Saturday, April 7, 2012

Victrix Fortunae Sapientia

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 1:97, with an English rendering by George Wither.
A Snake, (which was by wise Antiquitie
Much us'd, the type of Prudencie to be)
Hemmes in a Winged-ball, which doth imply,
That Fickle-fortune, from which, none are free.
Above this Ball, the Snake advanceth too,
The Laurell, and the Sword; which, Emblems are,
Whereby our Authour maketh much adoe,
A Conquest over Fortune, to declare.
I'm not too sure about the images in the background; to the left, it looks like it might be Jacob wrestling with the angel, and there's some sort of pastoral scene on the right. Anyone who has ideas about that, let me know!

Victrix Fortunae Sapientia
Victrix Fortunae, Sapientia sancta Tonantis
Durat et, exsuperans cuncta pericla, viget.


Though Fortune, hath a powerfull Name
Yet, Vertue overcomes the same.


Here is the vocabulary:

victrix - female victor
fortuna - fortune, luck
sapientia - wisdom
sanctus - holy
tono - thunder
duro - harden, be hard, endure
et - and
exsupero - excel, surpass, overpower
cunctus - all, every
periculum - danger
vigeo - be strong, flourish, thrive