in the "poets," this is because his maxims do scan! Although most American Latin students get short-changed when it comes to learning iambic meters in Latin, the iambic meter is actually an easy one for English speakers, if you want to read this maxim metrically: Perit ~ volup~tas, vir~tus im~morta~lis est."
And here is today's proverb read out loud (but not with any emphasis on the meter):
2245. Perit voluptas, virtus immortalis est.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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December 03, 2006
Horae volant
In English: The hours are flying by.
I was prompted to choose this saying for today because the last week of our school semester begins tomorrow, although it seems as if it only just started. The months have flown by, hence the Latin: horae volant.
This is a commonly used phrase in Latin, although I wanted to cite here by way of example a lovely passage from Saint Augustine (Sermon 124) where he meditates on how time flies:
And here is today's proverb read out loud:
1034. Horae volant.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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I was prompted to choose this saying for today because the last week of our school semester begins tomorrow, although it seems as if it only just started. The months have flown by, hence the Latin: horae volant.
This is a commonly used phrase in Latin, although I wanted to cite here by way of example a lovely passage from Saint Augustine (Sermon 124) where he meditates on how time flies:
Hesternum diem nemo revocat: hodiernus crastino urgetur, ut transeat. Ipso parvo spatio bene vivamus, ut illo eamus unde non transeamus. Et modo cum loquimur, utique transimus. Verba currunt, et horae volant; sic aetas nostra, sic actus nostri, sic honores nostri, sic miseria nostra, sic ista felicitas nostra. Totum transit, sed non expavescamus: Verbum Domini manet in aeternum.Here and in his other writings, Augustine was a keen observer of the paradoxes of time, how the future flows into the present, which is always passing away. Time does not just pass, but passes away, transit, a mortality that is stamped upon the very fabric of time in the world in which we live. Horae volant, indeed. Quite a profound thought to squeeze into two little words!
Nobody can summon yesterday to return; today is being pressed by tomorrow to pass away. This is the very brief space of time in which we must live well, in order to go to that place from which there is no more passing away. And even as we are speaking, we are indeed passing away. Our words run onwards, the hours are flying by; so too our life, our deeds, our achievements, so too our suffering, and our very happiness. Everything passes away, but let us not be afraid: the word of the Lord abides forever.
And here is today's proverb read out loud:
1034. Horae volant.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
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December 02, 2006
Sto in extrema tegula
In English: I'm standing on the last roof tile.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb, about standing on the ancient ways. Today's proverb is about a much more precarious situation, when someone finds themselves, as you might say in English, "at the end of their rope." The image is of being up on a roof, Latin tectum, which is covered with roof tiles, tegulae. You are backing up, step by step, until you have reached the last tile, and there is no more room to maneuver. The next step you take will plunge you over the edge of the roof.
The words tectum, "roof," and tegula, "roof-tile," are from the same root, teg-, as in the verb, tegere, "to cover." Although Isidore of Seville is sometimes rather fanciful in his Etymologies, this is one that he did get right: Tegulae vocatae quod tegant aedes, "They are called roof-tiles, tegulae, because they cover, tegant, the house."
You can see the Latin word tegula in the famous passage from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5:
So, hoping that you are not standing on the last tile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1031. Sto in extrema tegula.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb, about standing on the ancient ways. Today's proverb is about a much more precarious situation, when someone finds themselves, as you might say in English, "at the end of their rope." The image is of being up on a roof, Latin tectum, which is covered with roof tiles, tegulae. You are backing up, step by step, until you have reached the last tile, and there is no more room to maneuver. The next step you take will plunge you over the edge of the roof.
The words tectum, "roof," and tegula, "roof-tile," are from the same root, teg-, as in the verb, tegere, "to cover." Although Isidore of Seville is sometimes rather fanciful in his Etymologies, this is one that he did get right: Tegulae vocatae quod tegant aedes, "They are called roof-tiles, tegulae, because they cover, tegant, the house."
You can see the Latin word tegula in the famous passage from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5:
et ecce viri portantes in lecto hominem qui erat paralyticus et quaerebant eum inferre et ponere ante eum et non invenientes qua parte illum inferrent prae turba ascenderunt supra tectum per tegulas submiserunt illum cum lecto in medium ante Iesum, quorum fidem ut vidit dixit homo remittuntur tibi peccata tua,That's a good example of someone with no room to maneuver who manages to turn the roof to good use, making it a kind of unexpected door to salvation!
"And behold, men brought in a bed a man who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went up upon the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst before Jesus. Whose faith when he saw, he said: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee."
So, hoping that you are not standing on the last tile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1031. Sto in extrema tegula.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
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December 01, 2006
Sto super vias antiquas
In English: I stand upon the old ways.
I thought this proverb would be a good follow-up to the via antiqua of yesterday's post. Depending on context, this proverb can take slightly different forms: sto, "I stand," stare, "to stand," or the imperative state, "stand!" (second person plural).
This saying ultimately derives from the Hebrew Bible, but the actual Biblical quotation is a bit different in form. Jeremiah 6:16 reads: State super vias et videte et interrogate de semitis antiquis, quae sit via bona, et ambulate in ea, "Stand upon the ways and look and inquire about the old paths, as to which is the good way, and walk in that way."
You can find the vias antiquas form of the proverb in The Advancement of Learning by Francis Bacon. In this fascinating passage, Bacon warns against the twin dangers of too much antiquity on the one hand, and too much novelty on the other:
So, looking both backwards and forwards, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1032. Sto super vias antiquas.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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I thought this proverb would be a good follow-up to the via antiqua of yesterday's post. Depending on context, this proverb can take slightly different forms: sto, "I stand," stare, "to stand," or the imperative state, "stand!" (second person plural).
This saying ultimately derives from the Hebrew Bible, but the actual Biblical quotation is a bit different in form. Jeremiah 6:16 reads: State super vias et videte et interrogate de semitis antiquis, quae sit via bona, et ambulate in ea, "Stand upon the ways and look and inquire about the old paths, as to which is the good way, and walk in that way."
You can find the vias antiquas form of the proverb in The Advancement of Learning by Francis Bacon. In this fascinating passage, Bacon warns against the twin dangers of too much antiquity on the one hand, and too much novelty on the other:
The first of these is the extreme affecting of two extremities; the one antiquity, the other novelty; wherein it seemeth the children of time do take after the nature and malice of the father. For as he devoureth his children, so one of them seeketh to devour and suppress the other; while antiquity envieth there should be new additions, and novelty cannot be content to add but it must deface. Surely the advice of the prophet is the true direction in this matter, STATE SUPER VIAS ANTIQUAS, ET VIDETE QUAENAM FIT VIA RECTA ET BONA ET AMBULATE IN EA. Antiquity deserveth that reverence, that men should make a stand thereupon and discover what is the best way; but when the discovery is well taken, then to make progression.Francis Bacon admirably represents this need to stay in touch with the old while pursuing the new. His familiarity with traditional culture and myths is clear from this passage (time devouring his children being the foundation myth for the succession of the Greek gods), while Bacon was also one of the leaders of the scientific revolution in the 17th century. If only the current debates about religion and scientism had the the good sense we see here expressed by Francis Bacon!
So, looking both backwards and forwards, here is today's proverb read out loud:
1032. Sto super vias antiquas.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
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November 30, 2006
Via antiqua via est tuta
In English: The old way is the safe way.
This is a follow-up on yesterday's proverb, about the "well-worn" way. Today's proverb is about the antiqua via, the old or ancient way. The idea once again is that if things are part of a tradition, an ancient tradition, then they are "tried and true," a safe way to follow.
This notion of reverence for antiquity and mistrust of "the new" was a fundamental aspect of Roman culture. This is made quite clear by the Latin word novus, which means "new" but also "strange, weird, unusual."
It's also worth pondering the Latin word antiquus and its etymology in Latin. The root of this word is ant- meaning "before, in front of." There is a similar Latin adjective, anticus, which means "front, in the front" (so the front door of your house would be the ianua antica).
As often, the worlds of space and time are metaphorically superimposed on each other, and entwined with other values. In English we are used to the idea that something in "front" has a higher value than something behind or in the back. The best students go to the front of the class, the winner of a race is out in front of the competition, etc.
You need to keep in mind, then, that in Latin something "ancient," antiquus, is something out in the front. It has happened "before." In what is admittedly an odd reversal for our way of imagining time in English, Roman antiquity stretches out in front of us, not behind. In Latin, you can see what has happened before, while the future cannot be seen.
So, looking forward to antiquity, here is today's proverb read out loud:
13. Via antiqua via est tuta.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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This is a follow-up on yesterday's proverb, about the "well-worn" way. Today's proverb is about the antiqua via, the old or ancient way. The idea once again is that if things are part of a tradition, an ancient tradition, then they are "tried and true," a safe way to follow.
This notion of reverence for antiquity and mistrust of "the new" was a fundamental aspect of Roman culture. This is made quite clear by the Latin word novus, which means "new" but also "strange, weird, unusual."
It's also worth pondering the Latin word antiquus and its etymology in Latin. The root of this word is ant- meaning "before, in front of." There is a similar Latin adjective, anticus, which means "front, in the front" (so the front door of your house would be the ianua antica).
As often, the worlds of space and time are metaphorically superimposed on each other, and entwined with other values. In English we are used to the idea that something in "front" has a higher value than something behind or in the back. The best students go to the front of the class, the winner of a race is out in front of the competition, etc.
You need to keep in mind, then, that in Latin something "ancient," antiquus, is something out in the front. It has happened "before." In what is admittedly an odd reversal for our way of imagining time in English, Roman antiquity stretches out in front of us, not behind. In Latin, you can see what has happened before, while the future cannot be seen.
So, looking forward to antiquity, here is today's proverb read out loud:
13. Via antiqua via est tuta.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
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November 29, 2006
Via trita via tuta
In English: The well-worn way is the safe way.
In yesterday's proverb, we learned that innocence is one form of safe conduct. Today's proverb recommends another strategy for safety and security: follow the well-worn path.
In literal terms, this makes good sense. If you follow a path that many others have traveled, you can be confident that you will reach your destination. By going along a way that many others are traveling, you are more likely to find food and supplies along the way, bridges where you need to cross a river, and so on.
In metaphorical terms, by doing things the "tried and true" way, you can be confident about the outcome you will achieve. For example, for Thanksgiving last week, you probably relied on a traditional family recipe to end up with the best stuffing or the best cranberry relish. There are different ways to do things, but you can gain a real sense of security by doing something the traditional way.
At the same time, there is a strong impulse in our culture to reject traditional ways, to boldly go where no one has gone before, striking out on our own, taking risks, experimenting. Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken by is a poem that famously poses the choice between the well-traveled way and the road less traveled by.
You can see our preference for the road less traveled by in the fate of Latin tritus in the English language. The Latin word is a passive participle of the verb, terere, "to wear, wear down, rub," so tritus means "worn." Yet over time, the English word "trite" has taken on negative connotations, meaning something that has been "worn out," stripped of its meaning, emptied of importance. This meaning is also found in Latin, but in English, the word "trite" has come to have strictly negative connotations, without any neutral meaning, much less any positive connotations.
As someone who is very interested in traditional stories and sayings, I'm sad that our prejudice against the "trite" has contributed to the demise of so much of our folk tradition. Every time I publish a post about a Latin proverb in my blog, I am glad to be using a very modern "way" to try to keep some of the old ways alive in people's minds.
So, in praise of the "tried and true," here is today's proverb read out loud:
12. Via trita via tuta.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio. You can also hear this saying read aloud (in part: via trita) at a Polish website: Wladyslawa Kopalinskiego Slownik wyrazow obcych i zwrotw obcojezycznych (weblink).
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
In yesterday's proverb, we learned that innocence is one form of safe conduct. Today's proverb recommends another strategy for safety and security: follow the well-worn path.
In literal terms, this makes good sense. If you follow a path that many others have traveled, you can be confident that you will reach your destination. By going along a way that many others are traveling, you are more likely to find food and supplies along the way, bridges where you need to cross a river, and so on.
In metaphorical terms, by doing things the "tried and true" way, you can be confident about the outcome you will achieve. For example, for Thanksgiving last week, you probably relied on a traditional family recipe to end up with the best stuffing or the best cranberry relish. There are different ways to do things, but you can gain a real sense of security by doing something the traditional way.
At the same time, there is a strong impulse in our culture to reject traditional ways, to boldly go where no one has gone before, striking out on our own, taking risks, experimenting. Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken by is a poem that famously poses the choice between the well-traveled way and the road less traveled by.
You can see our preference for the road less traveled by in the fate of Latin tritus in the English language. The Latin word is a passive participle of the verb, terere, "to wear, wear down, rub," so tritus means "worn." Yet over time, the English word "trite" has taken on negative connotations, meaning something that has been "worn out," stripped of its meaning, emptied of importance. This meaning is also found in Latin, but in English, the word "trite" has come to have strictly negative connotations, without any neutral meaning, much less any positive connotations.
As someone who is very interested in traditional stories and sayings, I'm sad that our prejudice against the "trite" has contributed to the demise of so much of our folk tradition. Every time I publish a post about a Latin proverb in my blog, I am glad to be using a very modern "way" to try to keep some of the old ways alive in people's minds.
So, in praise of the "tried and true," here is today's proverb read out loud:
12. Via trita via tuta.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio. You can also hear this saying read aloud (in part: via trita) at a Polish website: Wladyslawa Kopalinskiego Slownik wyrazow obcych i zwrotw obcojezycznych (weblink).
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
November 28, 2006
Innocentia ubique tuta
In English: Innocence is safe everywhere.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb, which was also about innocentia. Today's proverb tells us that the person who is innocent is safe everywhere; in other words, someone who has done no wrong has nothing to fear. (The Latin word in-nocens, "innocent," means literally "not-harming," someone who does no harm.)
You can see a great illustration of this motto in Otto Vaenius's Q. Horatii Flacci Emblemata, published in 1612. This book is a set of emblematic images with mottoes and commentaries based on phrases from the poetry of the Roman poet Horace. The book provides a brief and pithy Latin motto for each emblematic image, and then the poem by Horace which inspired the motto. This particular motto is based on the famous poem which begins Integer vitae, scelerisque purus..., "Living a blameless life, unblemished by crime..." The poem is cited in full in Vaenius's book, along with translations into various European languages (not including English, however).
In the image for this particular motto, you can see a man walking unafraid, even though he is challenged by some seriously scary-looking creatures, including a horned dragon with a sharp-tipped tongue.
Even though he faces terrible dangers, the man rejects a pile of weapons which lies off to the side. With this gesture, he shows that he refuses to put on the suit of armor or take up the weapons. Why? Because as an innocent man he has no need of weapons, no need to be on the defensive, brandishing weapons in a show of force. (Use the nifty zoom tool at the website to get a close-up look if you want!)
The man himself looks quite saintly and completely tranquil in the face of these dangers. He is accompanied by a sheep which is clearly under his care, suggesting the image of the "good shepherd," a man who is not only safe but provides safety for his the flock in his charge.
If you have never explored the world of emblem books, they are a wonderful way to learn about Renaissance and early modern Latin. You can see several emblem books at the website entitled Emblem Project Utrecht: Dutch Love Emblems of the Seventeenth Century. It's one of my favorite Latin resources online - if you haven't ever taken a look at an emblem book, this is a great way to get started!
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
14. Innocentia ubique tuta.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb, which was also about innocentia. Today's proverb tells us that the person who is innocent is safe everywhere; in other words, someone who has done no wrong has nothing to fear. (The Latin word in-nocens, "innocent," means literally "not-harming," someone who does no harm.)
You can see a great illustration of this motto in Otto Vaenius's Q. Horatii Flacci Emblemata, published in 1612. This book is a set of emblematic images with mottoes and commentaries based on phrases from the poetry of the Roman poet Horace. The book provides a brief and pithy Latin motto for each emblematic image, and then the poem by Horace which inspired the motto. This particular motto is based on the famous poem which begins Integer vitae, scelerisque purus..., "Living a blameless life, unblemished by crime..." The poem is cited in full in Vaenius's book, along with translations into various European languages (not including English, however).
In the image for this particular motto, you can see a man walking unafraid, even though he is challenged by some seriously scary-looking creatures, including a horned dragon with a sharp-tipped tongue.
Even though he faces terrible dangers, the man rejects a pile of weapons which lies off to the side. With this gesture, he shows that he refuses to put on the suit of armor or take up the weapons. Why? Because as an innocent man he has no need of weapons, no need to be on the defensive, brandishing weapons in a show of force. (Use the nifty zoom tool at the website to get a close-up look if you want!)
The man himself looks quite saintly and completely tranquil in the face of these dangers. He is accompanied by a sheep which is clearly under his care, suggesting the image of the "good shepherd," a man who is not only safe but provides safety for his the flock in his charge.
If you have never explored the world of emblem books, they are a wonderful way to learn about Renaissance and early modern Latin. You can see several emblem books at the website entitled Emblem Project Utrecht: Dutch Love Emblems of the Seventeenth Century. It's one of my favorite Latin resources online - if you haven't ever taken a look at an emblem book, this is a great way to get started!
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
14. Innocentia ubique tuta.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
November 27, 2006
Innocentia eloquentia
In English: Innocence is eloquence.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb, eloquentia sagitta. Today's proverb is also about "eloquence" but it makes a rather different point: innocence speaks for itself, hence innocence is eloquence. In an ideal world, an innocent person would not need speak out, or hire lawyers to speak out on his behalf in a courtroom. Instead, his innocence would convey the message in and of itself.
This Latin saying is cited in a fascinating and extremely funny document from the ancient world, mid-second century: Apuleius's defense, or Apologia pro se de magia, when he was charged with witchcraft. From start to finish (here's an appropriately humorous summary of the whole thing!), Apuleius makes a mockery of his accusers, and here you can see him twisting the words of this proverb around to his benefit - since Apuleius was probably the most eloquent man of his day, he claimed that eloquence as proof of his innocence!
As for the Apologia, there is an outstanding Latin-English edition online, with notes and commentary! In addition to the text, you will also find some accompanying essays, such as "Apuleius the Magician" and "Magic in the Daily Life of Roman North Africa in the Time of Apuleius."
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud, in case you ever need to make a self-defense in Latin:
15. Innocentia eloquentia.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
I thought this would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb, eloquentia sagitta. Today's proverb is also about "eloquence" but it makes a rather different point: innocence speaks for itself, hence innocence is eloquence. In an ideal world, an innocent person would not need speak out, or hire lawyers to speak out on his behalf in a courtroom. Instead, his innocence would convey the message in and of itself.
This Latin saying is cited in a fascinating and extremely funny document from the ancient world, mid-second century: Apuleius's defense, or Apologia pro se de magia, when he was charged with witchcraft. From start to finish (here's an appropriately humorous summary of the whole thing!), Apuleius makes a mockery of his accusers, and here you can see him twisting the words of this proverb around to his benefit - since Apuleius was probably the most eloquent man of his day, he claimed that eloquence as proof of his innocence!
Sane quidem, si uerum est quod Statium Caecilium in suis poematibus scripsisse dicunt, innocentiam eloquentiam esse, ego uero profiteor ista ratione ac praefero me nemini omnium de eloquentia concessurum. Quis enim me hoc quidem pacto eloquentior uiuat, quippe qui nihil unquam cogitaui quod eloqui non auderem?Apuleius is best known for his amazing and delightful novel, Metamorphoses, the adventures of a man who was turned into a donkey by accident when he was testing out some magic spells without being quite sure what he was doing. His life as a donkey is not easy, but he finally manages to eat some roses, which brings him back to his human state. It's one of the most wonderful works to have survived from the ancient world - if you have not read it, then... read it! Now! Here is an English translation online: The Golden Asse (Adlington's translation, 1566).
Clearly indeed, if it is true what they say Statius Caecilius wrote in his poems, that innocence is eloquence, by this line of reasoning I can claim and assert that I yield to no one in the world when it comes to eloquence. For who among the living could be in this respect more eloquent than I am - I, indeed, who have never thought anything which I did not dare to speak openly?
As for the Apologia, there is an outstanding Latin-English edition online, with notes and commentary! In addition to the text, you will also find some accompanying essays, such as "Apuleius the Magician" and "Magic in the Daily Life of Roman North Africa in the Time of Apuleius."
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud, in case you ever need to make a self-defense in Latin:
15. Innocentia eloquentia.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
November 26, 2006
Eloquentia sagitta
In English: Eloquence is an arrow.
After writing about the wounds of love and Cupid's arrows in yesterday's proverb, I thought it would be nice to follow up with a motto that is also based on the metaphor of the "arrow," although in a quite different context! Today's saying is the motto of the Bland family, and in the context of a family motto it can also be translated as "Eloquence is my arrow" or "Eloquence is our arrow." (Latin, unlike English, is very sparing in its use of possessive pronouns and adjectives, so you can freely add them to your English translations of Latin, if the context suggests the use of a possessive pronoun or adjective in English.)
The idea here, of course, is that instead of using weapons, such as arrows, members of the Bland family are able to use the power of speech to accomplish their goals and overcome any opposition that they face. In a sense, it's something like the English saying "the pen is mightier than the sword." If you are interested in the origins of this particular saying, there is a very interesting discussion at wikipedia.
Both of these phrases - "eloquence is my arrow" and "the pen is mightier than the sword" - make a similar point, that the power of language is actually a kind of weapon, a weapon that is preferable to or even stronger than conventional weapons.
In addition to the argument of the sayings, however, there are specific metaphorical associations at work here. The pen and the sword can be associated with one another because a pen is like a sword: it is shaped like a sword, it is wielded in the hand like a sword, etc. What, then, about eloquence and the arrow? In just what way can we think of eloquence as being like an arrow?
This brings us back to one of the most ancient metaphors in the western tradition: the famous "winged words" of the Greek poet Homer, the "epea (words) pteroenta (winged)." (And yes, that is the same "ptero" as in our English word "pterodactyl," referring to the dinosaur who had wings, "pter," for fingers, "dactyl"). Homer realized that spoken words are not static things, some kind of inert physical object like written words on a page. Instead, spoken words, especially well-spoken words, are winged things. They fly out from the mouth towards a targeted destination. Once set in motion, the words are swift in flight and cannot be called back. If you want to think of such words metaphorically as weapons, they would, indeed, be arrows.
It makes metaphorical sense, then, for the pen to be mightier than the sword, and also for words to be arrows, the idea clearly expressed in today's proverb.
So, winging its way toward you with digital sound, here is today's proverb read out loud:
16. Eloquentia sagitta.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
After writing about the wounds of love and Cupid's arrows in yesterday's proverb, I thought it would be nice to follow up with a motto that is also based on the metaphor of the "arrow," although in a quite different context! Today's saying is the motto of the Bland family, and in the context of a family motto it can also be translated as "Eloquence is my arrow" or "Eloquence is our arrow." (Latin, unlike English, is very sparing in its use of possessive pronouns and adjectives, so you can freely add them to your English translations of Latin, if the context suggests the use of a possessive pronoun or adjective in English.)
The idea here, of course, is that instead of using weapons, such as arrows, members of the Bland family are able to use the power of speech to accomplish their goals and overcome any opposition that they face. In a sense, it's something like the English saying "the pen is mightier than the sword." If you are interested in the origins of this particular saying, there is a very interesting discussion at wikipedia.
Both of these phrases - "eloquence is my arrow" and "the pen is mightier than the sword" - make a similar point, that the power of language is actually a kind of weapon, a weapon that is preferable to or even stronger than conventional weapons.
In addition to the argument of the sayings, however, there are specific metaphorical associations at work here. The pen and the sword can be associated with one another because a pen is like a sword: it is shaped like a sword, it is wielded in the hand like a sword, etc. What, then, about eloquence and the arrow? In just what way can we think of eloquence as being like an arrow?
This brings us back to one of the most ancient metaphors in the western tradition: the famous "winged words" of the Greek poet Homer, the "epea (words) pteroenta (winged)." (And yes, that is the same "ptero" as in our English word "pterodactyl," referring to the dinosaur who had wings, "pter," for fingers, "dactyl"). Homer realized that spoken words are not static things, some kind of inert physical object like written words on a page. Instead, spoken words, especially well-spoken words, are winged things. They fly out from the mouth towards a targeted destination. Once set in motion, the words are swift in flight and cannot be called back. If you want to think of such words metaphorically as weapons, they would, indeed, be arrows.
It makes metaphorical sense, then, for the pen to be mightier than the sword, and also for words to be arrows, the idea clearly expressed in today's proverb.
So, winging its way toward you with digital sound, here is today's proverb read out loud:
16. Eloquentia sagitta.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
November 25, 2006
Nemo ex amoris vulnere sanus abit
In English: No one walks away unscathed from the wound of love.
I thought this proverb would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb about health and wholeness, this time transferred from the sphere of medicine to the sphere of lovesickness instead. Love has its wounds, and as this proverb tells us, even if you recover from the wound you are never quite sanus, "healthy" (or "sane"!) again afterwards.
This saying is adapted from the Roman poet Propertius, whose elegies chronicle the story of his love for a certain "Cynthia" (although it is not clear if Cynthia is a real person or a product of Propertius's poetic imagination). The poems are in couplets, with a dactylic hexamter line followed by a pentameter: nec quisquam ex illo vulnere sanus abit, "And no one from that wound walks away unscathed." If you mark the line for meter, it would look something like this: nec quis~qu(am) ex il~lo = vulnere ~ sanus a~bit.
Here's the larger context of the poem, where Propertius is exploring the implications of the depiction of the Roman "Cupid" as a winged boy wielding arrows:
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
2243. Nemo ex amoris vulnere sanus abit.
The number here is the number for this proverb inLatin Via Proverbs: 4000 Proverbs, Mottoes and Sayings for Students of Latin .
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
I thought this proverb would be a good follow-up to yesterday's proverb about health and wholeness, this time transferred from the sphere of medicine to the sphere of lovesickness instead. Love has its wounds, and as this proverb tells us, even if you recover from the wound you are never quite sanus, "healthy" (or "sane"!) again afterwards.
This saying is adapted from the Roman poet Propertius, whose elegies chronicle the story of his love for a certain "Cynthia" (although it is not clear if Cynthia is a real person or a product of Propertius's poetic imagination). The poems are in couplets, with a dactylic hexamter line followed by a pentameter: nec quisquam ex illo vulnere sanus abit, "And no one from that wound walks away unscathed." If you mark the line for meter, it would look something like this: nec quis~qu(am) ex il~lo = vulnere ~ sanus a~bit.
Here's the larger context of the poem, where Propertius is exploring the implications of the depiction of the Roman "Cupid" as a winged boy wielding arrows:
et merito hamatis manus est armata sagittis,In other words: OUCH. Love is a war, and lovers are its walking wounded. That's why another Roman poet, Ovid, had to write a book of "Remedies for Love," Remedia Amoris, hoping to offer a cure for lovesickness and its pangs.
et pharetra ex umero Cnosia utroque iacet:
ante ferit quoniam, tuti quam cernimus hostem,
nec quisquam ex illo vulnere sanus abit.
in me tela manent, manet et puerilis imago:
sed certe pennas perdidit ille suas;
evolat heu nostro quoniam de pectore nusquam,
assiduusque meo sanguine bella gerit.
and rightfully his hand is armed with barbed arrows, and a Cretan quiver lies across his two shoulders, because he wounds us before we can safely see our enemy, and no one walks away unscathed from that wound. The barbs remain in me, as does the boy's image: but clearly he has lost his wings since, alas, he never flies out of my heart and ceaselessly wages war in my blood.
Meanwhile, here is today's proverb read out loud:
2243. Nemo ex amoris vulnere sanus abit.
The number here is the number for this proverb in
If you are reading this via RSS: The Flash audio content is not syndicated via RSS; please visit the Latin Audio Proverbs blog to listen to the audio.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
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