Tuta potestas est. Quare igitur trepidas?
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Ictus amiciter actus acutulum adest epigramma. Tuta potestas est. Quare igitur trepidas? |
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A blow placed in a friendly way, here is the somewhat subtle epigram. Your power is safe. So why are you shaking? |
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Stant humiles sine præsidiis et divite coram. "Certe," inquit dives. "Arvum idem id est quod aro." |
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The humble stand without protections and in front of the rich man. "Of course," says the rich man. "It's the same soil that I plow." |
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Phoca natat per aquam, nitet æquor et unda recedit. Stat præ litore pes. |
| 5 | Calx in harenam iniit. |
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A seal swims through the water, the surface shines and a wave falls away. A foot stands on the shore. |
| 5 | The heel has entered the sand. |
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Orpheus Eurydicæ: "Nostra Plutonia fata nil mutare potest." Eurydice: "Valeas." |
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Orpheus to Eurydice: "Our Plutonian fates nothing can change." Eurydice: "Fare well." |
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Arcis inanis moenia flent trans Marmora cædem; Una nunc horrent mortua mille die. |
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The walls of the empty citadel weep for the slaughter across the Marmora; They shudder now at a thousand dead in one day. |
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Mox exordior inde per aerem egomet sine somno ad longinqua loca. Stare volo, nec agi. |
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Soon I set out from there, I without sleep to faraway places. I wish to stay, not to be driven. |
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Enupsisse pater dicis Luciliam amato. Nonne etiam gaudes? Julia eam futuit. |
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When Lucilia married her beloved, you, her father, said she married beneath her. Even now you're not rejoicing? Julia's screwing her. |
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Delectus semper est, hodierna an disticha pangam. Hoc non conficiam. Dimidium satis est. |
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There is always a choice, whether I write today's couplets. I won't finish this one. Half is enough. |
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Gæa sitella fuit, pariter sortes tibi datæ; Lætis iam captis, quid manet in spatio? |
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Earth has been a lottery jar, the lots given to you equally, Now that the happy ones have been taken, what remains in the space? |
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Vasta tacens terra splendet, quae nemine visast. Mule, ineamus agrum. Nos, age! monstra vocant. |
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A vast silent land shines, which has been seen by no one. Mule, let's enter the field. The monsters (get going!) call us. |
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Pervolgant celebrum res gestas nuntia vestra; Nuntia qui narras, his ita fis celeber. |
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Your news makes public the deeds of the famous; You who tell the news, with this you are thus made famous. |
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Offulget Beccæ per velum sol; ea dormit. Experrecta fiat, cum bene versum habeo. |
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The sun shines on Becca through the curtains; she sleeps. Let her be awakened, when I have this verse well in hand. |
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Sævit Erinys. Adest aliquis qui peccat in omne. Sed dubitat quis sit. Quisque senator abest. |
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The Fury rages. There is someone here who sins in all things. But she is unsure who it is. Every senator is absent. |
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Hora recurabit quod alunt medicamina nulla; Non ipse ægroto. Sed properantia? Sic. |
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An hour restores what no medicines nourish; I myself am not sick. But my hurry? Yes. |
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Ingressi terras numquam legionibus ictas Hinnit mulus "ave" dum nova mira hio. |
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Having entered lands never struck by legions, The mule neighs "hey" while I gape at new wonders. |
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Anna reclinat se tantum ut graviter cadit Anna. Circumstant cives. Sunt subito profugi. |
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Anna leans so far that Anna falls down hard. Citizens stand around. They are suddenly homeless. |
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"Cur intervolitas, O blatta, macellaque vexas?" "Hic quod emis care, tu ecce! libenter edo." |
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"Why do you flit about, O cockroach, and bother the markets?" "What you buy dearly here, look! I happily eat." |
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Surrufam lucem quæ de furno nitet odi. Non quod cygnus sum, sed quia pistor eram. |
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I hate the reddish light that shines from the oven. Not because I am a swan, but because I used to be a baker. |
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Sat Venusinus amor sermones scribere magnos. Scribere sic cupis. Nonne es eundus eo? |
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The Venusian passion suffices to write great satires. You wish to write thus. Shouldn't you go there? |
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Sculptilis ardeola stabit præ limine semper. Cum ruerint portæ, nonne volare volet? |
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The carved heron will stand forever in front of the threshold. When the doors will have fallen, will it not wish to fly? |
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Nunc enascitur æstati gravidi novus infans; Eius mens surget dum recidet viride. |
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Now a new infant is born out of the pregnant summer. Its mind will rise as the green falls back. |
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Versus in Atlantam Shermanam aciem bene struxit. Urbs quam dux ussit fumiferast iterum. |
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In towards Atlanta Sherman's battle line he drew up well. The city the general burned is smoky again. |
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Auriti sceleris sit fabula reddita sæpe; Quisque benignus homo clade sua fruitur. |
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May the tale of the long-eared scoundrel be told again often; Every kind-hearted man enjoys his fall. |
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Nupsit, amat, comitat; non est mihi carior ullum. Gratia dicta quod est femina tanta mihi! |
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She married, she loves, she accompanies; nothing is dearer to me. Thanks are said because such a woman is mine! |
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Galla ciniflo fit, quæ cincinnos prius odit. Mutavit quæ res? Follica gesta Zizou. |
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Galla becomes a hair-curler, who used to hate curled hair. What thing changed? The ball-playing deed of Zizou. |
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Tam saturos vestes gessisti, sicuti dives. Nuncne Nemausi sunt? Mutua tu mihi da. |
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You wore such rich clothes, as if you were rich. Now they're denim? Give me a loan. |
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Ex phylaca serpis, quotiens te vincula claudunt. Te tam sollertem cur capiunt vigiles? |
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You creep out of jail each time the manacles enclose you. If you're so clever, why do the police catch you? |
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Verba Quirini sic: Colit heu divos alios urbs. Non hæ Roma meast. Rectius esset Hiems. |
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The words of Quirinus are thus: Alas, the city worships other gods. This is not my Rome. More correctly would it be Jeers. |
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Quæ solacia sunt mihi cum sine rete laboro? Mente modo placida pergere quidquid ago. |
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What solaces are there for me when I work without a safety net? Only, with a calm mind, to continue what I do. |
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Corda gelare solent, nihilominus, omnia pulsant. Nullum vivit cor. Sæcula pulsuum erunt. |
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Hearts tend to freeze, nevertheless, they all beat. No heart lives. The ages will belong to the beats. |
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Quam mulina volant per cælis his nova monstra! Una umbra a nobis hora peracta fuit. |
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What mulish new wonders fly through these skies! An hour had been passed by us in one shadow. |
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Degenerari par monet atque favore cadendi. Famam acquirere sic; mittere idem decora est. |
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To be disgraced, warns of falling, the equal of favor. Thus to acquire fame; to lose honors is the same. |
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Sigei proprii tacitum iacet omne cadaver. Sub gradibus nostris corpora quot quatimus? |
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Every corpse lies silent in its own Sigeum. How many bodies do we shake under our steps? |
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Hæ xerampelinæ duræ sunt, non modo pulchræ. Sanguen quo emptæ sunt pingue colore latet. |
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These dark red clothes are long-lasting, not just beautiful. The blood with which they are bought hides in the fat color. |
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Setia vinum det, sit cervisia edita Pragæ. Atlantæ potus omnis ubique bibit. |
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Let Setia give wine, let beer be given out in Prague. The drinks of Atlanta, everyone drinks everywhere. |
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Increvi pollen. quo feci crustula vestra. Nunc hoc tutus aio: musca reperta volat. |
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I sifted the flower with which I made your cookies. Now I can say this safely: the fly I found still flies. |
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Æstivavimus hic. Glacie fugitus fuit ardor. Frigore pervento, stragula nunc gerimus. |
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We were her this summer. The heat was fled with ice. Now that the cold has arrived, we wear our blankets. |
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Dulcedo nostra, præbemus at omnia spernis. Quænam dona cupis? Quot moritura, Kali? |
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Our sweetness, we offer but you spurn everything. What gifts do you desire? How many will die, Kali? |
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Cantat anas carmen quod vult hoc significare: Noli obstare viæ! Visitor urbis eat! |
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The duck keeps singing a song that means this: Don't stand in the way! Let the tourist pass! |
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Per tenebras gradior, tusus, cæcus, sine virga. Impavide pergam. Ecce facem, gladium! |
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I step through shadows, buffeted, blind, without a staff. Undaunted, I will press on. Behold my torch and sword! |
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Conscius esurio; placuit mihi somnia nuper. Somnia non satiant. Esse cibos opus est. |
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Aware, I hunger; my dreams recently pleased me. Dreams do not satisfy. There is a need to eat food. |
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Sexennis nescit patriam sine Præside nostro. Quid censet de me quo ita creatus is est? |
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The six-year-old does not know a country without our President. What does she think of me, by whom he was elected? |
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Defensos hostes dictas non esse periclum. Si verum credis, cur galeatus adhuc? |
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You keep saying that the enemy that has been fought off is not a threat. If you truly believe it, why are you still helmeted? |
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Æ ra Myron sculpsit, sed nunc sua saxa videmus.. Pacta volumina sic codicibus legimus. |
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Myron sculpted bronzes, but now we see his stone statues. In the same way we read written scrolls in folded books. |
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Interfectrix es florum, pictrix foliorum. Vulnera eæ purgas et bene dormit ea. |
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You are the killer of flowers, the painter of leaves. You clean her wounds and she sleeps well. |
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Exploratores ieiuni ingentia terrent. Tam fortes minimos mollia magna timent. |
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The hungry explorers frighten the giants. Large soft things fear such bold tiny ones. |
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Plumosis manibus lacerat felesculus ædes. Sed foveamus eum. Omnia vincit amor. |
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The kitten tears up the house with feathery paws. Yet we cherish him. Love conquers all. |
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Sint laudes tibi, salve liberator! Duxisti famulos eros necare. Nunc fortes pedites tuos salutant, Altis in crucibus suis fideles. |
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Praises be yours, unharmed liberator! You led the slaves to slay their masters. Now your brave footsoldiers give salute, Faithful on their own high crosses. |
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Quas incogitat archimagus censorius artes? Quæ mundum faciant ut liber eius ait. |
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What arts does the stern archmage think up? Ones that will make the world as his book says. |
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Mithram si victor Milvi Pontis coluisset, Jane, Kalendis his quomodo terrueris? |
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If the victor of the Milvian Bridge had worshipped Mithras, Janus, how would you scare us with these Kalends? |
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Comoedus P. tibi s. "S. P. Q. Mex. Temet V d. manere quærunt. $ modo solve MC!" |
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Pablo, un actor, te saluda. "La república y el pueblo de México quisiéramos que nos visitases cinco días. ¡Sólo cuesta mil cien dólares!" |
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Pablo, an actor, greets you. "The Republic and People of Mexico want you to come for a 5-day stay At a cost of only eleven hundred dollars!" |
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Interdant aliis, sed habet se patria peius. "Nonne pecunia sat? Commoda vita placet!" |
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They give occasionally to others, but their country fares worse. "Isn't money enough? The convenient life is pleasing!" |
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Mure modesto me perturbabas, male feles. Sic tractare domi corpora non soleo. |
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You perturbed me with a simple mouse, bad cat. I am not accustomed to handle bodies thus at home. |
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Edictis quibus est natura altissima rerum condita? Nescimus. Non, pie Paule, tuis. |
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With what edicts was the deepest nature of things founded? We don't know. Not, pious Paul, with yours. |
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Cur ignominia est a lucro vivere liber? Est sine loro sic crimen adesse canis. |
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Why is it a disgrace to live free of money? Thus is it a crime to be a dog without a leash. |