1. Tempora Concessa

---

Index     -     1     -     2

---

Tempora Concessa

Quae vitae concessa tibi sint tempora, nescis:
   Ergo fac citius quae facienda vides.

Source: Urbano Appendini (1777-1834), De Educatione Disticha. Meter: Elegiac. Note that in the first line, quae is an interrogative (nescis quae tempora...), while in the second line it is a relative pronoun with an implied antecedent (fac [haec] quae...).

You do not know (nescis) what time of life (quae tempora vitae) has been allowed to you (tibi concessa sint); therefore (ergo), do speedily (fac citius) the things which you see (quae vides) must be done (facienda).

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

cītus -a -um: swift; citō swiftly
concēdō -cēdere -cessī -cessum: yield, withdraw
ergo: therefore
faciō facere fēcī factum: do, make
nesciō -scīre: not know, be ignorant
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tempus -oris n.: time
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
videō vidēre vīdī vīsum: see
vīta -ae f.: life

(image source)

Scientia Quae Optima

---

309     -     310     -     311

---

Scientia Quae Optima
Magna sciunt homines, horumque scientia multa,
   Nulla sed est melior cognitione sui.

Source: Iohannes Pignevvart (1624), Cato Bernardinus. Meter: Elegiac.

The Knowledge Which is Best: People know great things (homines sciunt magna), and they have (horumque) much knowledge (scientia multa), but no other knowledge (sed nulla) is better than (melior est) self-awareness (cognitione sui).

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:

cognitio (cognitiōnis, f.): knowledge, recognition

hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
homo hominis m.: human being
māgnus -a -um great
melior -ius: better
multus -a -um: much, many; multō, by far
nūllus -a -um: not any, no one
optimus -a -um: best, excellent; adv. optimē
que (enclitic) - and
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
scientia -ae f.: knowledge
sciō -īre -īvī/-iī -ītum: know
sed: but
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist

(Cigar Box label circa 1870)

Currus Mentis

---

307     -     308     -     309

---

Currus Mentis
Ira, cupido, metus, mentis quoque gaudia currus:
   Esto auriga bonus; rex eris ista regens.

Source: Iohannes Pignevvart (1624), Cato Bernardinus. Meter:  Elegiac.

Anger, desire, fear, (Ira, cupido, metus) and joys also (quoque gaudia) are the chariot of the mind (mentis currus): be a good chariot-driver (Esto auriga bonus); you will be a king (rex eris) if you can control those things (ista regens).

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:

aurīga (aurīgae, m.): charioteer, driver

bonus -a -um: good
cupīdo -inis f.: desire, eagerness, craving
currus -ūs m.: chariot
gaudium -ī n.: delight, joy, pleasure
īra irae f.: wrath, anger
iste ista istud: that, that of yours; adv. istīc or istūc: over there; istinc: from over there
mēns mentis f.: mind
metus -ūs m.: fear, dread
quoque: also, too
regō regere rēxī rectum: guide, rule
rēx rēgis m.: king
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist

(image source)

Adito Laborem, Vitam Age

---

283     -     284     -     285

---

Adito Laborem, Vitam Age
Tamquam perpetuo victurus, adito laborem,
Et vitam, veluti cras moriturus, age.

Source: Giuseppe Gatti, Sales Poetici, Proverbiales, et Iocosi (1703). Meter: Elegiac.

Go to your work (adito laborem) just like (tamquam) you were going to live (victurus) forever (perpetuo), and live your life (et age vitam) as if (veluti) you were going to die (moriturus) tomorrow (cras).

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:

crās: tomorrow

adeō -īre -iī -itum: go to
agō agere ēgī āctum: drive, do, act
et: and
labor -ōris m.: toil, exertion
morior morī mortuus sum: die
perpetuus -a -um: unbroken, perpetual
tamquam: so as, just as
velut: even as, just as
vīta -ae f.: life
vīvō vīvere vīxī victum: live

(Photo by Andrew Kuchling)

Amat Victoria Curam

---

36     -     37     -     38

---

Amat Victoria Curam
Vincere vis? Labor adsit; amat victoria curam:
   Vinces, si vincet non tua terga labor.

Source: Georgius Carolides (1569-1612), Farrago, 4.62. Meter: Elegiac. This distich is inspired by the famous Latin saying, amat victoria curam. Here cura does not have the sense of care or anxiety, but rather carefulness, careful preparation.

Do you want to be victorious? (vis vincere?) Let there be hard work (labor adsit); victory loves painstaking effort (amat victoria curam): you will be victorious (vinces) if the hard work (si labor) does not break your back (non vincet tua terga).

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

adsum adesse affuī: be present
amō -āre: to love; amans -ntis m./f.: lover
cūra -ae f.: care, concern
labor -ōris m.: toil, exertion
nōn: not
sī: if
tergum -ī n.: back, rear; a tergō: from the rear
tuus -a -um: your
victōria -ae f.: victory
vincō vincere vīcī victum: conquer
volō velle voluī: wish, be willing

(image source - full size poster; poster made with AutoMotivator)

Possum, Volo, Nolo

---

308     -     309     -     310

---

Possum, Volo, Nolo
Quod volo non possum, quod possum nolo vicissim.
   Tota hominis vita est nil nisi nolo, volo.

I CAN, WILL, WILL NOT. ANOMALS
I will, but cannot, what I can, I nill.
Mans totale Life is only Nill, and will.

Source: John Owen (c.1564-c.1628), Epigrammata, 5.34, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey. Meter: Elegiac.

I can't do (non possum) what I want to do (non volo); in turn (vicissim) what I can do (quod possum), I don't want to do (nolo). The whole life of man (tota vita homini) is not thing other than (est nil nisi) wanting and not wanting (nolo volo).

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:

vicissim - in turn

homo hominis m.: human being
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
nisi/nī: if not, unless
nōlō nōlle nōluī: be unwilling
nōn: not
possum posse potuī: be able
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tōtus -a -um: whole, entire
vīta -ae f.: life
volō velle voluī: wish, be willing

(image source)