Amici et Hostes
Quo cui plus dederis, magis hoc tibi fiet amicus;
Quo plus credideris, hoc magis hostis erit.
The more thou giv’st, the more thou gainst a Friend:
But get’st a Foe, where thou the more dost lend.
But get’st a Foe, where thou the more dost lend.
Source: John Owen (c.1564-c.1628), Epigrammata, 8.85. The English version is by Thomas Harvey. Meter: Elegiac. Note the use of the ablative in the comparative phrases in both lines: quo plus... hoc magis, "the more... the more...," where the cui is more like alicui, "to somebody." The poem also calls attention very nicely to the etymological relationship between dare and credere.
The more you give to someone (quo plus dederis cui), the more he will become made your friend (hoc magis fiet tibi amicus); the more you lend (quo plus credideris), the more he will be your enemy (hoc magis erit hostis).
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:
amīcus -a -um: friendly; (as subst.) friend
crēdō crēdere crēdidī crēditum: believe
dō dare dedī datum: give
fīō fierī factus sum: become
hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
hostis -is m./f.: stranger, enemy
magis: more
plūs plūris n.: a greater amount or number, more
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
(image source - full size poster; poster made with AutoMotivator)
