In Fortunam Modicam
Non ego divitias cupio, sed vivere tantum
Ex paucis, dum sint omnia tuta mihi.
Source: Iohannes Secundus (1511-1536), in Nihus (1642). Meter: Elegiac. Note the adverbial use of tantum to mean "only." I thought the famous story of the rich city mouse and the modest county mouse would make a good illustration for the story!
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 am not one who desires wealth (non ego divitias cupio), but only (sed tantum) to live off a little (vivere ex paucis), provided that (dum) everything stays safe for me (sint omnia tuta mihi).
modicus, -a, -um: moderate, temperate, small
cupiō -ere -īvī -ītum: desire
dīvitiae -ārum f. pl.: riches, wealth
dum: while (+ indic.); until (+ subj.); provided that (+ subj.)
ego meī mihi mē: I, me
ex ē: out of, from (+ abl.)
fortūna -ae f.: fortune
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
nōn: not
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
paucī -ae -a: few
sed: but
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tantus -a -um: so great, so much; tantum: only
tutus -a -um: safe, protected
vīvō vīvere vīxī victum: live
