Monday, December 5, 2011

Phoenix

Here is today's emblem by Jakob Bornitz, 5:92. As you can see, Bornitz has chosen a French motto as the title for this emblem about the legendary phoenix. The poem plays on the paradox of life and death that is embodied in the phoenix, which was a famous legend in the ancient world and which gained a new lease on life, as it were, thanks to the importance of rebirth and resurrection in the world of Christian symbols.

Viure Pour Mourir, Mourir Pour Vivre
Ut moriar, vivo, moriorque, ut postmodo vivam;
Nam cinere exusto mox redivivus ero.


Here is the vocabulary:

ut - so, so as, in order to
morior - die
vivo - live
-que - and
postmodo - afterwards, after
nam - for, because
cinis - ash
exustus - burnt up, incinerated
mox - soon, shortly, next
redivivus - renewed, living again
sum - be, exist