Sunday, April 8, 2012

Cum te detineat...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.10, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Cum te detineat Veneris damnosa libido,
Indulgere gulae noli, quae ventris amica est.


When hurtful lust hath hold of thee, refrain
From giving to thy appetites free rein.
(Chase)

When on some ruinous amour forced to spend,
Indulge not gluttony, the belly's friend.
(Duff)

Here is the vocabulary:

cum - when, since
tu - you
detineo - hold back, detain
Venus - goddess of love, love
damnosus - harmful, ruinous
libido - desire, longing, lust
indulgeo - grant, give way to
gula - gullet, throat, appetite
nolo - not way, refuse, do not
qui - who, which, that
venter - stomach, belly
amicus - friendly, friend
sum - be, exist