Quae Scis, Non Dicas
Quae scis, non semper dicas; dixisse nocebit:
Scire licet, sed non dicere scita licet.
Source: Anton Moker (1540-1605), Decalogus Metricus. Meter: Elegiac. Note the contrast between the present infinitive, dicere, and the perfect infinitive, dixisse. Note also the use of the present subjunctive, dicas, as a form of command.
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:
dīcō dīcere dīxī dictum: say; causam dicere, plead a case; diem dicere, appoint a day
licet licuit licitum est: it is permitted (+ dat. of person + infin.); conj. licet: even though
noceō nocēre nocuī: harm
nōn: not
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sciō -īre -īvī/-iī -ītum: know
sed: but
semper: always, ever
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You Should Not Say The Things You Know
You should not always say (non semper dicas) the things which you know (quae scis); it will be harmful (nocebit) to have spoken (dixisse); it's okay to know (licet scire) but it's not okay (sed non licet) to say what you know (dicere scita).Quae scis, ~ non sem~per di~cas; di~xisse no~cebit:
Scire li~cet, sed ~ non | dicere ~ scita li~cet.
