Consilium Non Post Facta, Sed Ante
Non dare consilium prodest post facta, sed ante
Facta bonum quidquam consuluisse iuvat.
Source: Anton Moker (1540-1605), Decalogus Metricus. Meter: Elegiac. Note that the infinitives dare and consuluisse (perfect infinitive) are functioning as nouns here, subjects of the verbs prodest and iuvat. The phrase bonum quidquam is the object of the infinitive: bonum quidquam consuluisse, "to have formulated some good plan."
It is not productive (non prodest) to give advice (dare consilium) after deeds (post facta) but before deeds it helps (sed ante facta iuvat) to have gotten some good advice (consuluisse bonum quidquam).
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:
ante: before, in front of (adv. and prep. + acc.)
bonus -a -um: good
cōnsilium -ī n.: plan; council, group of advisors
cōnsulō -sulere -suluī -sultum: consult, plan
dō dare dedī datum: give
faciō facere fēcī factum: do, make
iuvō iuvāre iūvī iūtum: help, assist; please, delight
nōn: not
post: after (adv. and prep. +acc.)
prōsum -desse -fuī: be of use, do good, help (+ dat.)
quis- quicquam/quidquam: any (single) person, anyone at all
sed: but
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