Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Virtutis Principium Asperum, Finis Amoenus

Here is today's distich by Michele Verinus:

Virtutis Principium Asperum, Finis Amoenus
Est opus incepto: finis virtutis amoenus,
Principiis quamvis aspera prima via est.


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:

amoenus -a -um - lovely, pleasant, charming
asper aspera asperum - rough, hard, rugged

fīnis -is m.: end, boundary
incipio -cipere -cēpī -ceptum: begin
opus operis n.: work
prīmus -a -um: first
principium -iī n.: beginning
quamvīs: however you like; although
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist
via -ae f.: way, street
virtūs -ūtis f.: valor, manliness, virtue