Sunday, February 26, 2012

Quae potus peccas...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Quae potus peccas, ignoscere tu tibi noli;
Nam crimen vini nullum est, sed culpa bibentis.


Condone not what thou dost, o'ercome with wine;
'T is not the liquor's fault: the blame is thine.
(Chase)

Your faults in drink should not your pardon win:
The wine is guiltless: 'tis the drinker's sin.
(Duff)

Here is the vocabulary:

qui - who, which, that
potus - drunken, intoxicated
pecco - make a mistake, err
ignosco - pardon, forgive
tu - you
nolo - do not, will not
nam - for
crimen - blame, guilt, fault
vinum - wine
nullus - not any, none
sum - be, exist
culpa - fault
bibo - drink