Ardua Virtutem

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 1:5. You can see both the palm of victory and the laurel up on top of the high mountain, symbols of excellence - you just have to ascend the mountain to get them: ardua (est via ad) virtutem.

Ardua Virtutem
Qui laurum et palmam victricem carpere gaudes,
Montis, si nescis, ardua scande prius.

Here is the vocabulary:

arduus - steep, lofty
virtus - virtue, excellence
qui - who, which, that
laurus - bay tree, laurel, crown
et - and
palma - palm, first place
victrix - victorious, victor (fem.)
carpo - pluck, gather
gaudeo - rejoice, be glad
mons - mountain
si - if
nescio - not know, not know how to
scando - ascend, climb
prius - first, beforehand