Monday, April 11, 2011

Astra et Animus

This little poem comes from Disticha de Educatione of Urbano Appendini, published in 1834; you can see the whole book at Google Books.

Astra et Animus
Quid iuvat astrorum certos inquirere motus,
Ni motus animi noveris ante tui?

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

inquīrō, inquīrere: seek after, search for, inquire
mōtus (mōtūs, m.): moving, motion, movement

animus -ī m.: spirit, mind
ante: before, in front of (adv. and prep. + acc.)
astrum -ī n.: star; constellation
certus -a -um: sure, fixed; certē, certainly, surely
iuvō iuvāre iūvī iūtum: help, assist; please, delight
nisi/nī: if not, unless
nōscō nōscere nōvī nōtum: learn, know
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
tuus -a -um: your