Monday, February 6, 2012

Dum Clavum Rectum Teneam

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 1.37, with an English rendering by George Wither. I really like the idea expressed in this emblem: if you can just keep steering straight, you can entrust the rest to God alone.

Dum Clavum Rectum Teneam
Dum clavum rectum teneam navimque gubernem,
Uni committam cetera cuncta Deo.


He, that his Course directly Steeres,
Nor Stormes, nor Windy-Censures feares.


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

clāvus, clāvī m. - nail, spike, helm
guberno, āre - pilot, guide, direct, control

cēterus -a -um: the others, the rest
committo -mittere -mīsī -missum: join, entrust to (+ dat.); perform, do
cūnctus -a -um: entire all together
deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
dum: while (+ indic.); until (+ subj.); provided that (+ subj.)
nāvis -is f.: ship
que: and (enclitic)
rectus -a -um: straight, direct
teneo -ēre -uī tentum: hold
ūnus -a -um: one