Friday, July 13, 2012

Credo Quod Video


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Credo Quod Video
Omnia promittas; nil me promissa movebunt:
   Credam, cum faciet dextra oculusque fidem.


Source: Georgius Carolides (1569-1612), Farrago, 3.84. Meter: Elegiac. Note the substantive use of promissum to mean "a promise" (noun).

You might promise me everything (promittas omnia); your promises (promissa) will not move me at all (nil me movebunt): I will believe (credam) when hand and eye (cum dextra oculusque) will create trust (faciet fidem).

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:

crēdō crēdere crēdidī crēditum: believe
cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
dexter -tra -trum: right; dextera -ae f.: right hand
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
faciō facere fēcī factum: do, make
fidēs -eī f.: trust, faith
moveō -ēre mōvī mōtum: move
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
oculus -ī m.: eye
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
prōmittō -mittere -mīsī -missum: send forth, offer
que (enclitic) - and
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
videō vidēre vīdī vīsum: see