Thursday, May 24, 2012

Vicini Tecta


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Vicini Tecta 
Qui videt ardere vicini tecta, timere
Debet de propriis; nequeunt sua tuta manere.


Source: Proverbia Rusticorum Versificata (ed. Zacher), 109. Meter: Dactylic Hexameter. Note the nice rhyme: ardere - timere - manere.

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:

He who sees (qui videt) his neighbor's roof on fire (ardere vicini tecta) should fear for his own (timere debet de propriis); his property (sua) cannot remain safe (nequeunt tuta manere).

nequeō, nequīre: be unable, cannot

ārdeo ārdēre ārsī ārsum: blaze, glow; be eager
dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
dēbeo -ēre dēbuī dēbitum: owe, be obliged
maneo -ēre mānsī mānsum: remain
proprius -a -um: one’s own, peculiar
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
suus -a -um: his own, her own, its own
tēctum -ī n.: roof; building, house
timeo -ēre -uī: to fear, to dread
tutus -a -um: safe, protected
vīcīnus -a -um: neighboring, near
video -ēre vīdī vīsum: see