Thursday, March 1, 2012

In Silentio Et Spe

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 1.61, with an English rendering by George Wither. Here are Wither's comments on the details of the emblem in the first stanza of his poem:
The Fryers Habit, seemeth to import,
That, thou (as ancient Monkes and Fryers did)
Shouldst live remote, from places of resort,
And, in retyrednesse, lye closely hid.
The clasped-Booke, doth warne thee, to retaine
Thy thoughts within the compasse of thy breast;
And, in a quiet silence to remaine,
Vntill, thy minde may safely be exprest.
That Anchor, doth informe thee, that thou must
Walke on in Hope; and, in thy Pilgrimage,
Beare up (without despairing or distrust)
Those wrongs, and sufferings, which attend thine Age.
Compare also the anchor symbol in the emblem which paired the dolphin with the anchor.

In Silentio Et Spe
Ornant mortales taciturna silentia sanctos;
Spes silet exspectans: danda brabea piis.

They that in Hope, and Silence, live
The best Contentment, may atchive.



Here is the vocabulary:

in - in
silentium - silence
et - and
spes - hope
orno - decorate, adorn
mortalis - mortal
taciturnus - quiet, silent
silentium - silence
sanctus - holy
sileo - be silent, be quiet
exspecto - await, expect, hope for
do - give
brabeum - prize (as in a game)
pius - faithful, dutiful, good