Saturday, March 17, 2012

Vires Britanniae

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 2.40. the poem is addressed Ad Principem, "To the Prince."

Vires Britanniae
Anglorum portae sunt portus, moenia classes,
Castra aequor, vallis corpora, corda duces.

BRITAINS STRENGTH.
The Ports are Englands Gates; the Ships her Walls;
Camps Seas; Forts, Bodies Hearts the Generals.

Here is the vocabulary:

vis - strength, power, force
Britannia - Britain
Anglus - Englishman
porta - doorway, gate
sum - be, exist
portus - port, harbor
moenia - town walls, fortifications
classis - fleet, navy
castrum - camp
aequor - sea, sea surface, plain
vallis - valley
corpus - body
cor - heart
dux - leader, commander, duke