Friday, July 29, 2011

Adam Primus et Secundus

This is a poem from John Stradling's Epigrammatum Libri Quattuor, publishing in 1607. You can read the book online at Dana Sutton's website.

Adam Primus et Secundus
Is genitore carens, natus sine patre secundus,
Et tamen his pater est unus utrisque deus.

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

Adam (Hebrew name - m.): Adam
genitor (genitōris, m.): creator, progenitor

careō -ēre -uī: lack (+ abl.)
deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
et: and
hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
is ea id: he, she, it
nāscor nāscī nātus sum: be born
pater patris m.: father, ancestor
prīmus -a -um: first; adv. prīmum: at first, firstly
secundus -a -um: following; favorable
sine: without (+ abl.)
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tamen: nevertheless, still
ūnus -a -um: one
uter- utra- utrumque: each of two