Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Non Est Mortale Quod Opto

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2.22, with an English rendering by George Wither. The emblem shows Ganymede, with his name written in Greek below.

Non Est Mortale Quod Opto
Munde immunde vale: non est mortale quod opto,
Sidera sublimi vertice summa petam.


Take wing, my Soule, and mount up higher
For, Earth, fulfills not my Desire.



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

immundus -a -um - impure, dirt, foul
sublīmis -e: raised up, elevated
vertex, verticis m. - whirlpool, whirlwind, top, peak 

mortālis -e: liable to death, mortal
mundus -ī m.: world, universe, heavens
nōn: not
optō -āre: choose, select
petō petere petīvī petītum: seek, aim at
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sīdus -eris n.: star, constellation
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
summus -a -um: highest, farthest, last
valeō valēre valuī: be strong, excel, be valid, prevail; valē: farewell!