Sunday, June 3, 2012

Nemo Sibi Satis


159     -     160     -     161


Nemo Sibi Satis
Nemo sibi satis est; eget omnis amicus amico:
Si non vis aliis parcere, parce tibi.


Source: Andreas Gartner, Proverbialia Dicteria (1578). Meter: Elegiac. The verb parcere here has the sense of "be sparing, show mercy, do not injure."

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:

No one is enough (nemo satis est) for himself (sibi); every friend (omnis amicus) needs a friend (eget amico): if you don't want (si non vis) to do others a favor (aliis parcere), do yourself a favor (parce tibi).

egeō, egēre: lack, be without, need

alius -a -um: other, another
amīcus -a -um: friendly; (as subst.) friend
homo hominis m.: human being
nēmo: no one (gen. nullius, dat. nulli, abl. nullo or nulla > nullus -a -um)
nōn: not
omnis -e: all, every, as a whole
parco -ere pepercī: spare, be sparing of (+ dat.)
satis/sat: enough, sufficient
sī: if
sui, sibi, sē: him- her- itself
tū tuī tibi tē: you (sing.)
volo velle voluī: wish, be willing