Friday, July 29, 2011

Pectus Vitiis Vacuum

This poem is from the Hortulus Carminum Selectorum by Josephus Perez (1627-1694).

Pectus Vitiis Vacuum
Qui studet alterius pravos reprehendere mores
Hunc vitiis vacuum pectus habere decet.

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

prāvus, -a, -um: vicious, perverse, bad
reprehendō, reprehendere: blame

alter altera alterum: other of two
decet decēre decuīt: it becomes, it behooves (+ acc. of person, or infinitive)
habeō habēre habuī habitum: have, hold
hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
mōs mōris m.: custom, habit; (pl.) character
pectus -oris n.: chest, breast
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
studeō -ēre -uī: be eager, be zealous, care for (+ dat.)
vacuus -a -um: empty
vitium -ī n.: flaw, fault, crime