Lesson
In this lesson, we will study a discussion between a Latin schoolmaster (magister) and a boy (puer). This discussion will get us started in our Latin Vocabulary course.
The magister begins, and says, (1) “Veni, puer, disce sapere.” The boy responds to the master and asks, (2) “Quid hoc est – ‘sapere’?”. The master answers and explains, (3) “Intelligere recte, agere recte, et eloqui recte omnia necessaria.”. The boy then asks, (4) “Quid docebit me hoc?”, and the master answers, (5) “Ego, cum Deo.” The boys asks, (6) “Quomodo?” and the master answers, (7) “Ducam te per omnia. Ostendam tibi omnia. Nominabo tibi omnia.” Hearing this, the boy excitedly responds, (8) “En, adsum! Duc me, in nomine Dei.”
Exposition
Let us now study the meaning of the words spoken by the master and the boy.
(1) Veni, puer, disce sapere.
- magister: “master”
- veni: “come”
- puer: “boy”
- disce: “learn”
- sapere: “to be wise”
Translation: Come, boy, learn to be wise.
(2) Quid hoc est–“sapere”?
- puer: “boy”
- quid: “what”
- hoc: “this”
- est: “is”
- sapere: “to be wise”
Translation: What this is–”to be wise”?
(3) Intelligere recte, agere recte, et eloqui recte omnia necessaria.
- intelligere: “to understand”
- recte: “rightly”
- agere: “to do”
- recte: “rightly”
- et: “and”
- eloqui: “to speak”
- recte: “rightly”
- omnia: “all things”, “everything”
- necessaria: necessary
Translation: To understand rightly, to do rightly, and to speak rightly all things necessary.
(4) Quid docebit me hoc?
- quid: “Who”
- docebit: “will teach”
- me: “me”
- hoc: “this”
Translation: Who will teach me this?
(5) Ego, cum Deo.
- ego: “I”
- cum: “with”
- Deo: “God”
Translation: I, with God.
(6) Quomodo?
- quomodo: “How?”
Translation: How?
(7) Ducam te per omnia. Ostendam tibi omnia. Nominabo tibi omnia.
- ducam: “I will lead”
- te: “you”
- per: “through”
- omnia: “all things” or “everything”
- ostendam: “I will show”
- tibi: “to you”
- omnia: “all things” or “everything”
- nominabo: “I will name”
- tibi: “to you”
- omnia: “all things” or “everything”
Translation: I will lead you through all things. I will show to you all things. I will name for you all things.
(8) En, adsum! Duc me , in nomine Dei.
- en: “Look”
- adsum: “here I am!”
- duc: “lead”
- me: “me”
- in: “in”
- nomine: “name”
- Dei: “of God”
Translation: Look, here I am! Lead me, in the name of God.
Translation
Now, we can replace the Latin text with the English translation and read the discussion between the master and the boy:
The magister begins, and says, (1) “Come, boy learn to be wise.” The boy responds to the master and asks, (2) “What this is – “to be wise”?”. The master answers and explains, (3) “To understand rightly, to do rightly, and to speak rightly all things necessary.”. The boy then asks, (4) “Who will teach me this?”, and the master answers, (5) “I, with God.” The boys asks, (6) “How?” and the master answers, (7) “I will lead you through all things. I will show to you all things. I will name for you all things.” Hearing this, the boy excitedly responds, (8) “Look, here I am! Lead me, in the name of God.”
