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.

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Vincit qui patitur.
The perseverer prevails.

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Veritatem dies aperit.
Time tells the truth.

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

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

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

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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."

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Sunt facta verbis difficiliora
Work is worth more than words.

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

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

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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Who watches watchmen?

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Qui tacet consentire

Silence is consent.

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Qui non proficit, deficit.

Where no profit, deficit.

i.e. go forward, or you are going backward.

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Praemonitus, praemunitus

Forewarned; forearmed.

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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

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Periculum in mora

Delay = Danger.

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Otia dant vitia.

Ease leads to vice

i.e. Spurgeon, "The peril of prosperity."

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Optimi natatores saepius submerguntur.

The best swimmers often drown

i.e., beware your strength

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

 — Ovid.

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

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Obscuris vera involvens

Obscurity envelopes truth.

- Virgil

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

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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)

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

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Nocere facile est, prodesse difficile

To hurt is easy; to benefit, difficult.

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Age quod agis.

Do what you do.

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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.

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Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.

The world desires to be deceived; therefore it is.

-Attributed to Petronius

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Memento mori

Remember mortality.

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Malum consilium quod mutari non potest.

Only a bad plan cannot be changed.

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Iucundum est narrare sua mala.

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

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Interdum stultus bene loquitur.

A fool may give a wise man counsel.

*Learn what you can from all.

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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.

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Improbe Neptunum accusat, qui iterum naufragiam facit.

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

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Imperare sibi maximum imperium est.

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

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Hostium munera, non munera.

Gifts of enemies are no gifts.

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Honor sequitir fugientem.

Honor follows the fleeing.

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Homines quod volunt credunt.

Men believe what they want to.
-Julius Caesar

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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.