Quod Natura Rogat
Qui non curaret plus quam natura rogaret,
Dives hic esset, quia res sibi nulla deesset.
Source: Andreas Gartner, Proverbialia Dicteria (1578). Meter: Dactylic Hexameter. Note the use of the subjunctive here to express that this is a theoretical possibility - you could be rich too, dives esses, if you would follow this poem's advice.
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list:
cūrō -āre: care for (+ acc.)
dēsum -esse -fuī: be lacking
dīves, dīvitis: rich (poet. dīs, dītis)
hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
nātūra -ae f.: nature
nōn: not
nūllus -a -um: not any, no one
plūs plūris n.: a greater amount or number, more
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
quia: because
rēs reī f.: thing (rēs pūblica, commonwealth; rēs familiāris, family property, estate; rēs mīlitāris, art of war; rēs novae, revolution)
rogō -āre: ask
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
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What Nature Asks
He who does not worry himself (hic qui non curaret) beyond what nature asks (plus quam natura rogaret) would be a rich man (esset dives) because he would lack (quia sibi deesset) nothing (nulla res).Qui non ~ cura~ret plus ~ quam na~tura ro~garet,
Dives ~ hic es~set, quia ~ res sibi ~ nulla de~esset.
