When, on this Child-like-figure, thou shalt looke,If you look at the words written on the child's open book, they say: DISCE MORI.
Which, with his Light, his Houre-glasse, and his booke,
Sits, in a watching-posture, formed here;
And, when thou hast perus'd that Motto, there,
On which he layes his hand; thy selfe apply
To what it counselleth; and, learne to die,
While that Light burnes, and, that short-houre doth last,
Which, for this Lesson, thou obtained hast.
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Vita Mortalium Vigilia
Vana velut nil sunt vigilatae insomnia noctis;
Sic spatium est, quod in hoc vivimus orbe, nihil.
Death's one long-Sleepe; and, Life's no more
But one short-Watch, an houre before.
But one short-Watch, an houre before.
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only three words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:
insomnis -e, pl. insomnia n. - sleeplessness, lack of sleep
vigilia f. - keeping watch, wakefulness
vigilō -āre: be awake, be on guard
hic haec hoc: this; hōc: on this account
in: in, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
mortālis -e: liable to death, mortal
nihil, nīl: nothing; not at all
nox noctis f.: night
orbis -is m.: circle; orbis terrārum: world
qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which?
sīc: in this manner, thus; sīc . . . ut: in the same way as
spatium -iī n.: space
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
vanus -a -um: empty; false, deceitful
velut: even as, just as
vīta -ae f.: life
vīvō vīvere vīxī victum: live