Monday 9 January 2023

Carpe Diem

Apart from references to the Bible and Shakespeare, we also notice uses of Latin in Poul Anderson's works. Thus, Hollister reflects:

-"The Big Rain," IV, p. 189.

I knew this phrase but not that it was from a poem by Horace. A comparable poem in English is:

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
"Old Time is still a-flying..."
-see here.

- which is particularly evocative because of its reference to Time.

A two-word phrase can take us right out of an adventure on Venus but we return to rereading the latter because we cannot remember everything that happens next.

7 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And some of us use cliched Latin tags (or their abbreviations) such as "et cetera," "per se," "e.g.," "ad hominem"!

Ad astra (another Latin tag)! Sean

Sean M. Brooks said...

"Caveat emptor," "caveat venditor," and "Memento mori" are three more Latin tags.

Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Latin was a good language for aphorisms.

There's the immortal comment on Plato's REPUBLIC, for example: "But who will watch these watchmen?"

Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

(Though it's possible it was originally intended to be a sardonic comment on trying to ensure marital fidelity.)

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

I agree. And I have TRIED to read Plato's REPUBLIC.

German has also contributed some useful tags, such as: "festschrift," "volkerwanderung," and "schadenfreude."

Ad astra! Sean
















S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: it's indicative that they came up with schadenfreude... 8-).

There's an old German saying:

Willst du nicht mein Bruder sein, dann schlag ich dir den Schädel ein.

Which rhymes in German, but translates as: "If you won't want to be my brother, I'll smash your skull."

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Ha!!! I admit to feeling that schadenfreude as I watch that bungling dotard "Josip" gets hosted on the petard of his hypocrisy and dishonesty!

Ad astra! Sean

Sean M. Brooks said...

Grrrrrrrr, I meant "hoisted," not "hosted." Blankety blank irrational English spelling!

Sean