Saturday, July 30, 2011

Distichorum Liber

Here is a distich by Martial, 8.29:

Distichorum Liber
Disticha qui scribit, puto, vult brevitate placere;
Quid prodest brevitas, dic mihi, si liber est?

Who distichs writes to brevity does look:
But where's the brevity, if 't fills a book.
- Anon. 1695

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

brevitas (brevitātis, f.): shortness, brevity
distichon (distichī, n.): distich, two-line poem

dīcō dīcere dīxī dictum: say; causam dicere, plead a case; diem dicere, appoint a day
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
liber librī m.: book
placeō placēre placuī placitum: please
prōsum -desse -fuī: be of use, do good, help (+ dat.)
putō -āre: think, suppose
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
scrībō scrībere scrīpsī scrīptum: write
sī: if
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
volō velle voluī: wish, be willing