Fides

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 10.11. As often, this epigram sets up an extended parallel between the two lines: the eye can see the stars that are close, but the pole is an ideal, so too you can see the sky with your own, but it takes faith to see God.

Fides
Astra oculus vicina, polum sed opinio cernit.
Sic oculo caelum cerno, fideque Deum.

FAITH
I see the Stars, the Pole’s imaginary;
Eyes view the Skies, but Faith to God doth carry.

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


opīnio, opīniōnis f. - opinion, belief, reputation
polus, m. - pole, sky, heaven

astrum -ī n.: star; constellation
caelum -ī n.: sky, heavens
cerno cernere crēvī crētum: discern, separate
deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
fidēs -eī f.: trust, faith
oculus -ī m.: eye
que: and (enclitic)
sed: but
sīc: in this manner, thus; sīc . . . ut, in the same way as
vīcīnus -a -um: neighboring, near

(South Polar Star Trails)