John Owen (Iohannes Audoenus)
1564-1622 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin [Modern Era]
Select epigrams
Venus
Principium dulce est, at finis amoris amarus;
[The beginning is sweet, but the end of a love affair is bitter;]
laeta venire Venus, tristis abire solet.
[Venus usually comes happily, but leaves in grief.]
Flumina quaesitum sic in mare dulcia currunt;
[The sweet rivers run their path thusly into the sea;]
postquam gustarunt aequor, amara fluunt.
[After they splash into the sea, they flow bitterly.]
***
De vita et Venere [Life and love]
Omnis ad extremum properet licet actio finem;
[The whole flow freely propelled itself to the very farthest boundary.]
oderunt finem vita Venusque suum.
[Both life and Love hate limits to themselves.]
***
Homo [Man]
Cor, nisi cura, nihil;
[The heart is nothing, without its cares;]
caro nil, nisi triste cadaver;
[Flesh is nothing, without its sad corpse;]
nasci, aegrotare est; vivere, saepe mori.
[to grow is to ail; often to live, is often to die.]
***
Ad Ponticum [To Ponticus]
Saepe rogas, 'Quot habes annos?'
[You often ask, 'How many years have you lived?']
respondeo: 'Nullos.'
[I reply, 'none']
Quomodo? quos habui, Pontice, non habeo.
[How is this so? Ponticus, those I have lived, I no longer have.]
