Umbra Tantum

Here is today's emblem and distich by Joachim Camerarius, 1:19. The plane tree comes in for some criticism here from Camerarius, but there is an Aesop's fable that makes just the opposite point: there are people who criticize the plane tree for giving them no fruit, but then they hypocritically enjoy the shade it offers when the sun is hot: Platanus et Viatores.


Umbra Tantum
Umbram, non fructum Platanus dat; sic quoque multis
Vana alios specie ludere saepe placet.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

lūdō lūdere lūsī lūsum: play; mock, ridicule
platanus, platanī m. - plane tree

alius -a -um: other, another; alias: at another time
dō dare dedī datum: give
frūctus -ūs m.: fruit, crops; enjoyment, delight
multus -a -um: much, many; multō, by far
nōn: not
placeō placēre placuī placitum: please
quoque: also, too
saepe: often
sīc: in this manner, thus; sīc . . . ut: in the same way as
speciēs -ēī f.: aspect, appearance
tantus -a -um: so great, so much; tantum: only
umbra -ae f.: shade, shadow
vanus -a -um: empty; false, deceitful