Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Cum tibi praevalidae...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.12, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Cum tibi praevalidae fuerint in corpore vires,
Fac sapias: sic tu poteris vir fortis haberi.


Not strength alone, but wisdom, too, possess;
Thus thou canst gain a name for manliness.
(Chase)

If you have bodily strength in high degree,
Add wisdom: so win fame for bravery.
(Duff)

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:

praevalidus -a -um - very strong

corpus, corporis n.: body
cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
facio facere fēcī factum: do, make
fortis -e: brave
habeo -ēre -uī habitum: have, hold
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
possum posse potuī: be able
sapio sapere sapīvī: be wise
sīc: in this manner, thus; sīc . . . ut, in the same way as
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
vir virī m.: man
vīs f.: force; (acc.) vim, (abl.) vī; (pl.) vīrēs, strength