Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Latin Via Proverbs 91

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This is another group of proverbs with first conjugation verbs, along with first, second, and third declension nouns.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.

Group 91

1181. Time slowly alleviates angry rages. (This saying is adapted from Ovid's Tristia.)

1182. A dog without teeeth barks the more fiercely. (You can also find this variant form: Canis timidus vehementius latrat quam mordet, "A timid dog barks more fiercely than he bites.")

1183. An empty container resounds more loudly than an empty container. (There are many variant forms of this saying, such as Vasa vacua multum sonant, "Empty containers make a lot of noise.")

1184. A full stomach readily discusses fasting. (You can find this saying in one of the letters of Saint Jerome, 58.)

1185. When the head hurts, the whold body suffers with it. (You can find this saying in the proverbs attributed to Bede.)

1186. Beneath the lamb's skin often lurks a wolfish mind. (This is a nice rhyming proverb, and here is another rhyming proverb on the same theme: Sub vestimentis ovium sunt crimina mentis, "beneath the garb of sheep are criminal intentions.")

1187. The sharp thorn often begets soft roses. (I've seen this phrase attributed to Ovid, but I am not sure where it is found in his writings.)

1188. The cat loves fish but refuses to enter the water. (This is the cat alluded to by Lady Macbeth.)

1189. A soldier lists his wounds, the shepherd his sheep. (This saying is adapted from Propertius.)

1190. The sailot talks about the winds, the plowman about his oxen. (This saying is adapted from Propertius.)

1191. The lazy ox wants to be caparisoned, the pack-horse wants to plow. (This is a line from Horace.)

1192. A good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. (You can find this saying in the Gospel of John.)

1193. In the woods hunger is at its peak when wolf eats wolf. (This is something like our English saying about "dog eat dog.")

1194. Poverty is a lamp which points out all evils. (Among other things, you will find out just who your true friends are: Fortuna amicos parat, inopia amicos probat.)

1195. A camel, even a mangy one, carries the burdens of many donkeys. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia 1.9.58.)


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