Thursday, May 3, 2012

Quod Superest


353     -     354     -     355


Quod Superest
Est iactura gravis quaesitum amittere damno;
Sed tibi cum valeat corpus, superesse putato.


Sad is the fate to lose one's hard-won gains,
But much is saved if only health remains.
(Chase)

To part with what toil won the loss is sore:
Yet think, if health be thine, thou hast full store.
(Duff)

Source: The Distichs of Cato (4th century), 4.36, with English translations by Duff and Chase. Meter: Dactylic Hexameter.

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:

iactūra (iactūrae, f.): loss, damage, expense

āmitto -mittere -mīsī -missum: let go, send away
corpus, corporis n.: body
cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
damnum -ī n.: damage, injury
gravis -e: heavy
puto -āre: think, suppose
quaero -ere -sīvī -situm: seek, inquire
sed: but
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
supersum -esse -fuī: be above; remain, survive
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
valeo valēre valuī: be strong, excel, be valid, prevail; valē, farewell!