Latin Without Latin: Ob Amorem

This is my thirty-ninth "Latin without Latin" essay. For background and a link to other essays, see this page: About the English Essays. As a follow-up to yesterday's poem about Jupiter as a perfidious lover, here is a poem that manages to squeeze four of his more notorious erotic exploits into just two lines of poetry. The author is Thomas More (yes, that's Sir Thomas More / Saint Thomas More, whom you can read about at Wikipedia). Here is the poem:

Taurus, olor, satyrúsque ob amórem, et Iúpiter aurum est,
Európes, Ledes, Antíopes, Dánaes.

Here is how it works:

Taurus. This is the Latin word for bull (and the Latin name is still used in the zodiac). Jupiter became a bull in order to seduce Europa, as you saw in the illustration to yesterday's essay.

olor. This is the Latin word for swan. Jupiter became a swan in order to seduce Leda - which is how Helen of Troy was born! For more, see Wikipedia.

satyrúsque. The -que at the end of this word means and, and sátyrus means satyr (the letter y gives you a clue that the word is Greek in origin, borrowed by the Romans). Jupiter became a satyr in order to seduce Antiope, a princess of Boeotia; the product of their union was Amphion, the famous musician who used his lyre to raise up the walls of Thebes. For more, see Wikipedia. 

ob amórem. The Latin preposition ob means around, about, because of; the word amórem is from Latin amor, meaning love (compare the English word amorous). Put them together and you have a prepositional phrase: ob amórem, on account of love, because of love. So, now we know love is the force that drives these transformations of Zeus.

et. This little word means and. This means there is one more transformation to add to the list. 

Iúpiter aurum est. With Iúpiter we have the subject of the sentence made explicit: Iúpiter, the god Jupiter, ruler of Mount Olympus (called Zeus by the Greeks). The verb est is from Latin esse, meaning to be (compare the English word essential); est is the third-person singular form, Iúpiter est, Jupiter is. The word aurum means gold (in Spanish, this becomes oro - as in the name of a high school I attended, Canyon del Oro = Gold Canyon). Jupiter turned himself into a shower of gold in order to gain access to princess Danae, who was imprisoned in a tower; their son was the Greek hero Perseus. You can find out more at Wikipedia.

So, the first line provides an inventory of some of the things Jupiter is willing to be to seduce the objects of his desire: a bull, a swan, a satyr and a shower of gold. The second line of the poem will give us the names of the lovers who moved him to these transformations. The women all have Greek names and More uses the Greek word endings to give us the genitive forms:

Európes. This is the Greek genitive singular form of the name Europa: Európes, of Europa. So, for love of Europa, ob amórem Európes, Jupiter is a bull, Iúpiter taurus est.

Ledes. This is the Greek genitive singular form of the name Leda. So, for love of Leda, ob amórem Ledes, Jupiter is a swan, Iúpiter olor est.

Antíopes. This is the Greek genitive singular form of the name Antiope. So, for love of Antiope, ob amórem Antíopes, Jupiter is a satyr, Iúpiter sátyrus est.

Dánaes. This is the Greek genitive singular form of the name Danae. So, for love of Danae, ob amórem Dánaes, Jupiter is gold, Iúpiter aurum est.

Notice that the names of the women in the second line follow in order the transformations of Jupiter in the first line: very elegant!

Taurus, olor, satyrúsque ob amórem, et Iúpiter aurum est,
Európes, Ledes, Antíopes, Dánaes.

Thomas More's poem is a Latin imitation of an anonymous item in the Greek Anthology; here is the Greek:

Ζεὺς κύκνος, ταῦρος, σάτυρος, χρυσὸς δί ἔρωτα
Λήδης, Εὐρώπης, Ἀντιόπής, Δανάης.

All four of these stories have inspired a tremendous number of paintings and sculptures; as an illustration, I decided to choose the famous painting by Klimt of Danae and the Shower of Gold.
For more of Thomas More, check out the Thomas More stream at the Disticha blog. In addition, you can find all the English essays in the English stream at the blog.

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De Morte

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

Nudus ut in terram veni, sic nudus abibo:
Quid frustra sudo, funera nuda videns?


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:

sūdo, -āre - sweat, perspire, toil

abeo -īre -iī -itum: go away
dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
frūstrā: in vain
fūnus, funeris n.: funeral; death; dead body
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
mors mortis f.: death
nūdus -a -um: naked, bare
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
sīc: in this manner, thus; sīc . . . ut, in the same way as
terra -ae f.: land
ut, uti: as (+ indic.); so that, with the result that (+ subj.)
venio -īre vēnī ventum: come
video -ēre vīdī vīsum: see

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In Mortis Diem Omnibus Incertum

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

In Mortis Diem Omnibus Incertum
Fleres, si scires unum tua tempora mensem;
Rides, cum non sit forsitan una dies.


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:

incertus -a -um - uncertain, unsure, unreliable

cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
diēs diēī m./f.: day
fleo flēre flēvī flētum: weep
forsitan, fortasse: perhaps, perchance
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
mēnsis -is m.: month
mors mortis f.: death
nōn: not
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
rīdeo -ēre rīsī rīsum: laugh, laugh at
scio -īre -īvī/-iī -ītum: know
sī: if
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tempus -oris n.: time
tuus -a -um: your
ūnus -a -um: one

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Quod Paucis Orandus Deus

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122     -     123     -     124

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Quod Paucis Orandus Deus
Da bona, sive rogere, deus, seu nulla rogere;
Et mala, sive rogere, nega, seu nulla rogere.

Source: Thomas More (1478-1535), Epigrammata. Meter: Dactylic Hexameter. Although the words are familiar, the syntax is a bit tricky. God is the addressee of the poem, and More tells God in the first line to give good things, da bona, whether asked or not, sive rogere seu nulla rogere, and also to not give bad things, mala nega, whether asked or not, sive rogere seu nulla rogere.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. All the words in this poem are on that list, except for the one proper noun:

bonus -a -um: good
deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess
do dare dedī datum: give
et: and
malus -a -um: evil
nego -āre: deny, refuse
nūllus -a -um: not any, no one
ōro -āre: pray
paucī -ae -a: few
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
rogo -āre: ask
sīve, seu: whether; sīve . . . sīve, whether . . . or

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

Latin Without Latin: In Mortis Diem

This is my sixth "Latin without Latin" essay. For background and a link to other essays, see this page: About the English Essays. I promised Brennus Legranus (whom some of you might know from the LatinTeach listserve) to include one of the distichs of Sir Thomas More who, among his many achievements, was an accomplished Latin poet. I have some notes about Thomas More at the Disticha Latina blog. The poem is entitled In Mortis Diem Ómnibus Incértum - and here is the poem:

Fleres, si scires unum tua témpora mensem;
Rides, cum non sit fórsitan una dies.

Let's start with the title:

In. This means just what you would expect: in, or into. It is commonly used in titles to mean about, regarding - and with that meaning it takes the accusative case, so we are waiting for an accusative noun in the title.

Mortis. This is from the noun mors, meaning death (compare the English word mortality). The form is genitive singular, meaning of death (compare the Latin phrase rigor mortis). So, as this word is in the genitive case, we are still waiting for our accusative noun to go with the word in.

Diem. This is from the Latin word dies, meaning day - and it is the accusative form we were looking for (compare the Latin phrases per diem, ante meridiem, post meridiem). So now we have a complete phrase: In Mortis Diem, regarding the day of death. But there is more to come in the title of the poem.

Ómnibus. This is from the adjective omnis, meaning all, every (as in many English compounds omnivore, omniscient, etc.). Here the form is plural, meaning all persons, everyone. The case is either dative or ablative; we will have to wait to find out which.

Incértum. This is from the adjective incertus, meaning uncertain, unknown, undetermined. The form agrees with mortis diem, the day of death - which allows us to put the whole phrase together: in mortis diem, ómnibus incértum, regarding the day of day, which is unknown to all.

So, now we have the subject of the poem; it will be about the day of death which is known by no one - In Mortis Diem Ómnibus Incértum. You might note the nice play on words that allows the last word of the title to echo the first word: In Mortis ... Incértum.

Now let's see what the poem itself says about that day of death:

Fleres. This is from the Latin word flere, to weep. It is a form called the imperfect subjunctive which is able to express what is called a "contrary to fact condition" in Latin - you would be weeping (but you are not weeping; that is the contrary-to-factual part of it).

si. This is the Latin word that means if. Fleres si... You would be weeping if...

scires. This is from the Latin verb scire, meaning to know (which gives us the English word science). It is also in the imperfect subjunctive form: Fleres si scires, you would be weeping (but you are not) if you knew (but you do not know)... but if you knew what?

unum. This is from the Latin word unus, meaning one (compare the English words unit, unify, etc.). But one what? The form is masculine or neuter singular, but we do not know yet what it refers to.

tua. This is from the Latin word tuus, meaning your (from the pronoun tu, meaning you). This form is feminine singular or neuter plural - again, we do not know yet what it refers to, but it does not refer to the same thing as unum, which is masculine or neuter singular. So we are waiting on two nouns to resolve this intricate pattern of words.

témpora. This is from the Latin word tempus, meaning time or season (compare the English word temporal, contemporaneous, etc.). It agrees nicely with tua, so now we have a noun phrase: tua témpora, meaning your times, your seasons. We've almost got the whole thing now: Fleres, si scires unum tua témpora... You would weep if you knew your lifetime was one ... what?

mensem. This is from the Latin word mensis, meaning month (compare the English word menstruation). The noun is masculine and in the accusative case, so it goes with unum, giving us the noun phrase: unum mensem, one month. As often in Latin poetry, the one phrase is wrapped around another phrase in a little package: unum tua témpora mensem.

That allows you to put the first line together: Fleres, si scires unum tua témpora mensem - you would weep, fleres, if you knew, si scires, that your time, tua témpora, (was) one month, unum mensem. In other words, you would weep if you knew that you had only a month to live!

But you do NOT know that... you cannot know it! It's a contrary to fact condition because, as the title tells us: mortis dies ómnibus incértus, the day of death is not known to anyone.

Now let's see what the second line brings:

Rides. This is from the Latin verb ridere, meaning to laugh (compare the English word ridiculous). This time the form is not subjunctive; it is a present tense verb in the indicative mood, second-person singular: rides, you are laughing. This is not a contrary-to-fact situation; you really are laughing!

cum. This Latin word means when. It can also express a causal connection, much like the English word since, which can be used both to express time or cause.

non. As you might expect, this Latin words means not (compare the various Latin phrases non sequitur, sine qua non, etc.).

sit. Here is our verb, from Latin esse, to be. This is the present subjunctive form, third-person singular. The Latin present subjunctive can be translated into English in many ways; the general idea is that there may be, there could be. So now we have cum non sit, when there might not be... what? We still need a subject for the verb.

fórsitan. This is not yet our subject; instead it is a Latin adverb that means perhaps, reinforcing the hypothetical quality of the verb sit, it might be or there might be. Rides, cum non sit fórsitan... You laugh, when perhaps there might not be... what?

una dies. Here you have the subject of the verb: una dies, one day.

Now you can put together the entire line: Rides, cum non sit fórsitan una dies - You laugh, when perhaps there might not be even one day left to you.

The power of this epigram results from the combination of the two lines, and the parallels between them: you might be weeping, fleres, but instead you are laughing - rides! You would weep if you knew, si scires, that your remaining lifetime, tua témpora, were but one month, unum mensem. But instead you are laughing, when perhaps there is not even a day left to you, cum non sit fórsitan una dies. You don't know, after all - just as the title warns you: this is a poem about the day of death, which no one can know!

In Mortis Diem Ómnibus Incértum
Fleres, si scires unum tua témpora mensem;
Rides, cum non sit fórsitan una dies.

As an illustration, here is a famous painting of a skull with tulip and hour-glass by Philippe de Champaigne - and as I add new English essays, you will be able to find those in the English stream at the blog. I've added a new essay with a poem by Georg Fabricius: Prudentia. Have you ever thought about the etymology of the word "prudence"...? This little poem will make that etymology impossible to forget.

Epitaphium Servi Mortui

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

Epitaphium Servi Mortui
Hic servus dum vixit, erat; nunc mortuus idem,
Non quam tu, Dari Magne, minora potest.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

Dārīus (Dārīī, m.): Darius, king of Persia
epitaphium (epitaphiī, n.): epitaph

dum: while (+ indic.); until (+ subj.); provided that (+ subj.)
īdem eadem idem: the same
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
māgnus -a -um great
minus -oris n.: a smaller number or amount, less; (adv.) minus: to a smaller extent, less
morior morī mortuus sum: die
nōn: not
possum posse potuī: be able
quam: how?; (after comparative) than
servus -ī m.: slave
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
vīvō vīvere vīxī victum: live

(Tomb of King Darius)

In Ancillam Mortuam

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

In Ancillam Mortuam
Ante fuit solo Sosime corpore serva;
Nunc fato pars est haec quoque missa manu.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

ancilla (ancillae, f.): slave girl, maid
Sōsīmē (Greek name - f.): Sosime, Zosima

ante: before, in front of (adv. and prep. + acc.)
corpus corporis n.: body
fātum -ī n.: fate
hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
manus -ūs m.: hand; band of men
mittō mittere mīsī missum: send, let go
morior morī mortuus sum: die
nunc: now
pars partis f.: part
quoque: also, too
servus -ī m.: slave
sōlus -a -um: only, alone; sōlum (adv.), only, merely
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist

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De Principe Bono et Malo

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

De Principe Bono et Malo
Quid bonus est princeps? Canis est custos gregis, inde
Qui fugat ore lupos. Quid malus? Ipse lupus.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

grex (gregis, m.): flock, herd
lupus (lupī, m.): wolf

bonus -a -um: good
canis -is m./f.: dog
cūstōs, cūstōdis m.: guardian
dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
et: and
fugō -āre: put to flight
inde: from there, from then
ipse ipsa ipsum: him- her- itself
malus -a -um: bad, evil; male: (adv.) badly
ōs ōris n.: mouth, face
prīnceps -cipis: first, chief
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist

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Patientia

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

Patientia
Tristia qui pateris, perfer; sors tristia solvet:
Quod si non faciat sors, tibi mors faciet.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

patientia (patientiae, f.): endurance, patience
perferō, perferre: carry through, bear till the end

faciō facere fēcī factum: do, make
mors mortis f.: death
nōn: not
patior patī passus sum: permit, endure
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sī: if
solvō solvere solvī solūtum: release, set sail
sors sortis f.: lot, fate, destiny; oracle
tristis -e: sad, solemn, grim
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)

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Spes et Fortuna, Valete

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

Spes et Fortuna, Valete
Iam portum inveni; Spes et Fortuna, valete:
Nil mihi vobiscum est; ludite nunc alios.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are two words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

lūdō, lūdere: play, mock
portus (portūs, m.): harbor, port

alius -a -um: other, another; alias: at another time
dē: down from, about, concerning (+ abl.)
et: and
fortūna -ae f.: fortune
iam: now; already
inveniō -venīre -vēnī -ventum: find; discover
nunc: now
spēs speī f.: hope
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
valeō valēre valuī: be strong, excel, be valid, prevail; valē: farewell!

(Roman dice game)