Round-Up: August 12

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: pridie Idus Augustas.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Odysseus and Circe; 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 Tempera te tempori (English: Adapt yourself to the time).

3-WORD PROVERBS: Today's 3-word proverb is Cura angit animum (English: Worry squeezes the mind).

RHYMING PROVERBS: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Se minus afflictum sentit, qui providet ictum (English: The person who sees the blow coming, feels himself less shattered).

VULGATE VERSES: Today's verse is Unus introitus est omnibus ad vitam, et similis exitus (Wisdom 7:6). 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: Currus bovem trahit: Ye set the cart before the horse. This Proverbe hath place in thinges done preposteriously, cleane contrarilye, and arsy versy as they say. As for exemple, if a wife would rule her husbande, if the scolar woulde teache his maister, if the commons would tel theyr Prince what he had to do, finallie if the affection or sensualite would guide reason, as alake for pitie in these cases, and in many other more, it is oft seene.

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Legisse Parum Est: Quod legis in scriptis, hoc tu virtutibus imple; / Qui bona scit nec agit, quam miser ille perit!

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Pisces e Sartagine Exsilientes, a fable about "out of the frying pan, into the fire" (this fable has a vocabulary list).

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Dog in the Manger, a famous story about a spiteful and selfish bully.

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Simius et Circulator, a fable about a monkey who was sorely deceived and lost his freedom - a warning to us all!

Round-Up: August 10

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. I'm using Google+ a lot these days - highly recommended as a thought-provoking place to hang out online!

HODIE: ante diem quartum Idus Augustas.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Deucalion and Pyrrha; 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: Impelle obstantia (English: Push obstacles aside).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Labor ipse voluptas (English: Work itself is a pleasure).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Oportet vulpinari cum vulpibus (English: You've got to play the fox with the foxes).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Qui seminat ventum, turbinem metet (English: He who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Bocchyris iudicium (English: The judgment of Bocchyris; from Adagia - 2.7.65 - the story goes that a man had a sexual dream about a prostitute, and the prostitute demanded he pay her for dream services; King Bocchyris of Egypt ruled that the money be put into a basin and shaken around so that the prostitute could enjoy the look of the coin and thus be satisfied appropriately).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Δρυὸς πεσούσης, πᾶς ἀνὴρ ξυλεύεται (English: When the oak tree has fallen, any man can gather wood).

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Dulcis Amice, Tene!: Qui dare vult aliis non debet dicere: Vultis? / Sed dicat plene: Dulcis amice, tene!

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Ceres et Rusticus, a wonderful story about the goddess Demeter and a reckless farmer (this fable has a vocabulary list).

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Crow and the Pitcher, the famous story of the crow who ingeniously raised the water level of a pitcher in order to take a drink.

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Coclea et Iuppiter, the story of the how the snail got her shell.

Round-Up: August 8

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - 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 sextum Idus Augustas.

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:

TINY MOTTOES: Today's tiny motto is: Spe expecto (English: In hope I wait).

3-WORD PROVERBS: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Dux vivendi natura (English: Nature is the guide of how to live)

AUDIO PROVERBS: Today's audio Latin proverb is Sub pallio sordido sapientia (English: Beneath a filthy cloak, wisdom). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

PUBLILIUS SYRUS: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Fortuna vitrea est: tum, cum splendet, frangitur (English: Fortune is like glass: when it glitters, it shatters).

ERASMUS' ANIMALS: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Indus elephantus haud curat culicem (English: The Indian elephant doesn't worry about a gnat; from Adagia 1.10.66 - in other words, don't sweat the small stuff).

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Amicitia: Cur similis similem sibi quaerit, amicus amicum? / Uno nemo potest in pede stare diu.

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Pavo Deplumatus, the sad story of the peacock who gave away all his feathers (this fable has a vocabulary list).

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Bulls and the Lion, a story about the strategy of "divide and conquer."

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Mors et Senex, the story of the warnings that death is giving us all.

Round-Up: August 6

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 octavum Idus Augustas.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Aeneas and Turnus; 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 Rem omnem considera (English: Consider the whole business).

3-WORD PROVERBS: Today's 3-word proverb is Diem vesper commendat (English: The evening commends the day).

RHYMING PROVERBS: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Mortis linque metus, si tu vis vivere laetus (English: Put aside any fears of death, if you want to live happily).

VULGATE VERSES: Today's verse is Usque ad mortem certa pro iustitia (Sirach 4:28). 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: Satius est recurrere, quam currere male: Better it is to runne backe againe, than to runne forth amisse. Many be eyther so shamefast, or els so stricte in theyr own opinion, that they had lever runne forth still in errour and out of the way, than to apply them selves to better and more holsome counsailes.

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Nil Amicitia Gratius: Ad bene vivendum quidquid natura paravit, / Nil datum amicitia gratius est homini.

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES WIDGET: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Ollae Duae, the story of a friendship between two mismatched pots (this fable has a vocabulary list).

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Ass and the Shepherd, a story about political change... this will be a good one to look at again come November!

MILLE FABULAE WIDGET: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Pater, Filii, et Agrorum Cultura, the story of how an ingenious father taught his sons the value of hard work.

Round-Up: August 4

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. I'm using Google+ a lot these days - highly recommended as a thought-provoking place to hang out online!

HODIE: pridie Nonas Augustas.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Solon and Croesus; 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: Scientia nobilitat (English: Knowledge ennobles).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Pauci sed boni (English: Few men, but good ones).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Humana sub cute plurimae latent ferae (English: Beneath a person's skin lurk many wild beasts).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Qui festinat ditescere, non erit innocens (English: He who is in a hurry to get rich will not stay innocent).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Fato Metelli Romae fiunt consules (English: By sheer luck the Metelli have become consuls at Rome; from Adagia 4.10.62 - These words, attributed to the poet Naevius, did not please the Metelli whatsoever; the proverb refers to those who attain their high social status through dumb luck, rather than talent).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ἀνάγκῃ οὐδὲ θεοὶ μάχονται (English: Not even the gods can do battle with necessity).

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Hora Nulla Sine Fructu, Sic fac ut nulla sine fructu transeat hora: / Sic fit hora brevis et labor ipse levis. (Note the nice rhyme: brevis-levis!)

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES WIDGET: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Culex et Leo, the story of the ups and downs of the life of gnat (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE WIDGET: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Vulpes in Puteum Delapsa et Lupus, the story of a fox who needed help from a wolf.

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is Jupiter and the Cat, the hilarious story of the cat who became a woman.

Round-Up: August 2

As I announced yesterday, the Brevissima book is done! 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 (the book from summer before last). If you prefer the heft of a book in your hand, you can get the printed books from Lulu.com.

I've reorganized the layout of the Round-Up a bit. Each round-up will have a distich poem in it, and I'm gradually going to be working through all the distich blog posts (some of them are a year or two old), fixing them up so that they match the book presentation. All the distich poems have blog posts and by the end of the year I should be able to get them revised, with navigation leading from poem to poem in the same sequence as the book. :-)

HODIE: ante diem quartum Nonas Augustas.

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

TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

TINY MOTTOES: Today's tiny motto is: Deo duce (English: With God as my guide).

3-WORD PROVERBS: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Amici fures temporis (English: Friends are thieves of time)

AUDIO PROVERBS: Today's audio Latin proverb is Manus digiti coaequales non sunt, omnes tamen usui (English: The fingers of the hand are not equal, but all are useful). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

PUBLILIUS SYRUS: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Crudelis lacrimis pascitur, non frangitur (English: The cruel man feeds on tears; he is not swayed by them).

ERASMUS' ANIMALS: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Plaustrum bovem trahit (English: The cart is pulling the ox - as in the English phrase, "putting the cart before the horse"; from Adagia 1.7.28).

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Scire Futura, an elegiac couplet: Cursus fatorum nescit mens ulla virorum; / Solius est proprium scire futura Dei.

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES WIDGET: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Talpa et Olitor, the story of the gardener who is not fooled by the mole (this fable has a vocabulary list).

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is Fortune and the Boy, a story about how Fortune does not like being blamed for our own foolishness.

MILLE FABULAE WIDGET: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Anguis et Milvus, a story of unexpected consequences - in which the kite gets more than he bargained for.