Thursday, July 28, 2011

Nil Metuens

Here is another distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.65.

Nil Metuens
Omnia despera prudenter, et omnia spera
Fortiter; ut caveas omnia, nil metuas.

Wisely suspect, and stoutly things expect;
Be circumspect, let thee no Fear deject

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

dēspērō, dēspērāre: despair, lose hope, give up
prūdenter: wisely, cautiously, carefully

caveō cavēre cāvī cautum: be on guard, beware
et: and
fortis -e: brave
metuō metuere metuī: to fear, to dread
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
spērō -āre: to hope
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)