Thursday, March 8, 2012

Diversum Confusa Genus

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 2:18. The Latin name for the giraffe was camelopardalis - presumably because it has a long neck as the camel does, and spots like a leopard. It is indeed a wild creature who is mixed up as to her various species!

Diversum Confusa Genus
Cernis ut inconcinnam habet haec fera longa figuram:
Quicquid agunt stulti, nil habet harmoniae.


Here is the vocabulary:

diversus - various, diverse
confundo - pour together, confuse
genus - race, family, kind
cerno - discern, see
ut - as, so
inconcinnus - awkward, clumsy
habeo - have
hic - this, this one
fera - wild animal
longus - long, lengthy
figura - shape, figure
quicquid - whatever
ago - lead, conduct, do
stultus - foolish; fool
nil - nothing
habeo - have
harmonia - harmony, agreement