Thursday, March 1, 2012

Prospice, qui veniant...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 2.24, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Prospice, qui veniant casus, hos esse ferendos:
Nam levius laedit, quidquid praevidimus ante.


For what the day may bring, thy mind prepare;
So with more ease thou ills foreseen wilt bear.
(Chase)

Ills, as they come, prepare to undergo:
What we've foreseen deals us a lighter blow.
(Duff)

Here is the vocabulary:

prospicio - look for, watch for
qui - who, which, that
venio - come
casus - change, accident, fate
hic - this, this one
sum - be, exist
fero - bear, endure
nam - for, the fact is
levis - light
laedo - wound
quidquid - whatever
praevideo - see in advance
ante - before, earlier, in front