Thursday, July 12, 2012

Odium et Fides


81     -     82     -     83


Odium et Fides
Dulcia pro dulci, pro turpi turpia reddi
   Verba solent; odium lingua fidemque parit.


Source: Anonymus Neveleti (12th century), 37; it goes with the fable of the ant and the fly. Meter: Elegiac.

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

dulcis -e: sweet
fidēs -eī f.: trust, faith
lingua -ae f.: tongue; language
odium -ī n.: hatred
pariō parere peperī partum: bring forth, give birth to; accomplish
prō: for, on behalf of, in proportion to (+abl.)
que (enclitic) - and
reddō -dere -didī -ditum: return, give back
soleō -ēre -uī -itum: be accustomed
turpis -e: ugly, unsightly; disgraceful
verbum -ī n.: word



Hatred and Trust
Sweet words (dulcia verba) are usually returned for sweet (solent reddi pro dulci), ugly words for ugly (turpia pro turpi); the tongue is able to produce (lingua parit) hatred and trust (odium fidemque).

Dulcia ~ pro dul~ci, pro ~ turpi ~ turpia ~ reddi
   Verba so~lent; odi~um | lingua fi~demque pa~rit.