Veritas Mire Patescit

Here is today's emblem by Bornitius, 5:100. The spirit of this emblem is equivalent to the English saying, "out of the mouths of babes." Yet if you look at the emblem, the child is speaking to an old woman, telling her that she either is a whore (lupa), or else she will be one! Not exactly the kind of sentiment that comes to mind when thinking of the wondrous revelation of truth! In the commentary to the emblem, Bornitius makes no direct reference to the girl and the woman in the image, but there is perhaps an allusion to the old woman in his invocation of the debate about truth in I Esdras 3: unus scripsit: fortius est vinum; alius scripsit: fortior est rex; tertius autem scripsit: fortiores sunt mulieres, super omnia autem vincit veritas.

Veritas Mire Patescit
Saepe etiam est fatuus vel simplex pusio vates,
Abdita cum Fatum vera aperire volet.

Vocabulary:

veritas - truth
mire - wondrously, wonderfully
patesco - is open, extends, is known
saepe - often
etiam - and, also, even
sum - be, exist
fatuus - fool, idiot
vel - or
simplex - simple, simpleton
pusio - boy, lad
vates - bard, inspired poet
abditus - hidden, concealed
cum - when
Fatum - Fate
verus - true
aperio - open
volo - want, wish, will

Perseveranti Dabitur

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2.100, with an English rendering by George Wither. Here are some lines from Wither's poem accompanying the emblem:

An Arme is with a Garland here extended;
And, as the Motto saith, it is intended,
To all that persevere. This being so;
Let none be faint in heart, though they be slow:
For, he that creepes, untill his Race be done,
Shall gaine a Wreath, aswell as they that runne.

In the emblem, you can see the hand of God reaching down to bestow the garland of victory.

Perseveranti Dabitur

Serta feret, Domino si ad finem subditus usque
Quis perseveret ultimum.

The Garland, He alone shall weare
Who, to the Goale, doth persevere.

Here is the vocabulary:

persevero - persist, persevere
do - give
serta - garland, wreath
fero - bear, carry, carry away
Dominus - Lord
si - if
ad - to, towards
finis - end, goal
subditus - submissive, subordinate
usque - all the way, up to
quis = aliquis (after si) - whoever
ultimus - farthest, last, latest

Regnum Divisum

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.271. Here Owen takes the idea expressed by Jesus in Matthew 12, Omne regnum divisum contra se desolabitur: et omnis civitas vel domus divisa contra se, non stabit. Owen then posits the end of the world itself: the world is divided; therefore, the world itself will not stand.

Regnum Divisum
In mundo nihil usque potest consistere: mundus
Non semper stabit. Cur? Quia dividitur.

A KINGDOM DIVIDED
This world hath nothing pertinent: And this
World cannot stand, because divided ’tis.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:

cōnsistō -sistere -stitī: take position; consist (+ abl.)
cūr: why?
dīvidō -ere dīvīsī dīvīsum: divide, separate
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
mundus -ī m.: world, universe, heavens
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
nōn: not
possum posse potuī: be able
quia: because
rēgnum -ī n.: kingship, kingdom
semper: always, ever
stō stāre stetī statum: stand
ūsque: up to; continuously

(Party control of Governors' offices: Jan. 2011)

De Vita et Morte

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.266. This epigram by Owen plays with the old motif of how we are all born in the same way, but we die in many different ways, e.g. _Nascimur uno modo, multis morimur_. Owen expresses that idea in the first line; in the second line, he draws his paradoxical conclusion: the abundance of ways to die makes sense, given that death is a good thing. The epigram thus belongs to what we could call the genre of "ars moriendi," the art of dying - in particular, the art of dying a good death.

De Vita et Morte
Una via est vitae, moriendi mille figurae.
Est bene: nam mors est res bona, vita mala.

OF LIFE AND DEATH
One way to Life, to Dath a thousand’s had;
’Tis well Death is a good thing, Life a bad.

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:

figūra f. - form, shape, figure

bene: well
bonus -a -um: good
dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
et: and
malus -a -um: bad, evil; male: (adv.) badly
mille (pl.) milia: thousand
morior morī mortuus sum: die
mors mortis f.: death
nam or namque: for, indeed, really
rēs reī f.: thing (rēs pūblica, commonwealth; rēs familiāris, family property, estate; rēs mīlitāris, art of war; rēs novae, revolution)
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
ūnus -a -um: one
via -ae f.: way, street
vīta -ae f.: life

(illustration from a 15th-century Ars Moriendi)

Perit Quod Elapsum Est

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2.99, with an English rendering by George Wither. Here is part of Wither's poem accompanying the emblem:

Consider this, all ye that spend the prime,
The noone-tide, and the twilight of your Time,
In childish play-games, or meere worldly things;
As if you could, at pleasure, clip Times wings,
Or turne his Glasse; or, had a Life, or twaine
To live, when you had fool'd out this in vaine.
Short is the present; lost Times-passed bee;
And, Time to come, wee may not live to see.

Such a warning is all the more pointed when it comes from Rollenhagius, who did not even live to see his fortieth year!


Perit Quod Elapsum Est

Continuo fugit hora; perit de tempore quantum
Elapsum est: parcus temporis esto tui.

Make use of Time, that's comming on
For, that is perish'd, which is gone.

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

continuus -a -um - incessant, continuus, uninterrupted
ēlābor, ēlābī, ēlapsus - slip away, escape
parcus -a -um - sparing, frugal; adv. parce

dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
fugiō fugere fūgī fugitum: flee, escape
hōra -ae f.: hour
pereō -īre -iī -itum: perish, be lost
quantus -a -um: (interr.) how great? (rel.) of what size, amount, etc.
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tempus -oris n.: time
tuus -a -um: your

Fert Omnia Secum

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143     -     144     -     145

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Fert Omnia Secum
O felix, secum sua quicumque omnia portat,
Fortunae vivens liber ab arbitrio.

Source: Joachim Camerarius (1534-1598), Symbola, 4.100. Meter: Elegiac. The idea of the wise man who fert omnia secum, "carries everything with him," is here appropriated for the snail, who even carries its own home on its back. For an Aesop's fable that conveys this same message, see the story of Simonides and the shipwreck.

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:

arbītrium (arbītriī, n.): judgment, decision, will

O happy is he (O felix) whoever carries (quicumque portat) all his own goods (sua omnia) with him (secum), living free (vivens liber) from the judgment of Fortune (Fortunae ab arbitrio).

ā, ab, abs: from, by (+abl.)
cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
fēlīx -īcis: lucky; adv. fēlīciter
fero ferre tulī lātum: bear, carry
fortūna -ae f.: fortune
līber lībera līberum: free; līberī (m. pl.), freeborn children
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
porto -āre: carry a load
quī-, quae-, quodcumque: who-, whatever
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
suus -a -um: his own, her own, its own
vīvo -ere vīxī victum: live

(image source)

Vita Mihi Mors Est

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 3:100. For Camerarius, the phoenix is a paradoxical emblem of both life and death - like all of us, the phoenix's life brings about its death, but the phoenix has the special quality that by dying, it brings about it own birth, too.

Vita Mihi Mors Est
Ex se ipsa nascens, ex se reparabilis ales,
quae exoriens moritur, quae moriens oritur.

Vocabulary:

vita - life
ego - I, me
mors - death
sum - be, exist
ex - from, out from, out of
se - reflexive pronoun
ipse - (him/her/it)self
nascor - be born
reparabilis - able to be restored
ales - winged creature, bird
qui - who, which, that
exorior - come forth, spring up, begin
morior - die
orior - arise, rise up

Omnis Caro Faenum

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2.98, with an English rendering by George Wither. Here is Wither's poem to accompany the emblem:

This Infant, and this little Trusse of Hay,
When they are moralized, seeme to say,
That, Flesh is but tuft of Morning Grasse,
Both greene, and wither'd, ere the day-light passe.
And, such we truly finde it; for, behold,
Assoone as Man is borne, hee waxeth old,
In Griefes, in Sorrowes, or Necessities;
And, withers ev'ry houre, untill hee dyes:
Now, flourishing, as Grasse, when it is growne,
Straight perishing, as Grasse, when it is mowne.

The emblem shows a baby, the beginning of life, but in the background you can see the mowing and the gathering in of the hay - the end of life, in the great cycle of living and dying.

Omnis Caro Faenum

Omnis homo faenum, quod mane virescit et aret
Discendente die, crescit ut intereat.

All Flesh, is like the wither'd Hay
And, so it strings, and fades away.

Here is the vocabulary:

omnis - all, every
caro - flesh, meat
faenum - hay
homo - person, man
quod - because
mane - morning, in the morning
viresco - grow green, turn green
et - and
areo - be dry, wither
discedo - depart, pass away
dies - day
cresco - grow, increase
ut - so that, so, in order to
intereo - perish, die

Ultima Linea

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.264. This is another one of those paradoxical epigrams: the first line pairs the happy life with a bitter death, while the second line replies with the pairing of a serious life and an amusing death. This might be appropriate for Ebenezer Scrooge, if you read or watched A Christmas Carol during the holiday season: the death of Scrooge was an object of merry-making for many!

Ultima Linea
Ultimus est vitae mors actus amara iocosae.
Cuius vita fuit seria, mors iocus est.

THE LAST LINE
Sad Death is of a merry Life last Act;
A serious Life doth Joys in Death attract.

Vocabulary:

ultimus - farthest, latest, last
linea - line
sum - be, exist
vita - life
mors - death
actus - action, deed, performance
amarus - bitter
iocosus - humorous, funny, fun
qui - who, which, that
serius - grave, serious
iocus - joke, jest

(image source)

Si Deus Voluerit

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:97, with an English rendering by George Wither. In Wither's poem to accompany the emblem, he makes this mention of the dog:

Moreover, wee, some notice hence may take,
That, if provision, God, vouchsafes to make,
For Lyons, Dogs, and Ravens, in their need,
Hee will his Lambes, and harmlesse Turtles feed:
And, so provide, that they shall alwayes have
Sufficient, to maintaine the Life hee gave.

Even if the Latin distich does not mention the dog, the logic is clear: if God gives life to his creatures, then of course he would give the bread needed to sustain that life... even if you don't see the big hand reaching down from the sky to offer the bread directly.

Si Deus Voluerit

Si Deus ille volet, qui vitam dat mihi, vita
Quo se sustentet, sat mihi panis erit.

Why should I feare the want of Bread?
If God so please, I shall bee fed.

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

pānis -is m. bread; food
sustentō -āre - hold upright, support, sustain

deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
dō dare dedī datum: give
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
ille illa illud: that
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
satis/sat: enough, sufficient
sī: if
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
vīta -ae f.: life
volō velle voluī: wish, be willing

Spes Altera Vita

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399     -     400     -     401

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Spes Altera Vita
Securus moritur, qui scit se morte renasci:
Non ea mors dici, sed nova vita potest.

Source: Joachim Camerarius (1534-1598), Symbola, 1.100. Meter: Elegiac. Here Camerarius uses the metaphor of plants that die but leave their seed behind, and thus come back to life. The emblem shows the seeds going into the ground, where there are also human bones, awaiting the resurrection.

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:

renascor, renascī - be revived, be born again

alter altera alterum: other of two
dīco dīcere dīxī dictum: say; causam dicere, plead a case; diem dicere, appoint a day
is ea, id: he, she, it; eō, there, to that place
morior morī mortuus sum: die
mors mortis f.: death
nōn: not
novus -a -um: new
possum posse potuī: be able
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
scio -īre -īvī/-iī -ītum: know
sēcūrus -ā -um: free from care, tranquil; careless
sed: but
spēs, speī f.: hope
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
vīta -ae f.: life

Aulicorum Par Impar

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.262. Here Owen puts together a paradoxical "unequal pair" of courtiers - there is the mythological Momus, who was famous for criticizing everyone, including the gods (Wikipedia), along with Gnatho, the archetypal flatterer. For more about Gnatho, see Owen's poem Adulator et Invidus,

Aulicorum Par Impar
Non bene conveniunt, at in una sede morantur
Momus vituperans omnia, Gnatho nihil.

A PAIR OF IMPAIR COURTIERS
They well agree not, nor keep equal ways,
This all things praiseth, that doth nothing praise.

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

aulicus -a -um - courtly; courtier
Gnatho - Gnatho, proverbial for adultation and flattery
impar, imparis - unequal, uneven
Momus - Momus
vitupero, -āre - blame, disparage, find fault

at: but, but yet
bene: well
conveniō -venīre -vēnī -ventum: assemble, meet; agree
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
moror morārī morātus sum: delay
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
nōn: not
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
pār paris: equal
sēdēs -is m.: seat, abode, habitation
ūnus -a -um: one

(image source)

Non Levis Ascensus

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 4:99. In the emblem, you can see the snail slowly making its way up the hill. It's a lot of work for the little snail, but exactly because the ascent is not undertaken lightly, there is real praise to be earned by reaching the top!

Non Levis Ascensus
Disce, puer, virtutem ex me verumque laborem,
Si verae ornari laudis honore cupis.

Vocabulary:

non - not, no
levis - light, trivial
ascensus - ascent, going up
disco - learn
puer - boy
virtus - excellence
ex - from
ego - I
verus - true
labor - labor, hard work, effort
si - if
orno - adorn, decorate
laus - praise
honor - esteem, regard, honor
cupio - desire, crave

Carceris Instar Tellus

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.253. Typical for a collection of poetry at the time, Owen's poetry abounds with misogynistic verses. In general, I have not chosen to include those, but I could not resist this elaborate metaphor which posits the idea that this world is like a prison, and then goes on to tell us about the prison walls, the prison guard, and the chains that keep us here.

Carceris Instar Tellus
Carceris est instar tellus, quasi moenia caelum,
Custos peccatum. Vincula quae? Mulier.

THE WORLD
The Earth is like a Gaol, like Walls the Skies,
The Gaoler’s Sin, the Fetters Womens Eyes.

Vocabulary:

carcer - prison
instar - image, likeness, equal
tellus - earth, the world
sum - be, exist
quasi - as if, like
moenia - walls
caelum - sky
custos - guardian, watchman
peccatum - sin
vinculum - chain, fetter
qui - which
mulier - woman

(Buster Keaton in jail)

Violentior Exit

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 3:99. This emblem plays on the comparison attributed to Anacharsis, the legendary wise man of Scythia who made such an impression on the ancient Greeks; he said that laws were like spider webs because they caught the little insects, but the big ones simply burst their way through - as in the title of this emblem, violentior exit, "the one with more power gets out." Here is how Valerius Maximus reports the words of Anacharsis in Latin: Quam porro subtiliter Anacharsis leges araneorum telis conparabat! nam ut illas infirmiora animalia retinere, valentiora transmittere, ita his humiles et pauperes constringi, divites et praepotentes non alligari.

Violentior Exit
Innodat culicem, sed vespae pervia tela est;
Sic rumpit leges vis, quibus haeret inops.

Vocabulary:

violens - violent, having power
exeo - go out
innodo - tie, fasten with a knot
culex - gnat, insect
sed - but
vespa - wasp
pervia - permeable, passable
tela - web
sum - be, exist
sic - thus, in this way
rumpo - break, burst
lex - law
vis - force, violence
qui - who, which, that
haereo - cling to
inops - poor, needy, without resources

De Seipso

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128     -     129     -     130

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De Seipso
Sunt quidam, qui me dicunt non esse poetam.
Et verum dicunt. Cur? Quia vera loquor.

Some say I am no Poet, ’tis no lye:

For I write nothing else than verity.

Source: John Owen (c.1564-c.1628), Epigrammata, 4.249. The English version is by Thomas Harvey. Meter: Elegiac. This paradoxical little epigram plays on the tradition that "poets are liars." So, when people criticize Owen and say that he is no poet, he readily agrees - he cannot be a poet, because he speaks the truth!

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:

cūr: why?
dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
dīcō dīcere dīxī dictum: say; causam dicere, plead a case; diem dicere, appoint a day
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
et: and
ipse ipsa ipsum: him- her- itself
loquor loquī locūtus sum: speak, talk
nōn: not
poēta -ae m.: poet
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
quī- quae- quoddam: a certain one, someone
quia: because
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
vērus -a -um: true; vērē, truly

(Poussin: Inspiration of the Poet - full size poster; poster made with AutoMotivator)

Nusquam Tuta Tyrannis

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 2:99. In this emblem, Camerarius invokes the ichneumon, which was supposedly able to creep into the mouth of the crocodile and down into its bowels; it would then kill the crocodile by chewing its way out from the inside. This little creature does not seem like a formidable enemy, and so the first line of the poem warns that the person whom you might least suspect, quem minime credas, is the one who will bring about the tyrant's doom! I guess it is appropriate to have this be the emblem for December 25 in the Camerarius widget, since in the Physiologus, the ichneumon was considered to be an allegorical representation of Christ.

Nusquam Tuta Tyrannis
Quem minime credas properabit fata tyranno:
Exitio ichneumon sic, crocodile, tibi est.

Vocabulary:

nusquam - never, nowhere
tutus - safe
tyrannus - tyrant
qui - who, which, that
minime - least of all, not of all
credo - believe, trust
propero - hurry, hasten
fatum - fate
exitium - destruction, death
ichneumon - ichneumon
sic - thus, in this way
crocodilus - crocodile
tu - you
sum - be, exist

Fama, Error

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.243. Here Owen plays with the famous words of Vergil about Fama: Extemplo Libyae magnas it Fama per urbes, / Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum: / mobilitate viget virisque adquirit eundo, / parva metu primo, mox sese attollit in auras / ingrediturque solo et caput inter nubila condit. Owen, however, has introduced a new metaphor: a snowball that gets bigger and bigger as it rolls.

Fama, Error
Rumor rumores, errores partuit error,
Ut nivis exiguus crescit eundo globus.

FAME, ERROR
Rumours and Errors further going, grow
Greater and greater like a Ball of Snow.

Vocabulary:

fama - report, rumor
error - wandering, mistake, error
rumor - rumor
parturio - give birth to, give rise to
ut - as, like
nix - snow
exiguus - meager, slight
cresco - grow
eo - go
globus - ball

(image source)

His Ornari Aut Mori

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 1:99. Here Camerarius wishes for himself a crown, a small one anyway (corolla is a diminutive of corona), woven of olive, laurel and oak leaves - without this, his life would be so sad as to not be worth living. You can see the three types of leaves depicted in the emblem! All of these trees had special symbolic value in the ancient world; in the essay accompanying the emblem, Camerarius briefly summarizes the three leaves as representing sapientia, doctrina ac rei militaris peritia, "wisdom, learning and military expertise."

His Ornari Aut Mori
Fronde oleae, lauri, quercus contexta corolla
Me decoret, sine qua vivere triste mihi.

Vocabulary:

hic - this, this one
orno - decorate, adorn
aut - or
morior - die
frons - leaves, branch, bough
olea - olive
laurus - laurel
quercus - oak
contextus - interwoven, connected
corolla - small garland, little crown
ego - I, me
decoro - adorn, grace, honor
sine - without
qui - who, which, that
vivo - live
tristis - sad

Lumen Gratiae

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.242. Owen addressed this poem to his friend John Tovey, Ad Amicum Suum, D. Ioannem Tovey. He also dedicated poem 3:168, Adverbia Christiana, to Tovey.

Lumen Gratiae
Luna suam complet solari lumine sphaeram,
Mens ut ab alieno numine lumen habet.

LIGHT OF GRACE
The Moon enlight’ned by the Sun doth shine.
So shines the Soul inspir’d with Grace divine.

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

compleo -ēre, complēvī, complētum - fill up, make full, complete
sōlāris, -e; is - belong to the sun, sun (adj.)
sphaera f. - ball, globe, sphere

ā ab abs: from, by (+abl.)
aliēnus -a -um: foreign, strange
grātia -ae f.: favor, influence, gratitude
habeō habēre habuī habitum: have, hold
lūmen luminis n.: light
lūna -ae f.: moon
mēns mentis f.: mind
nūmen -inis n.: divine will, deity
suus -a -um: his own, her own, its own
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)

(image source)

Nec Te Quaesiveris Extra

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 4:98. The title comes from the Roman satirist Persius, urging you not to go extra, outside, yourself. This self-containment is expressed emblematically in the form of a snail. The first line of the poem sets up the contrast between the man who hides and the man who boldly burst out - weapons strike the bold man, but not the one who hides. The second line repeats the idea that the bold man who rushes ahead will perish; again, the snail is a great contrast to the idea of anyone rushing into anything. Sadly, because the poor snail in the emblem did come out of his shell, he has been struck by one of those arrows!

Nec Te Quaesiveris Extra
Non tibi tela nocent latitanti, erumpere at ausum
Configunt: temere qui ruit, ille perit.

Vocabulary:

nec - nor, and not, don't
tu - you
quaero - seek, ask, inquire, demand
extra - outside of, beyond
non - not, no
telum - weapon, dart, spear
noceo - injure, harm
latito - be hidden, lie low, lurk
erumpo - break out, burst forth
at - but
audeo - dare, act boldly
configo - pierce, strike down, hit
temere - rashly
qui - who, which, that
ruo - rush, attack
ille - that, that one
pereo - perish

Problema

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.236. Here Owen points at a paradoxical hypocrisy that is characteristic of greed, especially in its avaricious variety: a stingy miser loves generous people (greedily wanting to take from them), as the second line points out... which is a paradoxical problem, given that the generous person hates a miser for his stinginess!

Problema
Moribus adversum sibi prodigus odit avarum.
Cur igitur largos parcus avarus amat?

A PROBLEME
The Prodigal the Miser doth detest.
Why then do Misers Prodigals love best?

Vocabulary:

problema - problema, enigma, riddle
mos - habit, custom, character
adversum - against
se - reflexive pronoun
prodigus - lavish, prodigal
odi - hate
avarus - miser, greed
cur - why
igitur - therefore
largus - bountiful, plentiful
parcus - sparing, frugal
amo - love

(Miser: Maria Feodorovna)

Scabrisque Tenacius Haerent

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 3:98. The poem urges you to be strong when the going gets tough, because that's where real virtue is on display; in contrast, there is little praiseworthy virtue in taking advantage of prosperous times. Put that together with the title about clinging more tenaciously to rough things, and then look at the emblem: you see those flies buzzing around the mirror? Well, the mirror is so nice and smooth that they actually cannot cling to it - there is nothing to hold onto! The flies need something rough to hang on to, just as we need tough times to manifest our own excellence.


Scabrisque Tenacius Haerent
Rebus in adversis sis fortis: nempe ea parva
Laus est virtutis, prosperitate frui.

 

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

nempe - truly, certainly, of course
prosperitas, prosperitātis f. - good fortune, success

adversus -a -um: turned towards, facing, opposed; unfavorable
fortis -e: brave
fruor fruī frūctus sum: enjoy
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
is ea, id: he, she, it; eō, there, to that place
laus, laudis f.: praise, glory
parvus -a -um: small
rēs reī f.: thing (rēs pūblica, commonwealth; rēs familiāris, family property, estate; rēs mīlitāris, art of war; rēs novae, revolution)
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
virtūs -ūtis f.: valor, manliness, virtue

Sermo

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.230. As often, this epigram is full of paradoxes, along with an implied bit of advice for the speaker: if you have good news, you can take a long time relating it, but if you have a serious message to impart, you should keep it short.

Sermo
Sermo voluptati similis, similisque dolori est:
Longus enim levis est sermo, gravisque brevis.

SPEECH
A Speech is like to Grief, is like to sport:
If long, ’tis trivial, if grave, ’tis short.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:

brevis -e: short, shallow, brief; adv. breviter
dolor -ōris m.: pain, grief
enim: for, indeed
gravis -e: heavy
levis -e: light, trivial
longus -a -um: long, far; longē: far, far off
que (enclitic) - and
sermo -ōnis m.: conversation, discourse
similis -e: like, similar
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
voluptās -ātis f.: pleasure enjoyment

(image source)

Acceptum Redditur Officium

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 2:98. This poem uses the exemplum of the trochilus bird and the crocodile as a positive model for human life: when someone does you a good service, you should do them a good service in return. The so-called "crocodile bird" is reported already in Herodotus to have a symbiotic relationship with the crocodile: the crocodiles open their mouths and the birds fly inside, feeding on the bits of food stuck between the crocodiles' teeth. Here in Camerarius's emblem, not only has the crocodile opened its mouth; it has even rolled over on its back!

Acceptum Redditur Officium
Vel trochili meritis crocodili gratia constat.
Praeclare meritis tu quoque redde vicem.

Vocabulary:

acceptus - accepted, received
reddo - render, return, pay back
officium - office, duty, service
vel - even, actually
trochilus - trochilus bird
meritum - value, reward, merit
crocodilus - crocodile
gratia - favor, thanks
consto - consist of, exist
praeclare - very clearly, brightly
tu - you
quoque - also
vicem - turn, change, repayment (acc.)

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

praeclārus -a -um - very clear, bright, magnificent, excellent
trochilus, trochilī m. - small bird, perhaps a wren
vicis (genitive) - change, turn, interchange

accipio -cipere -cēpī -ceptum: receive
cōnsto -stāre -stitī: agree; constat, it is established that (+ infin.)
grātia -ae f.: favor, influence, gratitude
mereo -ēre meruī meritum: deserve, merit; serve as a soldier
officium -ī n.: service, duty
quoque: also, too
reddo -dere -didī -ditum: return, give back
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
vel: or else, or; even; vel . . . vel, either… or

Ubiquitarii

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.228. The title of the epigram refers to the Ubiquitarians, also known as Ubiquists, who were a Protestant movement of the late 16th century. The name comes from a theological dispute regarding the presence of the body of Christ in the Eucharist. Melanchthon argued that the Eucharist was everywhere, and since a body cannot be in many places at once, the body of Christ could not be in the Eucharist. Johannes Benz, the founder of Ubiquitarianism, maintained that body of Christ had been deified and was therefore everywhere, including in the ubiquitous Eucharist. You can read more about the Ubiquitarians at this Wikipedia article. Owen's poem is not about theology, at least not directly - instead, he is focusing on the paradox that the homeless man is at home everywhere, in the sense that he has no actual home of his own - and, not having a home, he cannot be exiled from it. In a world of gross inequality, the poor are everywhere, like the body of Christ.

Ubiquitarii
Tota patet tellus inopi, quacunque vagatur
Pauper in exilio est nullibi, ubique domi.

UBIQUITARIES
All th’ Earth’s before the poor, where e’re he roam
He’s never exil’d, ever is at home.

Vocabulary:

Ubiquitarius - Ubiquitarian
totus - all, whole, entire
pateo - lie open, be accessible
tellus - earth
inops - poor, needy
quacunque -wherever
vagor - wander
pauper - poor man
in - in, into
exilium - exile, banishment
sum - be, exist
nullibi - nowhere
ubique - everywhere
domus - home

image

(image source)

Homerus

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458     -     459     -     460

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Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.225. This epigram plays on the traditional legend (here, fabula) that Homer was blind - so he never saw the light, although his writings do so even now! For more about the ancient legends of Homer's blindness, see this Wikipedia article.

Homerus
Si vera est de te quae fertur fabula, nunquam
Vidisti lucem, sed tua scripta vident.

HOMER
If that be true, which some of thee do write,
Thou never sawst, thy Books yet see the Light.

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:

If the story (si fabula) that they tell about you (quae fertur de te) is true (vera est), you never (nunquam) saw the light (vidisti lucem), but your writings (tua scripta) see it (vident).

Homerus - Homer

dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
fabula -ae f.: account, tale, story
ferō ferre tulī lātum: bear, carry
lūx lūcis f.: light of day
numquam: never
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
scrībō scrībere scrīpsī scrīptum: write
sed: but
sī: if
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
tuus -a -um: your
vērus -a -um: true; vērē, truly
videō vidēre vīdī vīsum: see

(Homer and his Guide:
William-Adolphe Bouguereau)

Hoc Omnis Caro

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 1:98. It plays on the idea that "all flesh is this" - that is, all flesh is this: the mown grass or hay which you can see in the emblem. The metaphor of flesh being like grass is pervasive in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, as in Isaiah 40, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field," Omnis caro faenum, et omnis gloria eius quasi flos agri (a sentiment repeated in I Peter).

Hoc Omnis Caro
Quisquis es, hunc faeni qui spectas forte maniplum,
Respice te: faenum es; pone supercilium.

Vocabulary:

hic - this, this one
omnis - all, every
caro - flesh, meat
quisquis - whoever
sum - be, exist
faenum - hay
qui - who, which, that
specto - see, observe
forte - by chance, perchance
maniplus - handful, bundle
respicio - consider, look back at
tu - you
pono - place, put, put aside
supercilium - eyebrow, arrogance

Homo Homini Deus

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.224. Here Owen is playing with two well-known Latin sayings, Homo homini lupus est, "Man is a wolf to man," and Homo homini deus est," Man is a god to man." Owen has taken these two ideas and shaped them into a set of three: at one extreme is the wolf who takes things away; at the other extreme is God, who gives; and in the middle you have man, who, even though wealthy, gives nothing to a poor man, even if that man might be his friend! Not quite a wolf... but definitely not God either.

Homo Homini DeusEst homo, qui locuples inopi nil donat amico.
Qui rapit, hic lupus est. Qui dabit, ille deus.

MAN IS TO MAN A GOD
A Man’s a Man, though he but sparing lives:
A Wolf that spoils, a God who freely gives.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

inops, inopis - needy, lacking, destitute
locūples, locūplētis - wealthy
lupus, lupī m. - wolf

amīcus -a -um: friendly; (as subst.) friend
deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
do dare dedī datum: give
dōno -āre: present with a gift (+ acc. of person and abl. of thing)
hic, haec, hoc: this; hōc, on this account
homo hominis m.: human being
ille, illa, illud: that
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
rapio rapere rapuī raptum: seize, tear away
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist

(image source)

Bene Qui Latuit

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 4:97. This emblem plays on the proverbial expression, Bene qui latuit bene vixit, "He who has kept himself well hideen has lived well." The epigram sets up the house-bearing snail as an example for you if you want to grow old safely at home.

Bene Qui Latuit
Exemplo domiporta tibi fit cochlea, quisquis
Exoptas tuto consenuisse domi.

Vocabulary:

bene - well
qui - who, which, that
lateo - lie hidden, lurk
exemplum - example, model
domiportus - house-carrying
tu - you
fio - become, be
cochlea - snail
quisquis - whoever
exopto - long for
tuto - safely, securely
consenesco - grow old
domus - home

Vicissitudo

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.218. Note the accusative plural luctūs here: griefs, plural, along with gaudia, joys, plural. It's a perpetual cycle: after grief, joy, and then after that joy, grief again, and then joy, and so on. That's why I chose the "wheel of fortune" image below to accompany this poem about life's vicissitudes.

Vicissitudo
Gaudia post luctus veniunt, post gaudia luctus.
Semper in ambiguo (speve metuve) sumus.

VICISSITUDE
Mirth, Mourning ends, and Mourning Mirth concludes,
Hope, Fear, w’ are various by Vicissitudes.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

ambiguus, -a -um - uncertain, doubtful, ambiguous
luctus, luctūs - grief, sorrow
vicissitūdo, vicissitūdinis f. - change, alteration, vicissitude

gaudium -ī n.: delight, joy, pleasure
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
metus -ūs m.: fear, dread
post: after (adv. and prep. +acc.)
semper: always, ever
spēs speī f.: hope
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
ve (enclitic): or
veniō venīre vēnī ventum: come

(image source)

Brevis Et Damnosa Voluntas

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 3:97. This emblem is similar to the English saying, "like a moth to the flame." Consider for example the line from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice: "Thus hath the candle singd the moath." Here we have someone who flitters around his love affairs and then into the flames: that man is no different than a moth.

Brevis Et Damnosa Voluntas
Qui circum volitat deceptus amores ad ignes,
Numquid naturam papilionis habet?

Vocabulary:

brevis - short, brief
et - and
damnosus - ruinous, harmful
voluntas - will, desire, wish
qui - who, which, that
circum - around, among, near
volito - fly, flitter
deceptus - deceived
amor - love
ad - to, towards
ignis - fire, flame
numquid - question word, expecting negative answer
natura - nature
papilio - butterfly, moth
habeo - have

Musica

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.216. Owen dedicated this poem his friend William James, Ad Amicum Suum D. Guilielmum James. William James (1542 - 1617) was Master of University College and alter Bishop of Durham. The epigram is an acknowledgment of the special etymological privilege of the word "music" which of all the arts is the one whose name is derived from the ancient Greek Muses, Μοῦσαι. The English word "museum" is from the same root, as is "mosaic." Among the ancient Greek Muses, there was not a specific Muse dedicated to "music" in the sense that we use the word today - although several of the Muses did have musical instruments as their emblems: Euterpe, the Muse of song, carried an aulos (flute); Erato, the Muse of love poetry, carried a cithara, which was a type of lyre; and Terpsichore, the Muse of dance, also carried a lyre.

MUSICA
Optima Musarum est; reliquis idcirco negatum
Artibus, a Musis musica nomen habet.

MUSICK
The name of Musick from the Muses came;
Best Art; none other Science hath this Name.

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

idcirco - on that account, for this reason
Mūsa, f. - Muse
mūsica, f. - the art of music, music

ā ab abs: from, by (+abl.)
ars artis f.: skill
habeō habēre habuī habitum: have, hold
negō -āre: deny, refuse
nōmen -inis n.: name
optimus -a -um: best, excellent; adv. optimē
reliquus -a -um: remaining, rest
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist

(The Muse Terpsichore - Le Sueur Eustache)

Tempore Et Loco

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 2:97. According to ancient legend, the crocodile had a gift of foresight that allowed it to know in advance the flood tides of Nile. As a result, the crocodile could lay its eggs in safety, just beyond the high water line. As a result, a farmer who discovered the nest of the crocodile eggs would know how high the Nile's tide would rise in the future.

Tempore Et Loco
Nosse modum tempusque doces, crocodile magister,
Et ventura diu tempora prospicere.

Vocabulary:

tempus - time
et - and
locus - place
nosco - know
modus - manner
que - and
doceo - teach
crocodilus - crocodile
magister - teacher
venio - come
diu - for a long time, long since
prospicio - see far off, foresee

Echo et Speculum

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.215. Owen wrote separate poems dedicated to the phenomena of echoes (Echo) and mirrors (Speculum), and here he combines them in an elegant paradox: the echo speaks but lacks a body to move with, while the mirror moves but lacks a voice to speak with!

Echo et SpeculumNil in se, praeter vocem, vitale habet echo.
Ut vivat, speculum non nisi voce caret.

THE ECHO, AND LOOKING-GLASS
Nothing of Life hath th’ Echo, but to squeake:
The Glass would seem to live, if it could speak.

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

ēcho, ēchūs f. - echo
speculum, speculī n. - looking-glass, mirror
vītālis, -e; vītālis - life (adj.), vital

careō -ēre -uī: lack (+ abl.)
et: and
habeō habēre habuī habitum: have, hold
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
nisi/nī: if not, unless
nōn: not
praeter: by, along, past; besides, except (+ acc.)
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)
vīvō vīvere vīxī victum: live
vōx vōcis f.: voice, utterance

(image source)

Nullo Docente Magistro

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 1:97. Here Camerarius makes a typical paradoxical argument: nature acts wisely, yet human beings may choose instead to act unwisely. So, for example, if plants absorb useful fluids and reject dangerous fluids, are human beings really going to rush into the the very things that do them harm? The world of nature, moreover, does not have the benefit of formal schooling; with our schooling, should we not then be even more admirable than the world of nature?

Nullo Docente Magistro
Utilis attrahitur plantis, at noxius humor
Spernitur; anne homines in sua damna ruent?

Vocabulary:

nullus - not any, none
doceo - teach
magister - teacher
utilis - useful
attraho - draw towards, attract
planta - cutting, young plant
at - but, on the other hand
noxius - harmful
humor - moisture, bodily fluid
sperno - reject
anne - question word (expects negative)
homo - person, man
in - in, into
suus - reflexive possessive adjective
damnum - damage, loss, ruin
ruo - rush into, ruin, be ruined

Speculum

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.214. Just as Owen's Echo epigram reflect a world without audio recording, this epigram reflects a world without video recording. For Owen, the mirror was able to reproduce images in motion, which human artists could not manage to do. Phidias and Apelles were renowned artists of ancient Greece. Notice how Owen is addressing the mirror directly here; the speculum is tu.

Speculum
Fingere non Phidias, nec Apelles pingere motum
Novit: tu Phidia plus et Apelle facis.

A LOOKING-GLASS
Than Phidias or Apelles wiser, thou
The Bodies motion form’st, they knew not how.

Vocabulary:

speculum - looking-glass, mirror
fingo - shape, fashion, form
non - not, no, nor
Phidias - Phidias
nec - and not, nor
Apelles - Apelles
pingo - paint, depict
motus - movement
nosco - know, know how to
tu - you
plus - more
et - and
facio - do, make

(image source)

Ne Iurato Quidem

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 4:96. This emblem teaches us that even if your enemy swears an oath to you, you cannot trust him until he lays down his arms, no more than you can make a pact with scorpion until after its tail has been cut off. The emblem shows exactly that: the tail of the scorpion being cut off.

Ne Iurato Quidem
Non nisi desectā credam tibi, scorpio, caudā,
Armaque ni ponas, foedera nulla dabo.

Vocabulary:

ne...quidem - not even
iuro - swear, be under oath
non - not
nisi - unless
desectus - severed, cut out
tu - you
scorpio - scorpion
cauda - tail
arma - arms, weapons
que - and
ni = nisi
pono - place, put, put down
foedus - treaty, pact
nullus - not any, none
do - give

Echo

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.213. Of course, the sentiment expressed here - that sound cannot be reproduced, except in the form of an echo - has been superseded by the technology of audio recording. You can read about the history of sound recording here in this Wikipedia article; the first audio recordings date back to the primitive "phonautograms" back in the 1850s!

Echo
Vocem nulla potest ars sculpere, pingere nulla.
Sola repercussos exprimit echo sonos.

THE ECHO
No skill nor Art a voice can form, or sound:
Sole Echo doth reiterate the sound.

Vocabulary:

echo - echo
vox - voice, sound
nullus - not any, none
possum - can, be able
ars - art, technique, skill
sculpo - carve, engrave, sculpt
pingo - paint
solus - only, alone, sole
repercussus - reflected, rebounded
exprimo - squeeze out, express, portray
sonus - sound

(image source)

Expecto Donec Veniat

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 3:96. Although you might be familiar with the cricket from the story of the cricket and the ant, where the cricket is a negative exemplum of laziness, here we see the cricket as a positive example, patiently enduring the cold of winter, ever hopeful that spring will come. In the same way, our positive outlook can hope for help even in dangerous times.

Expecto Donec Veniat
Frigora fert patiens, spe veris, parva cicada:
Sperat et infestis mens bona semper opem.

Vocabulary:

expecto - wait, watch out for
donec - until
venio - come
frigus - cold
fero - bear, endure
patior - suffer, be patient
spes - hope
ver - spring
parvus - small, tiny
cicada - cicada, cricket
spero - hope
et - and
infestus - hostile, unsafe
mens - mind
bonus - good
semper - always
ops - power, help, might

Perseverando

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 2:96. Here the beaver is being celebrated for his persistent hard work, but not as a positive exemplum, but a negative one. The tree may stand tall, but the gnawing of the beaver lays that tree low - and we better watch out for anything that might undermine us in the same way. With the word improbus, Camerarius is alluding to the words of Vergil's Georgics, 1: labor omnia vicit / improbus.

Perseverando
Quid non perficiat labor improbus? Aspicis, arbor
Ut cadat a morsu castoris assiduo.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are five words which are not on the DCC list:

assiduus -a -um - constant, regular, incessant
castor, castoris m. - beaver
inānis -e: empty, vacant, insubstantial; adv. inaniter
morsus, morsūs m. - biting, bite
perficiō -ficere -fēcī -fectum: bring to a conclusion, accomplish

 

ā ab abs: from, by (+abl.)

arbor arboris f.: tree
aspiciō -ere -spēxī -spectum: look to or at, behold
cadō cadere cecidī cāsum: fall, be killed
labor -ōris m.: toil, exertion
nōn: not
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)

Virtutis Laus

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.213. This poem is addressed to Thomas Puckering, whom Owen describes as "summae spei adulescens." Sir Thomas Puckering (1592-1636) was the son of Sir John Puckering; Owen addressed several poems to him. The paradox of this poem is the way that the sun's steadiness consists in motion; likewise, the steady force of virtue consists in activity. Of course, we know that it is the earth moving around the sun - but it sure does look like the sun is moving across our sky! So, if you want to be as steadily powerful as the sun, get moving!

Virtutis Laus
Solis ut, in solo motu, constantia constat,
Constans virtutis vis in agendo sita.

VERTUES PRAISE
As the Suns constancy consists in Motion,
So Vertue’s force in Action hath best Notion.

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

constantia, f. - steadiness, constancy, agreement
mōtus, mōtūs m. - moving, motion, movement
situs -a -um - positioned, situated

agō agere ēgī āctum: drive, do, act
cōnstō -stāre -stitī: agree; constat, it is established that (+ infin.)
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
laus laudis f.: praise, glory
sōl sōlis m.: sun
sōlus -a -um: only, alone; sōlum (adv.), only, merely
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)
virtūs -ūtis f.: valor, manliness, virtue
vīs f.: force; (acc.) vim, (abl.) vī; (pl.) vīrēs, strength

(image source)

Diarii Omnes

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 1:96. This emblem is inspired by the idea that we are all creatures "of a day," metaphorically speaking, like the daylily, which blooms for one day only. So it is that the daylily can remind us to set the limit of our days, whatever that limit might be, and realize that many or few as our days might be, it is all but "one day" of blossoming that comes to an end. The name for the daylily here, hemerocallis, is a word borrowed from Greek, a compound of ἡμέρα "day" and καλός, "beautiful."

Diarii Omnes
Extremum statuas ut quemlibet esse dierum,
Fida tibi monitrix hemerocallis erit.

Vocabulary:

diarius - daily, of a day
omnis - all, every
extremus - outer, extreme, last
statuo - set up, establish
ut - so, so that
quilibet - whoever, whatever
sum - be, exist
dies - day
fidus - faithful
tu - you
monitrix - prompter, counselor
hemerocallis - daylily

Lyra

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.211. This epigram is one of those paradoxical comparisons: a musical instrument has its different strings and produces harmony; since the human race likewise has its different members, we should likewise be harmonious, but instead of enjoying concordia, we are discors. As you can see from the spelling, Latin chorda and cor (as in concordia) are not from the same root - but it still makes for good word-play!

Lyra
In tam diversis cum sit concordia chordis,
Tam discors hominum non pudet esse genus?

AN HARP
Sith th’ Harps discording Strings concording be,
Is’t not a shame for men to disagree?

Vocabulary:

lyra - lyre
in - in, into
tam - such
diversus - various, diverse
cum - when, since
sum - be, exist
concordia - harmony
chorda - string (of a musical instrument)
discors - discordant, unharmonious
homo - person, man
non - not, no
pudet - it shames, make ashamed
genus - family, kind, race

(image source)

Morte Medetur

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 4:95. As you can see from the emblem, Camerarius is writing about the scorpion. A live scorpion can bite you and bring about your death, but according to Pliny, the ashes of a dead scorpion, mixed into a drink, had the power to cure a scorpion bite. This allows Camerarius to indulge in some wonderful paradoxes of how birth and death can alternate in turn: the live scorpion brings death to the man, but the dead scorpion brings life to that same man. Mira indeed!

Morte Medetur
Vivens mortem homini instillo, moriensque medelam:
Quam mira alternant vitaque morsque vice!

Vocabulary:

mors - death
medeor - heal, cure
vivo - live
homo - person, man
instillo - pour in drop by drop
morior - die
que - and
medela - healing power, health
quam - how
mirus - amazing, wonderful
alterno - alternate
vita - life
vice - in turn, by change (ablative)

Nemo Laeditur Nisi A Seipso

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 4.209. The first line plays on the words crimen and discrimen, and reminds us that we face them both in our lives; we learn more about that in the second line: it is our crimina that leads us into discrimen. As a result, we are our own worst enemies!

Nemo Laeditur Nisi A SeipsoCriminis est nemo, nemo discriminis expers;
Nos in discrimen crimina nempe vocant.

NO MAN IS HURT BUT FROM HIMSELF
None’s free from Crimes, nor Discords: For most times
Our Discords are procur’d by our own Crimes.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are three words which are not on the DCC list:

discrīmen, discrīminis n. - division, difference, crisis, danger
expers, expertis - having no part in, free from
nempe - truly, certainly, of course

ā, ab, abs: from, by (+abl.)
crīmen -inis n.: verdict, accusation
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
ipse, ipsa, ipsum: him- her- itself
laedo -ere laesī laesum: injure by striking, hurt
nēmo: no one (gen. nullius, dat. nulli, abl. nullo or nulla > nullus -a -um)
nisi/nī: if not, unless
nōs, nostrum/nostrī nobis nōs: we
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
voco -āre: call

(image source)

Saevit In Omnes

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 2:95. This epigram makes a comparison between the greedy and deadly otter, who kills more fish than he can even stuff into his stomach, and the human tyrant who is swollen not with fish but with madness which makes him conduct savage acts. Although there are many Latin stories and fables about the otter's cousins, the weasels, this the only Latin literary otter that I know of. You can also see the Latin lutra included here in Comenius's Orbis Sensualium Pictus. Just looking at the emblem, of course, you might think that the otter is actually a cat!

Saevit In Omnes
Plures lutra necat pisces, quam condat in alvum:
Sic rabie tumidus saeva tyrannus agit.

Vocabulary:

saevio - rage, be angry
in - in, into, against
omnis - all, every
plus - more
lutra - otter
piscis - fish
quam - than
condo - store, put away, hide
alvus - belly, stomach
sic - thus, in this way
rabies - madness
tumidus - swollen
saevus - fierce, savage
tyrannus - tyrant
ago - lead, act, do

Exercitus

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.207. The poems consists of one paradoxical word pair after another: the army is a gens which is ingens (total paradox via a play on words on Latin, impossible to do in English) which is, moreover, fidei malafida, unfaithful to faith, both immanis and amans - amans of caedis, in fact (yikes), and thus stained by human blood, playing on humano and manus.

Exercitus
Gens ingens fidei malefida, immanis, amansque
Caedis, et humano sanguine tincta manus.

AN ARMY
Huge Hulk, Faith faithless, inhumane, too greedy
Of bloodshed, to shed humane blood too speedy.

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

immānis, immāne; immānis - monstrous, huge, vast
malefīdus -a -um - unfaithful, faithless
tingō -ere, tinxī, tinctum - wet, moisten, bathe

amō -āre: to love; amans -ntis m./f.: lover
caedes -is f.: killing, slaughter
et: and
exercitus -ūs m.: army
fidēs -eī f.: trust, faith
gēns gentis f.: family, clan
hūmānus -a -um: human
ingēns ingentis: huge, enormous
manus -ūs m.: hand; band of men
que (enclitic) - and
sanguis -inis m.: blood

(Lord of the Rings: Orcs)

Flectimur, Non Frangimur

Here is today's emblem by Joachim Camerarius, 1:95. This emblem expresses the same theme as the famous Aesop's fable of the reed and the oak, which you can read here in English, and here in Latin. Camerarius's emblem here is about the reed only, showing how the reed bends but is not broken when the mighty winds blow.

Flectimur, Non Frangimur
Flectitur obsequio, sic vincit arundo procellas:
Laeditur adversum qui sua fata furit.

Vocabulary:

flecto - bend
non - not, no
frango - break
obsequium - compliance, deference
sic - in this way, so
vinco - conquer, defeat
arundo - reed
procella - storm
laedo - hurt, injure
adversum - against
qui - who, which, that
suus - reflexive possessive adjective
fatum - fate
furio - rage