Thursday, March 29, 2012

Aequa diligito...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 3.24, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Aequa diligito caros pietate parentes,
Nec matrem offendas, dum vis bonus esse parenti.


For both dear parents equal love e'er hold;
Be not to father fond: to mother cold.
(Chase)

Love both your parents, one as much as other:
To please your father never wound your mother.
(Duff)

Here is the vocabulary:

aequus - equal
diligo - cherish, love
carus - dear
pietas - sense of duty, loyalty
parens - parent
nec - and not
mater - mother
offendo - offend, hurt
dum - while, when
volo - wish, will, want
sum - be