Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Tractant Fabrilia Fabri

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 2:14, with an English rendering by George Wither.

Tractant Fabrilia Fabri
Carmen opus nostrum est, tractant fabrilia fabri;
Quisque suum solita tempus in arte locat.


When each man keepes unto his Trade
Then, all things better will be made.


Here is the vocabulary:

tracto - pull, manage, treat
fabrilis - workman's, carpenter's
faber - workman, artisan, carpenter
carmen - song, poem
opus - work
noster - our, ours
sum - be, exist
quisque - each, everyone
suus - reflexive possessive
solitus - customary, accustomed
tempus - time
in - in, into
ars - art, craft, skill
loco - place, put, arrange