Votum Auctoris
Nec paupertatem nec opes desidero magnas;
Nolo parum, nimium non volo: sat mihi sat.
I wish not Poverty, nor riches great,
Too little, nor too much: Enough’s compleat.
Source: John Owen (c.1564-c.1628), Epigrammata, 10.68. The English version is by Thomas Harvey. Meter: Elegiac. Note the parallel construction in the first line: nec pauperatem [desidero], nec opes desidero magnas.
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:
I do not want poverty (nec paupertatem desidero, nor do I want great wealth (nec opes magnas); I do not want little (nolo parum), and neither do I want too much (nimium non volo); enough is enough (sat mihi sat).
Too little, nor too much: Enough’s compleat.
Source: John Owen (c.1564-c.1628), Epigrammata, 10.68. The English version is by Thomas Harvey. Meter: Elegiac. Note the parallel construction in the first line: nec pauperatem [desidero], nec opes desidero magnas.
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:
I do not want poverty (nec paupertatem desidero, nor do I want great wealth (nec opes magnas); I do not want little (nolo parum), and neither do I want too much (nimium non volo); enough is enough (sat mihi sat).
paupertas (paupertātis, f.): poverty, need
auctor -ōris m.: originator, founder
dēsīderō -āre: long for, desire greatly
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
māgnus -a -um great
neque nec: and not, nor; neque . . . neque, neither . . . nor
nimius -a -um: too much, excessive; nimis or nimium: excessively
nōlō nōlle nōluī: be unwilling
nōn: not
ops opis f.: assistance, resources
parum: too little
satis/sat: enough, sufficient
volō velle voluī: wish, be willing
votum -ī n.: solemn promise, vow; hope
(image source: the motto in the image reads MODUM SERVA, stick to what is moderate)
