Saturday, April 21, 2012

Hoc bibe quo possis...

Here is today's distich by Cato (so-called), 4.24, with English translations by Duff and Chase.

Hoc bibe quod possis, si tu vis vivere sanus:
Morbi causa mali minima est quaecumque voluptas.


If thou wouldst sanely live, take this to heart,
Avoid excesses; thence diseases start.
(Chase)

If you'd live healthy, drink in temperate measure:
Oft ill diseases spring from trivial pleasure.
(Duff)

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

bibo, -ere, bibī, bibitum - drink
minimus -a -um - smallest, tiniest, least; adv. minime

causa -ae f.: cause, reason
hic, haec, hoc: this; hōc, on this account
malus -a -um: evil
morbus -ī m.: sickness, disease
possum posse potuī: be able
quī-, quae-, quodcumque: who-, whatever
qui, quae, quod: who, which, what; quis quid: who? what? which?
sānus -a -um: sound, sane
sī: if
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
vīvo -ere vīxī victum: live
volo velle voluī: wish, be willing
voluptās -ātis f.: pleasure enjoyment