LVDVS DOMESTICVS: '02-'03.

Homework 29

Return to Lesson 26

§ For the second time this year (cf. 'ludus 4') our gigantic LEO MAGNVS [440-461] comes to us with the depth of his thought and the majesty of his Latin speech, as he talks about our preparation for Easter.

A] "Semper quidem nos - dilectissimi - sapienter et sancte vivere decet et in id voluntates nostras actionesque dirigere quod divinae* novimus placere iustitiae*; sed cum hi adpropinquant dies, quos illustriores nobis salutis nostra sacramenta fecerunt, diligentiore sollicitudine+ corda mundanda sunt et studiosius exercenda est disciplina virtutum ut - sicut ipsa mysteria §quadam sui parte§ maiora sunt - ita et nostra observantia superet in aliquo consuetudinem suam, et cui festivitas est celebranda sublimior, ipse quoque in ea reperiatur ornatior" [Tractatus CLI,1].
VOCAB *divinae iustitiae*=to divine justice. hi dies=these days. +diligentiore sollicitudine=with more diligent care. studiosius=more zealously. mundandus,a,um=needing to be cleaned-purified; exercendus,a,um=needing to be exercised; celebrandus,a,um=needing to be celebrated. nosco,ere,novi,notum=to come to know. placeo,ere=to be pleasing. cui L.6 HERE=by whom. ipse= he himself. §quadam sui parte§=by a certain aspect of them.

  1. If the verb is: "decet,decere=to befit,suit", then you should be able to see two verbal forms here (infinitives - second verb part) which connect with that 'decet' in the text: ________ + ________.
  2. There are a number of adjectives here in the 'comparative' degree [which your Latin training will make clear to you anyway.] They are all of Bl.II: illustrior=more magnificent; maiora=greater; sublimior=more sublime; ornatior=more adorned.
  3. A quick check in your DICT. will also self-teach you to see the meaning for: "sapienter" [sapiens]= ________ and "sancte" [sanctus,a,um]= ________.
  4. The verbs here: "superet" [to outdo, exceed] and "reperiatur" [to find] are subjunctive and will sound: "---may,should---". Some other words are rather evident: 'nobis'=for us. ipsa=themselves. The rest is clear and simple. I personally believe you are mature enough to grasp-appreciate-translate such a magnificent sentence if you read it 15 times carefully and think. Good luck! 'dilectissimi=most beloved'.
  5. Make up your own Latin with the same elegance which we find in Leo Magnus:
    "Their wills and actions whose weakness [debilitas; infirmitas] we were noticing [animadverto,ere] and which was being strengthened [robor,are] through the outstanding [praestans (antis)] principles [principium,i-n.] of her religion, will be prepared wisely and holily (cf. quote above and question 3) for [ad] the paschal (paschalis,e: 80%) solemnities [sollemne,is-n.: 20%] which are celebrated (celebrare) here within the Eternal City (urbs) beyond all beauty [pulchritudo...]":

B] "Virtus - dilectissimi - et sapientia *fidei christianae* amor Dei est et amor proximi, neque ullo* caret pietatis officio*, cui+ studium est colere Dominum et iuvare conservum. .../... Gaude igitur - mens fidelium - et gloriam tuam in eius gloria, qui in te operatur, agnoscens% de ipsa paschali festivitate fervesce!../ Exstinguenda est iracundia, mortificanda superbia, destruenda luxuria, radix quoque avaritiae altius++ persequenda est, ut& omnium malorum germen §valeat excidi§, si eorum potuerit fomes evelli." [Tractatus XLV,1---4].
VOCAB *fidei christianae*=OF the christian faith. proximus,a,um=nearest,next,neighbor. careo,ere=to go without,to lack. *ullo...officio*=any duty (as the object of 'caret'). cui+=to whom, for whom. studium,i-n.=zeal, enthusiasm. agnoscens=recognizing. de=about, concerning. ++altius=more deeply,more profoundly. ut&=so that, in order that. §valeat excidi§=may be able to be cut out, eradicated. evelli=to pull up. conservus=co-servant, fellow human.

  1. Whenever for your whole Latin life, you see a phrase like: "in EIUS gloria" what remains the insuperable ambiguity? What is the natural meaning in Latin for "eius"? ________ What is the common,usual use-meaning?= ________ What is the trick word to resolve the doubt-ambiguity-obscurity? EXPLAIN:
  2. You can take those verb forms in L.4-5-6 with the same force-meaning which was given in the A] text above for the verbs terminating in: "----ndus,a,um", and that meaning will be what?
  3. What did we learn as the very strange linguistic phenomenon in Latin (and also in Greek!!!) with the simple ideas: "his,hers,its,their" ?? explain:
  4. What kind of an ending do you see in that "operatUR"? ________ [Here it is going to mean: 'to be kept busy, to work'. From that form, you can give us the proper expression for: "we are kept busy"= ________ "they are kept busy"= ________ "you are kept busy" = ________ "ye work"= ________.
    -- If that verb is of Gp.1, then you may have to consult your notes or good memory in order to say "you will be kept busy" [T.3]= ________, whose reversed will be:= ________.
  5. If that 'gloriam' here is in fact the object of "agnoscens", then you can tell the world what words here are being joined by that "et" in L.3? ________ + ________.
  6. If the reversed of "gaudE" is ________ (cf.DICT.!), then the reversed of "fervesce" must be: ________.
  7. If the composite verb is: 'pot+sum: I am able', then you should be able to see the difference in the "to be" Time between: 'potUerit': T.____ and 'potErit': T.____.
  8. In our class experience, we gave two different sounding meanings to the verb forms here 'colere' (colo=I honor) and 'iuvare' (iuvo=I help): =
  9. If the reversed of: "DominUM" must be:= ________ then the reversed of "fideliUM" will have to be: ________ and the reversed of "omniUM" will also be: ________.
  10. Your glorious version of BIG LEO:

First Experience Latin - Fr. Reginald Foster

Answers to First Experience

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