Latin Proverbs: Proverbs with -ans

Hector and I have been talking about how participles that modify the subject of a verb are as good as a verb, and it's often better to render them in an English with an actual clause of their own, rather than using an equivalent English participle. There are some examples below, just with first conjugation first! I'll be back with more participles from other conjugations in later posts. :-)

For each one I've suggested a clause, either a relative clause, or an independent clause connected by et:

Sperans pergo.

This could be "spero et pergo." It's the Tomkinson family motto, as you can see in this lovely bookplate (from an edition of Northcote's fables, in fact):

Camelus desiderans cornua, etiam aures perdidit.

This could be "desideravit cornua et ... aures perdidit." This is from an Aesop's fable which you can read here: Camelus et Iupiter.

Corvus hians delusus est.

This could be "hiavit et... delusus est." This one alludes to the famous fable of the fox and the cheese.

Festinans ad duo diversa, neutrum bene peragit.

This could be "Qui festinat ... peragit." It's a proverb about multitasking! Compare this fable: Canis et Lepores Duo.

Canis lunam allatrans cursum eius non impedit.

This could be "Canis qui lunam allatrat." You can see this saying in one of the emblems of Alciato.

Feles vociferans nil venatur.

This could be "Qui vociferat.. venatur." Being quiet is obviously a better strategy for hunting than yowling!

Cineres evitans, in carbones incidi.

This could be "evitavit et....incidi." This proverb was part of the collection of cado-compounds.

Leonem vitans, ursi unguibus occurrit.

This could be "vitat et... occurrit." Compare this saying from the cado compounds, where it's from bear to lion: "Fugiens ursum, incidi in leonem."

Mors stans ante fores dicit tibi: corrige mores!

This could be "stat... et dicit." Notice the rhyming, which shows this is a medieval proverb: fores... mores.

Pipere abundans etiam oleribus immiscet.

This could be "Qui pipere abundat... immiscet." This saying reflects a time when pepper was a precious spice, not normally squandered on vegetables.

Pira desiderans, pirum, non ulmum, accedas.

This could be "Qui pira desiderat... accedas." Pirus is the pear tree (pirum, accusative singular), while pirum is the fruit (pira, accusative plural).

Novos parans amicos, ne obliviscere veterum.

This could be "Qui novos parat amicos... ne obliviscere." The word "obliviscere" is a second-person imperative from "obliviscor." Those imperatives of deponent verbs can be hard to recognize sometimes!

Click here for more Latin proverb posts.