This poem is fairly famous…it starts “Fas et nefas ambulant, pene pasu pari; prodigus non redimit/ vitium avari”. I am going to present it in my latin class, and I think that knowing the translation would help me make a more effective presentation. It’s Medieval latin, so I’m having a bit of trouble translating it. Whitaker’s words isn’t a lot of help. Does anyone know where I could find the translation? Or if anyone could help translate, here is the full text:
"Fas et nefas ambulant
pene passu pari
prodigus non redimit
vitium avari;
virtus temperantia
quadam singulari
debet medium
ad utrumque vitium
caute contemplari.
Si legisse memoras
ethicam Catonis,
in qua scriptum legitur:
“ambula cum bonis”,
cum ad dandi gloriam
animum disponis,
supra cetera
primum hoc considera,
quis sit dignus donis.
Vultu licet hilari,
verbo licet blando
sis equalis omnibus;
unum tamen mando:
si vis recte gloriam
promereri dando,
primum videas
granum inter paleas,
cui des et quando.
Dare non ut convenit
non est a virtute,
bonum est secundum quid,
sed no absolute;
digne dare poteris
et mereri tute
famam muneris,
si me prius noveris
intus et in cute
Si prudenter triticum
paleis emundas,
famam emis munere;
sed caveto, dum das,
largitatis oleum
male non effundas.
in te glorior:
cum sim Codro Codrior,
omnibus habundas."
Thank you for any help you can give!
~Amore