Round-Up: December 6

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem octavum Idus Decembres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. It's another one of the elegant little epigrams by Owen, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com as usual:

Libertas, infanda loqui, tibi sola videtur.
Libera lingua sat est || cui tacuisse licet.

English: "You seem to think that the only freedom is the freedom to say abominable things, but a tongue is free enough when it is allowed to remain silent." That's an epigram that raises some of the same dilemmas we face with freedom of speech even today!

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's portion finishes up the description of the exploits of Caesar's soldier Cassius Scaeva: accedentibusque duobus, alterius brachium gladio abscidit, alterum in faciem percussum auertit et ipse suorum auxilio saluus euasit.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today: Caudae pilos equinae paulatim vellere (English: Plucking the hairs of a horse's tail, one by one - you can't just grab the whole tail all at once and yank; you have to pull one hair at a time... and even so, I'm guessing the horse might object, ha ha).

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

2-Word Mottoes: Today's 2-word motto is: Sicut quercus (English: Like the oak - it's left to you to supply the qualities of the oak that are implied here: stury, strong, lofty, etc.).

3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Praemium, virtus, honor (English: Reward, excellence, and honor - whic is about as simple as a motto can be, just three nouns in a list; the key, of course, is that from all the fine nouns in Latin, you must select the three that mean the most to you).

3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Dum vivo, spero (English: While I live, I hope).

2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Roma aeterna (English: Rome is eternal).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Fortuna belli fluxa (English: The fortunes of war are slippery).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word proverb with verb is Parentem patienter vince (English: Overcome your parent with patience).

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Plures necat crapula quam gladius (English: The hangover kills more than the sword). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Qui me amat, amat et canem meum (English: He who loves me, he loves my dog also - a saying attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, although I honestly don't know if that is a correct attribution or not; is anyone better informed about this one?).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Pauper ubique iacet, dum sua bursa tacet (English: The poor man lies anywhere he can when nothing jingles in his purse: iacet-tacet).

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Tarde, sed graviter vir sapiens irascitur (English: A wise man is slow to get angry, but when he does, it's serious).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Homo sapiens tacebit usque ad tempus (English: A man who is wise will be silent until the right time - a saying that resonates very nicely with Publilius Syrus's saying today, too).

Vulgate Verse: 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.

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Octipedem excitas (English: You're rousing the eight-legged scorpion; from Adagia 1.1.63 - the word could refer to any 8-footed creature, such as the octopus, a crab or - as Erasmus thinks here - the scorpion).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Aesopicus sanguis (English: The blood of Aesop; from Adagia 2.6.63 - This refers to the violent death of Aesop at the hands of the people of Delphi, who later suffered many disasters, as if Aesop's blood had put a curse on them).

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Conybeare: Ede nasturtium: Is applied to a dull and a grosse person, and for as muche as Nasturtium called cresses being eaten doth make the nose tinckle, and thereby causeth the dull spirites to wake, therefore by this proverbe ys ment, pluck up thie spirites, or awake dullarde or luske. (so forget the caffeine; try a cress sandwich instead!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Μωμήσεται μᾶλλον ἢ μιμήσεται (English: To criticize rather than to imitate - which is indeed the tendency of the world!).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Vulpes et Caper, the story of the fox and the goat in the well.

Gaudium Mundo: Today's Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog are: O Viri, Este Hilares, a Latin version of "God Bless Ye, Merry Gentlemen," along with Dies est laetitiae, and also In oriente sidus, a Latin version of the Polish carol, "Jakaż to gwiazda?"

For those of you looking at this post at the blog, here is an audio performance of Dies est laetitiae:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: December 5

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem octavum Idus Decembres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. This one is the moral of Phaedrus's fable about the foolish doves who elected the kite as their king, with a word list for the entire fable at NoDictionaries.com, as usual:

Qui se committit homini tutandum improbo,
auxilia dum requirit, exitium invenit.

English: "He who entrusts his safety to a wicked man will find destruction when he asks for help." Getting used to iambic meter can be tricky, but in these verses, there are some little tricks you can use, like syncopating hom(i)ni and treating the i as a semivowel in the second line: auxilja and exitjum (and watch out for both elisions: tutand'improbo and exitj'invenit).

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's portion describes the deeds of another of Caesar's soldiers: Et Cassius Scaeua, qui in pugna ad Dyrrhachium oculum sagitta, humerum itemque femur pilo confixus, exceptis scuto centum et triginta telorum ictibus, hostes uocauit, ueluti se dediturus;.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today: Rex eris, si recte facies (English: You will be a king [a ruler], if you do right [i.e. if you are straight as a ruler].)

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

2-Word Mottoes: Today's motto is another single word saying: Illumino (English: I enlighten... a nice motto for the teachers out there! We could take it on as a group motto, too - Illuminamus... or an optimistic subjunctive: Illuminemus).

3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Artibus et armis (English: By strategy and weaponry - although that lacks the sound play of the Latin).

3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Deus me audit (English: God hears me).

2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Importunitas evitanda (English: Rudeness must be avoided... so, get out of the way rather than getting into an argument!).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Fama nihil celerius (English: Nothing is more quick than rumor - nothing that the word celerius is neuter, agreeing with the subject, nihil, while Fama is ablative in a comparison).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word proverb with verb is Excessit medicina malum (English: The medicine has exceded the disease).

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Tempus est vitae magister (English: Time is the teacher of life). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Si fuit hic asinus, non ibi fiet equus (English: If he was a donkey here, he will not become a horse there).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Non bene pro fulvo libertas venditur auro (English: It is not good to sell your freedom for tawny gold - the rhyme is not so strong, fulvo-auro, but the sentiment is a great one!).

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Iratum breviter vites, inimicum diu (English: You should avoid an angry man for a little while, but an enemy for a long time - because the anger will pass but enmity can last a long time indeed!).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Scientia inflat (English: Knowledge puffs up - for which it helps to know the context - I Corinthians: Scientia inflat, caritas vero aedificat; "Knowing puffs up, but love builds").

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Stultus omnes stultos aestimat (Ecc. 10:3). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Aliud noctua sonat, aliud cornix (English: The owl makes one sound, the crow another; from Adagia 3.2.74).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Alterum pedem in cymba Charontis habet (English: He's got one foot in the skiff of Charon - which is to say, he's as good as dead; from Adagia 2.1.52; you can read more about Charon at Wikipedia).

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Conybeare: Citra pulveris: Withoute any dust, a proverbe applied unto them which com to a thinge without any laboure (this is something like we would say "without breaking a sweat").

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Μικρὸς ἀεὶ ὁ σὸς πῶλος (English: Your foal is always small... in other words: the neighbor's looks bigger, at least in your eyes!).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Equus et Asinus, the very wise story of the horse who refused to help his companion, the donkey.

Gaudium Mundo: Today's Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog are: Angelus ad Virginem along with Verbum supernum prodiens (this one comes with a YouTube video performance). The Angelus is a medieval Latin carol dating back to the late 13th century. It is even mentioned by Chaucer in his Miller's Tale: "Playing so sweetly that the chamber rang; / And Angelus ad virginem he sang..."

Here is a YouTube video performance of Angelus ad Virginem:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: December 4

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: pridie Nonas Decembres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. This is one of the distichs attributed to "Cato'," with a word list at NoDictionaries.com as usual:

Quae culpare soles, ea tu ne feceris ipse:
Turpe est doctori, cum culpa redarguat ipsum.

English: "If you are inclined to criticize something, make sure you don't do that thing yourself; it is embarrassing for the trainer when the criticism applies to him, too." It's a fancy version of the kettle calling the pot black!

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's portion describes the deeds of Caesar's soldier Acilius: Qualis fuit exempli causa Acilius, qui cum Massiliensi naumachia in hostilem nauim euasisset, dextera ei gladio amputata, sinistra manu clypeum tenuit, eoque facies hostium feriens, uniuersos repulit, nauique ipse potitus est.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's a nice one from today: In corde spes, vis, et vita (English: In the heart is hope, strength, and life).

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

2-Word Mottoes: Today we've got a motto that is just a single word, and a very powerful one: Memini (English: I remember).

3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Fideliter et diligenter (English: Faithfully and diligently - this combination of two adverbs obviously implies some kind of verb, and you can imagine any kind of verb you want there - I serve, I work, etc.).

3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Confido, non confundar (English: I am confident, I will not be confused - which does manage to convey some of the word play of the Latin, too!).

2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Nugas agis (English: You are busy with trifles - the word nugae is very productive in Latin; someone who is busy with trifles is a nugator).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Impunitas ferociae parens (English: Impunity is the parent of ferocity; although I am not as big a fan of the abstract sayings, I really like these family metaphors - you could also say Ferocia impunitatis filia, "Ferocity is the daughter of impunity").

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word proverb with verb is Divitiae pariunt curas. Riches breed worries (English: Wealth gives birth to worries - another nice use of the famly metaphor, so you could also say Curae divitiarum filiae, "Worries are the daughters of wealth").

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Primordia cuncta pavida sunt (English: All beginnings are frightening). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Melior est canis vivus leone mortuo (English: A living dog is better than a dead lion).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Qui leviter credit, deceptus saepe recedit (English: He who is quick to believe, often departs deceived - which almost rhymes in English!).

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Effugere cupiditatem regnum est vincere (English: To escape desire is to conquer a kingdom).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Difficilia honesta sunt (English: Honorable things are hard to accomplish).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Spiritus, ubi vult, spirat et vocem eius audis, sed non scis unde veniat et quo vadat (John 3:8). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Rana Seriphia. (English: A frog from Seriphos; from Adagia 1.5.31 - the frogs of Seriphos, an island in the western Cyclades, were famous for their supposed lack of croaking).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Antiquior quam Chaos et Saturnia tempora (English: Older than Chaos and the times of Saturn; from Adagia 2.8.40 - Saturn, Greek Kronos, was an ancient god, the leader of the first generation of the Titans, while Chaos was what pre-existed the world as we know it).

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Conybeare: Aratro caelum findere: A proverbe spoken of a thinge impossible (because making furrows in the earth is easy, while making furrows in the sky is quite impossible).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Σὺ ἐν σεαυτῷ φάρμακα ἔχεις (English: You've got the healing drugs within yourself - with that Greek word, φάρμακα, having been given plenty of new fame in the 20th century thanks to Derrida).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Mures Hamelinae, a Latin version of the famous folktale of the Pied Piper of Hameln!

Gaudium Mundo: Today's Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog are: Aquifolia Ornate, a Latin version of "Deck the Halls," along with Puer Nobis Nascitur.

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: December 3

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem tertium Nonas Decembres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. This is one of the emblems of Alciato, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com as usual:

Quod fine egregios turpi maculaveris orsus,
In noxamque tuum || verteris officium;
Fecisti quod capra, sui mulctralia lactis
Cum ferit, et proprias || calce profundit opes.

You can find an English translation along with the emblem itself at the Alciato Web Edition online! This is the proverbial "Scyrian goat" which you can also read about in Erasmus's Adagia 1.10.20 (Skyros is an island in the Aegean, and in mythology it is where Theseus died after being thrown from a cliff by Lycomedes, the king of Skyros.)

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's portion describes the incredible loyalty of Caesar's soldiers in Gaul: Tanta uero beneuolentia erga eum, tantum fuit militum studium, ut qui alioquin in bello nihil reliquis praestarent, ii pro Caesaris gloria inuicti quoduis periculum adirent.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today that is kind of like a riddle: Dimidio vitae nihil differunt felices at infelicibus (English: For half of their lives nothing distinguishes the lucky & the unlucky - so, just what is that "half of life" referring to? It is the time when they are asleep - when the wretched person can dream sweet dreams, and for that matter when the happy man might suffer nightmares).

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

2-Word Mottoes: Today's 2-word motto is: Gloria Deo (English: Glory be to God).

3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Deo patriaeque fidelis (English: Faithful to God and country).

3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Avito evehor honore (English: I am borne up by ancestral honor - notice the elegant way the ablative phrase wraps around the verb!).

2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Atreo crudelior (English: More savage than Atreus - as when he fed his twin brother Thyestes a dinner consisting of Thyestes' own sons - OUCH).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Optima medicina temperantia (English: Moderation is the best medicine - i.e. moderation in food, drink and all those other dangerously fun things).

3-Word Proverbs with Verbs: Today's 3-word proverb is Fortuna est rotunda (English: Fortune is shaped like a wheel - note here that rotunda does not mean fat, as we use the word in English, but rather round like a wheel, Latin rota, as in "rotate").

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Calidum et frigidum ex eodem ore efflat (English: He blows hot and cold from the same mouth). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Ubi mel, ibi apes (English: Where there is honey, there are bees - so watch out!).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Labitur e mente cito res bona, sed mala lente (English: A good thing slips your mind quickly, but a bad thing does so slowly - for this one, you need to read the line as if it came in three parts in order to catch the rhyme mente-lente).

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Ubi iudicat, qui accusat, vis, non lex valet (English: When the one who accuses is also judge, then force, not law, has prevailed).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Epimenidis somnum edormit (English: He's sleeping the sleep of Epimenides - that seer who famously slept in the sacred cave of Zeus on the island of Crete).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Esto fidelis usque ad mortem (Rev. 2:10). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Quam curat testudo muscam (English: As much as a turtle worries about a fly - which is to say, not much at all, since the turtle can escape inside its shell from even the most persistently annoying insect; from Adagia 2.8.100 - for Erasmus, this turtle is a symbol of the mind, which in a protective shell of philosophy and morality has no external worries).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Graviora Sambico patitur (English: He's suffering punishments more terrible than those of Sambicus; from Adagia 1.1.80 - this Sambicus was notorious for having plundered the temples of the gods, after which he was captured by the authorities and tortured - Plutarch is the source for this one).

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Conybeare: Canis reversus ad vomitum: The dogge turneth agayne to eat that he vomited. A proverbe applied to hem which being reconciled to god, retourneth agayne to his olde condicions and vices.

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἀυλὸν σάλπιγγι συγκρίνεις (English: You're comparing a trumpet to a flute - which is like mixing apples and oranges, but in musical terms!).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Senex et Mors, the wonderful of the fable of the old man who thinks he wants to die… but changes his mind when Death arrives.

Gaudium Mundo: Today's Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog are: Angeli Canunt Praecones, a Latin version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," along with Silentio noctis, a Latin version of the Polish carol, "Wśród nocnej ciszy" (even if you don't know the Polish song, I've got a YouTube video you can listen to - it's a lovely melody, easy to learn, and you can then sing the Latin lyrics to it instead of the Polish ones).

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: December 2

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem quartum Nonas Decembres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. It's another one of the rhymes collected by Wegeler, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com as usual:

Vivamus puri, quasi simus cras morituri,
Discamus veluti simus de tempore tuti.

English: "Let us live pure lives, as if we were going to die tomorrow; let us learn as if we were safe from time." What a WONDERFUL saying - it is not just delightfully paradoxical, but also very good advice, I think! : -)

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's portion gives some extravagant numbers for Caesar's warfare in Gaul: Non toto enim decennio in Gallia beiligeratus, urbes octingentis plures cepit, populos trecentos subegit, cum ter millies millibus hostium congressus diuersis proeliis quorum decies centena millia in acie interfecit, uiuos alterurn tantum cepit.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today: Cibus non qui plurimus, sed qui suavissimus (English: Food: not that which is most plentiful, but most sweet - which could be a good motto for those of us prone to holiday overeating!).

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

2-Word Mottoes: Today's 2-word motto is actually just one word: Tuebor (English: I will protect, watch over, etc. - these one-word mottoes are sometimes the hardest to translate, since you want all the various connotations of that crucial single word).

3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Virtute et sapientia (English: With excellence and wisdom… a good motto for any of us aspiring teachers and/or students).

3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Tempus fugit, utere (English: Time flies; make use of it - with utere as one of those sneaky passive imperative forms).

2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Optima speranda (English: We should hope for the best thing - and it's a good strategy: hope for the best, and be prepared to settle for less if necessary...).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Amicus vitae solatium (English: A friend is life's consolation - as often in these three-word proverbs, deciding where to divide subject and predicate is the trick!).

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Elephantem saltare doces (English: You're trying to teach an elephant to dance). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit (English: The wolf seeks with his fang, the bull with his horn - in other words, you, too, need to defend yourself with the means at your disposal).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Ex minimo crescit, sed non cito fama quiescit (English: From a tiny thing the rumor grows, but it does not quickly come to rest… we'll see how long the rumor mill keeps working on Tiger Woods, for example).

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Res quanto est maior, tanto est insidiosior (English: The bigger the business, the bigger the trap - an elegant use of the Latin correlatives quanto…tanto as ablatives expressing how much bigger something is and how much more insidious it is as a result!).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Lux in tenebris lucet (English: A light shines in the darkness - although that does not catch the nice word play of lux lucet in Latin).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Bonorum laborum gloriosus est fructus (Wisdom 3:15). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Quid cani et balneo? (English: What good is a dog in a bathhouse? from Adagia 1.4.39 - this is a bit like our "bull in a china shop," since a dog has no business in a bathhouse at all!).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Tentantes ad Troiam pervenerunt Graeci. (English: By making an effort, the Greeks reached Troy; from Adagia 2.2.37 - a proverbial saying Erasmus picks up from Theocritus).

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Conybeare: Cautes Marpesia: A proverbe applyed to a stubborne fellowe that will not chaunge his opinion. (For more on this rocky cliff, see Vergil).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Φύσις πονηρὰ χρηστόν ἦθος οὐ τρέφει. (English: A bad nature - Greek physis - does not nourish a good character - Greek ethos).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Viatores et Pons, an ancient joke about a Boeotian, an Athenian and a Corinthian who think the moon which is reflected in the water is a wheel of cheese.

Gaudium Mundo: Today's Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog are O Abies, a Latin version of "O Christmas Tree," along with Resonet in Laudibus.

Here is a performance of Resonet in Laudibus at YouTube:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: December 1

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

You'll see some alterations to the blog format for this month, since each post will end with Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog. :-)

HODIE: Kalendae Decembres, the Kalends of December! You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. It's another one of the elegant epigrams by Owen, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com as usual:

Stulta haec invidia est, cui cuncta recentia sordent.
Invida stultitia est, || cui nova sola placent.

English: "It's a foolish sort of envy when someone thinks all new things are vulgar; it's also foolish when someone only likes new things." I think those of us who are classicists (either avidly or reluctantly) can relate to the paradox of new and old expressed in this little poem!

TODAY'S TWITTER: I've been swamped getting back to work today, but I will start the Twitter again tomorrow.

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

2-Word Mottoes: Today's 2-word motto is: Parta tueri (English: To defend what has been acquired - with parta as the neuter accusative plural of the participle of pario, here meaning to beget, acquire, etc.).

3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Sagax et audax (English: Keen and bold... although the English of course does not sound so good as the Latin, with the elegant pairing of those adjectives in -ax).

3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Flecti, non frangi (English: To bend, not to break - a principle illustrated very nicely in Aesop's fable about the reed and the oak).

2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Maneo nemini (English: I wait for no one; this is a fine little saying on its own - and just think about it in this context: as the inscription on a sun-dial! Nice! In that case the ego of the verb is Time itself).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Virtutis comes invidia (English: Envy is the companion of excellence... in this case, an unwelcome companion!)

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Victrix fortunae sapientia (English: Wisdom is the conqueror of fortune). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Minervam sus docet (English: The pig is teaching Minerva - the idea, of course, is that the pig has no business teaching Minerva at all, seeing as she is the goddess of wisdom!).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Ultima mortiferum conservat cauda venenum (English: The tip of the tail has deadly venom in store - which may not be all that true of snakes, but metaphorically, it is very true of situations where you face the real peril at the end of the business, rather than at the beginning).

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Avaro acerba poena natura est sua (English: For the miser, his own nature is a bitter punishment - this is definitely one of the "karmic" sayings of Publilius).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Talis hominum oratio, qualis vita (English: As a man's life is, so is his speech - a saying built on the elegant Latin correlatives, talis-qualis).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Quis ex vobis patrem petet panem, numquid lapidem dabit illi? (Luke 11:11). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Culicem colant, camelum deglutientes (English: They strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel; from Adagia 3.10.91 - but based, of course, on the Biblical saying).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Iterum atque iterum ad Pythum via (English: Over and over again they keep asking the way to Pytho; from Adagia 2.10.57 - Pytho was the original name of the oracular site at Delphi, sacred to Apollo; as a site of pilgrimage, there was a constant stream of strangers traveling there, and having to ask for directions along the way).

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Conybeare: Acesias medicatus est: Acesias, a foolishe and unlearned phesicion of whom riseth this proverbe, spoken of a thinge that waxeth worse and worse, and the more yt is tended the worse it is. (Conybeare learned about Acesias in Erasmus's Adagia 2.6.59).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Τῆς ὀξυθυμίας τὸ ἄνθος μανία (English: Insanity - Greek "mania" - is the blossom of a sharp temper).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Asinus Leonis Pelle Indutus, the famous story of the donkey in the lion's skin.

Gaudium Mundo: The Latin holiday songs for today are: Rudolphus, a Latin version of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" (actually, five different Latin versions!), along with Puer Natus in Bethlehem, a 15th-century Christmas hymn, for which I managed to find a nice YouTube audio presentation so you can listen online!

For those of you viewing this blog post online instead of in the email, here is the YouTube video performance of Puer Natus - it starts with church bells, followed by an organ introit, and then a choral performance of the hymn.

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.