Pauperis Sors
Pauper sum, quid tum? Num vis odisse nocentem
Nil tibi? Crimen habet sors mea; vita caret.
Source: Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), Anthologia Graeca, vol. I. The Greek poem is attributed to Pallas. Meter: Elegiac. Note the parallel construction in the second line: Crimen habet sors mea; vita [mea crimine] caret.
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:
careō -ēre -uī: lack (+ abl.)
crīmen -inis n.: verdict, accusation
habeō habēre habuī habitum: have, hold
meus -a -um: my
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
noceō nocēre nocuī: harm
num: interrogative particle implying negative answer
ōdī ōdisse: hate
pauper -eris: poor, lowly
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sors sortis f.: lot, fate, destiny; oracle
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
tum or tunc: then
vīta -ae f.: life
volō velle voluī: wish, be willing
(image source - full size poster; poster made with AutoMotivator)
The Poor Man's Lot
I am a poor man (pauper sum), what then? (quid tum) Surely you don't want to hate (num vis odisse) someone who harmed you in no way? (nocentem tibi nil) My lot in life (sors mea) is to blame (habet crimen); my life lacks any blame (vita caret).Pauper ~ sum, quid ~ tum? Num ~ vis o~disse no~centem
Nil tibi? ~ Crimen ha~bet | sors mea; ~ vita ca~ret.
