Latin Proverbs: Sicut / Sic... Ut

Something came up that made me think about collecting some "sic...ut..." proverbs, which is a way of expressing a simile in Latin; here are the words sic and ut in the Latin dictionary, and you can also find them written as one word: sicut (or sicuti).

Here are some proverbs to practice with:

Sicut vita, finis ita.

This is a rhyming medieval Latin proverb! The word "ita" is used like "sic" and "ut" for making comparisons.

Sicut fecisti, fiet tibi.

Note the perfect (fecisti) and future (fiet) verb forms.

Sicut canis ad Nilum, bibens et fugiens.

There is an Aesop's fable about the dog running alongside the Nile, fleeing the crocodiles. Here's an illustration from a 1701 edition of Phaedrus:

Sicut umbra dies nostri super terram.

This is an inscription sometimes found on sundials, where the passage of time is marked by a shadow. The phrase itself comes from the Biblical Book of Job.

Fac aliis sicut tibi.

As you can see, the "sicut" does not have to come first. 

Dilige vicinum, sicut te diligis ipsum.
Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum.

Both of these statements express the same idea but with slightly different syntax.

Ut tibi sic alteri.

Here you see the "sic" and "ut" coordinating separate phrases, with the verb "fac" implied; compare the saying above: Fac aliis sicut tibi.

Ut flatus venti, sic transit gloria mundi.

This saying is sometimes shortened to just the second half: Sic transit gloria mundi.

Ut panis ventrem, sic pascit lectio mentem.

Notice how the verb is supplied in the second part of the saying, but it goes with both parts: Ut (pascit) panis ventrem, sic pascit lectio mentem.

Ut strasti lectum, super hunc sic vade cubatum.

Compare the English saying, "As you make your bed, so you must lie in it," with "as" and "so" playing the same role as Latin "ut" and "sic" do.

Nudus ut in terram veni, sic nudus abibo.

Notice that the "ut" does not have to come first, and putting the adjective "nudus" first gives it more emphasis.

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