Saturday, March 3, 2012

Ad Quendam Divitem

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 8.33. This is one of the distichs based on parallelism and contrast: the parallel condition is si multum (hoc tempore), with a contrast between giving and loving - if a rich man gives a gift, that's love; if he makes a loan, that's trust.

Ad Quendam Divitem
Magnus amor tuus est, si multum hoc tempore dones;
Si multum credas, est tua magna fides.


TO A CERTAIN RICH MAN
If no thou givest much, thy love’s complet:
If much thou creditest, thy Faith is great.

Here is the vocabulary:

ad - to, towards
quidam - a certain one, one
dives - rich, rich man
magnus - great, large
amor - love
tuus - your, yours
sum - be, exist
si - if
multum - much
hic - this, this one
tempus - teim
dono - give (gifts), present, grant
credo - believe, trust, have faith
fides - faith