Sunday, November 18, 2012

Round-Up: November 18

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. If you have not downloaded a free PDF copy of Brevissima: 1001 Tiny Latin Poems, it's ready and waiting, and you can also get a free PDF copy of Mille Fabulae et Una: 1001 Aesop's Fables in Latin. If you prefer the heft of a book in your hand, you can get the books in printed form from Lulu.com.

HODIE: ante diem quartum decimum Kalendas Decembres.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Leda and the Swan; you can also see the legends for the current week listed together here.


TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

TINY PROVERBS: Today's tiny proverb is: Sciens cavebo (English: Being aware, I will take care).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Fide et spe (English: With faith and hope).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Pisces minutos magni comedunt (English: The big fish eat the little ones).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Acti labores iucundi sunt (English: Work, once done, is pleasant).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Midae divitiae (English: The wealth of Midas; from Adagia 1.6.24; you can read more about Midas and his golden touch at Wikipedia).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Πολλοί τοι ναρθηκοφόροι, παῦροι δὲ Βάκχοι (English: Many are those who carry the thyrsus, but few are the true followers of Bacchus).

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Dies Clarissima: Nulla dies umquam debet clarissima dici / Donec ad occasum sol revocatus erit.

And here is today's proverbial lolcat:


TODAY'S FABLES:

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Cervus et Vitis, the story of an ungrateful deer.

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Fatal Courtship, the sad story of the mouse who married a lioness.

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Castor et Venator, the story of the beaver and what a price it pays for its life (this fable has a vocabulary list).

Castor  (1531)