Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Favorite Latin Phrases

My translation of my favorite Latin phrases.

Vipera in verpecula est.

Vipers are in violets.
i..e. Don't go by looks alone. A thing may look lovely, and still contain danger.

***

Vincit qui patitur.
The perseverer prevails.

***

Veritatem dies aperit.
Time tells the truth.

***

Varitatio delectat
Variation vivifies.
i.e. change is pleasing.

***
Ut sementem feceris, ita metes
Whatever you sow, that exactly, and that exactly, shall you reap.

***

Ubi bene, ibi patria
Where well, welcome home.
i.e. The place where you feel well is your natural home.

***

Tolle, lege; Tolle, lege!
(from Augustine's Confessions)
Take; read! Take; read!
Note: it's hard to capture the loveliness of the sound. The latin is poetic: To-lay-le-gay; to-lay-le-gay, cf. a similar poetic phrase, "Cellar door."

***

Sunt facta verbis difficiliora
Work is worth more than words.

***

Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Prize peace? Then, for war, prepare.

***

Roma die uno non aedificata est
Rome rose not in one day.

***  
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Who watches watchmen?

***

Qui tacet consentire
Silence is consent.

***

Qui non proficit, deficit.
Where no profit, deficit.
i.e. go forward, or you are going backward.

***

Praemonitus, praemunitus
Forewarned; forearmed.

***

Potius sero quam numquam
Better now than never.
 i.e. the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; second best time, today
***
Periculum in mora

Delay = Danger.

***
Otia dant vitia.
Ease leads to vice
i.e. Spurgeon, "The peril of prosperity."

***

Optimi natatores saepius submerguntur.
The best swimmers often drown
i.e., beware your strength

***  

Adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit
Add little to little and there will be a lot

 — Ovid.

***

Aeque pars ligni curvi ac recti valet igni.
Crooked logs make straight fires.

***
Obscuris vera involvens

Obscurity envelopes truth.

- Virgil
  • English equivalent: Truth gives a short straight answer; lies go round about.

***
Non quia difficilia sunt non audemus, sed quia non audemus, difficilia sunt. 

Most reason: because things are difficult, we do not dare -- but, the truth is: because we do not dare, things are difficult.

(Seneca, Letter to Lucilius, letter 104, section 26, line 5)
***

You can never have too much protection: only, too little.

***

Nocere facile est, prodesse difficile
To hurt is easy; to benefit, difficult.

***

Age quod agis.

Do what you do.

***
Aliis si licet, tibi non licet.

Good for one is not good for all.
i.e. what is good for another may be bad for you.
***

Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.

The world desires to be deceived; therefore it is.

-Attributed to Petronius

***

Memento mori

Remember mortality.

***

Malum consilium quod mutari non potest.

Only a bad plan cannot be changed.

***


Iucundum est narrare sua mala.

Problems shared are problems halved.
i.e. A burden shared weighs less.

***

Interdum stultus bene loquitur.

A fool may give a wise man counsel.

*Learn what you can from all.

***

Inimicum quamvis humilem docti est metuere
Experience teaches us to dread every enemy, no matter how small.
Shakespeare: Better to weigh an enemy more might than he seems.

***

Improbe Neptunum accusat, qui iterum naufragiam facit.

Don't complain about the sea on your second shipwreck.

***

Imperare sibi maximum imperium est.

Self-control is the ultimate control.
i.e. better to be king of yourself than king of the world.

***

Hostium munera, non munera.

Gifts of enemies are no gifts.

***

Honor sequitir fugientem.

Honor follows the fleeing.

***

Homines quod volunt credunt.

Men believe what they want to.
-Julius Caesar

***

Fortes fortuna iuvat
  • Fortune favors the brave.
Factis ut credam facis.
  • Translation: Deeds, then I may believe you.

Dum vita est, spes est.
  • Translation: While there is life, there is hope.
Dum spiro, spero.
  • Translation: "As long as I breathe, I hope." 
  • Translated as "While I breathe, I hope" the motto of the State of South Carolina
Diem vesper commendat.
  • Translation: Celebrate the day when the day is over (lit. when it is evening).
  • Meaning: Don't celebrate until you are 100 % sure there is a reason to do so

Deus quem punire vult dementat.
  • Whom Gods will destroy, they first make mad.

Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges
  • A more corrupt republic leads to more laws (Tacitus)

Consuetudo altera natura est
  • Habit is second nature.

Consilio, quod respuitur, nullum subest auxilium.
  • He who won't be advised, cannot be helped

Cogitationes posteriores sunt saniores.
  • Second thoughts are sounder.

Cedens in uno cedet in pluribus.
  • Yielding in one place results in yielding in many places.
  • In for a penny; in for a pound.
  • Virtue that parleys is near to surrender.

Cave ab homine unius libri.
  • Fear the man of one book.

Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur.
  • Good diagnoses lead to good cures.

Aut viam inveniam aut faciam.
  • Translation: I'll either find, or make, a way

Abbati, medico, patrono que intima pande.
  • There's two people you should always tell the truth: your doctor, and your lawyer.

Abyssus abyssum invocat.
  • Deep, to deep, calls.

Acta Non Verba.
  • Acts, not words.

No comments:

Post a Comment