Vive Contentus
Rebus et in censu si non est quod fuit ante,
Fac vivas contentus eo quod tempora praebent.
If from thy wealth and place thou dost descend,
Still be content with what the seasons send.
(Chase)
If goods and income are not what they were,
Live satisfied with what the times confer.
(Duff)
Source: The Distichs of Cato (4th century), 3.11. Meter: Dactylic Hexameter. Note the use of fac to introduce a subjunctive that functions like a command: fac [ut] vivas...
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list:
(Chase)
If goods and income are not what they were,
Live satisfied with what the times confer.
(Duff)
Source: The Distichs of Cato (4th century), 3.11. Meter: Dactylic Hexameter. Note the use of fac to introduce a subjunctive that functions like a command: fac [ut] vivas...
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list:
census (censūs, m.): registration, property, wealth
ante: before, in front of (adv. and prep. + acc.)
contineo -tinēre -tinuī -tentum: contain, restrain
et: and
facio facere fēcī factum: do, make
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
is ea, id: he, she, it; eō, there, to that place
nōn: not
praebeo -ēre -uī -itum: furnish, supply, render
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
rēs reī f.: thing (rēs pūblica, commonwealth; rēs familiāris, family property, estate; rēs mīlitāris, art of war; rēs novae, revolution)
sī: if
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tempus -oris n.: time
vīvo -ere vīxī victum: live
(image source - full size poster; poster made with AutoMotivator)
