Ex Meritis Propriis

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Ex Meritis Propriis
Non datur ex meritis maiorum gloria vera;
   Ex propriis meritis gloria vera datur.

Source: Anton Moker (1540-1605), Decalogus Metricus. Meter: Elegiac. Note the use of maiores to mean the elders, the ancestors; ex meritis maiorum, "as a result of your ancestors' merits."

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

dō dare dedī datum: give
ex ē: out of, from (+ abl.)
glōria -ae f.: glory, fame
māior -ius: greater, older; maiōres -um: ancestors
mereō merēre meruī meritum: deserve, merit; serve as a soldier
nōn: not
proprius -a -um: one’s own, peculiar
vērus -a -um: true; vērē, truly

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By Your Own Merits

True glory (gloria vera) is not awarded (non datur) thanks to the merits of your ancestors (ex meritis maiorum); true glory is given (gloria vera datur) thanks to your own merits (ex meritis propriis).

Non datur ~ ex meri~tis mai~orum ~ gloria ~ vera;
   Ex propri~is meri~tis | gloria ~ vera da~tur.