Dei Donum Fides
Desine cur videat nemo sine numine numen
Mirari; solem quis sine sole videt?
Source: Iacobus Lectius (c.1556-1611), in Nihus (1642). Meter: Elegiac. Note how the clause started in the first line carries over to the second line: desine mirari cur (indirect question). I also like the sound play with nemo - numine - numen.
Cease to wonder (desine mirari) why no one can see the divine (cur nemo videat numen) without divine help (sine numine); who can see the sun (quis videt solem) without the sun? (sine sole)
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:
cūr: why?
dēsinō -sinere -sīvī -situm: leave off, cease
deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
donum -ī n.: gift, present
fidēs -eī f.: trust, faith
mīror mīrārī mīrātus sum: wonder at, marvel at (+ acc.)
nēmo: no one (gen. nullius, dat. nulli, abl. nullo or nulla > nullus -a -um)
nūmen -inis n.: divine will, deity
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sine: without (+ abl.)
sōl sōlis m.: sun
videō vidēre vīdī vīsum: see
