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)