This poem is from a book published in 1624 by Jean Pignewart (Iohannes Pignevvart), a Cistercian monk and scholar. He attributes his collection of distich poetry to "Cato Bernardinus," invoking both the legendary "Cato" of Latin distich fame and also Saint Bernard of Clairveax who was famously associated with the Cistercian order.
Deum Non Amat Qui Odit Proximum
Odit qui fratrem, propriis quem spectat ocellis,
Ut poterit quem non cernit amare deum?
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:
He who (qui) hates his brother (odit fratrem) whom he sees (quem spectat) with his own eyes (propriis ocellis): how could he (ut poterit) love God (amare deum) whom he cannot see (quem non cernit)?
ocellus (ocellī, m.): eye, diminutive of oculus
amō -āre: to love; amans -ntis m./f.: lover
cernō cernere crēvī crētum: discern, separate
deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
frāter frātris m.: brother
nōn: not
ōdī ōdisse: hate
possum posse potuī: be able
prope: near, next; (comp.) propior, (superl.) proximus; (adv.) propē, nearly, almost
proprius -a -um: one’s own, peculiar
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
spectō -āre: look at, consider
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.); how
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