Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Successu indignos...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 2.23, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Successu indignos noli tu ferre moleste:
Indulget Fortuna malis, ut vincere possit.


Vex not thyself when bad men win, for so
Doth fortune go about to lay them low.
(Chase)

Chafe not against men's undeserved success:
To bring it low Luck smiles on wickedness.
(Duff)

Here is the vocabulary:

successus - advancement, success
indignus - unworthy, undeserving
nolo - do not want, will not, don't
tu - you
fero - carry, bear, endure
molestus - annoying, vexing; moleste (adv.)
indulgeo - grant, concede
Fortuna - Fortune, Lady Luck
malus - bad, evil
ut - so, so that, in order to
vinco - conquer, win
possum - be able, can