Tuesday, May 22, 2012

In Mortis Diem Omnibus Incertum

This is one of the Latin epigrams of the Renaissance scholar and Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More.

In Mortis Diem Omnibus Incertum
Fleres, si scires unum tua tempora mensem;
Rides, cum non sit forsitan una dies.


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:

incertus -a -um - uncertain, unsure, unreliable

cum: with (prep. + abl.); when, since, although (conjunction + subj.)
diēs diēī m./f.: day
fleo flēre flēvī flētum: weep
forsitan, fortasse: perhaps, perchance
in: in, on (+ abl.); into onto (+ acc)
mēnsis -is m.: month
mors mortis f.: death
nōn: not
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
rīdeo -ēre rīsī rīsum: laugh, laugh at
scio -īre -īvī/-iī -ītum: know
sī: if
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
tempus -oris n.: time
tuus -a -um: your
ūnus -a -um: one