Saturday, December 5, 2015

Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: December 5

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. If you are looking for free PDF copies of my books, you can find links to all of them here: #PDF Tribute to Aaron Swartz

HODIE (Roman Calendar): Nonae Decembres, the Nones of December.

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


TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word motto is Tempus fugit, utere (English: Time flies; make use of it).

3-WORD PROVERBS: Today's 3-word proverb is Optima citissime pereunt (English: The best things pass away the most quickly).

RHYMING PROVERBS: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Non est tam fortis, qui rumpat vincula mortis (English: There is no man strong enough to break the bonds of death).

VULGATE VERSES: Today's verse is Qui invenit amicum, invenit thesaurum (Sirach 6:14). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

ELIZABETHAN PROVERBS: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Taverner: Cibum in matellam ne immittas: Put not meat into a pispot. Plutarche expoudeth this saying thus. Cast not good sentences into the minde of a wicked person. So that it is all one in effecte with that sayeng of Christ. Cast not perles afore swine. For speeche is the meat of the minde. But this meate is corrupted and doth putrifie, if it fal into an unsounde minde.

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Populo Servire Difficile. Click here for a full-sized view.


And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:



Aliud est velle, aliud posse.
Wanting is one thing; being able to do it is another.

Virtutis iter arduum.
The way of virtue is steep.

TODAY'S FABLES:

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Columba et Cornix, a story about a dove in captivity.

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Canes et Corium, a story about dogs whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs (this fable has a vocabulary list).

Canes et Corium

Latin Holiday Songs. Today's song is Puer Nobis Nascitur, a 15th-century Latin hymn; you can find the Latin lyrics at the blog post.