Lectio undevicesima
Abī cubitumAbī cúbitum
Go to bed
Jūlī! Abī cubitum!Jūlī! Abī cúbitum!
Julius, go (go away) to bed (to lie down)!
Mamma, precor! Nōlō1 cubitum īre: somnus mē nōn urget.Mamma, precor! Nōlō1 cúbitum īre: somnus mē nōn urget.
Mummy, please (I pray)! I don’t want to go to bed. I’m not sleepy (sleep isn’t urging me).
Māter Jūlium per gradūs usque ad cubiculum trahit.Māter Jū́lium per gradūs usque ad cubículum trahit.
[His] mother drags Julius up (through) the stairs to (as far as) the bedroom.
Sī puer bonus eris, crās tibi crustulum dabō2.Sī puer bonus eris, crās tibi crústulum dabō2.
If you are (will be) a good boy, tomorrow I’ll give you a pastry.
Jūlius puer bonus est: vestem dēpōnit et lectum petit; sub linteō lōdīcibusque mergitur, et in somnum lābitur3.Jū́lius puer bonus est: vestem dēpṓnit et lectum petit; sub línteō lōdīcibúsque mérgitur, et in somnum lā́bitur3.
Julius is a good boy. He takes off (puts down) his clothes (garment) and goes to (makes for the) bed. He disappears under the sheet and the blankets, and falls asleep (into sleep).
Jōhannēs, cum it cubitum, calceōs in pavīmentum vehementer prōjicere solet4.Jōhánnēs, cum it cúbitum, cálceōs in pavīméntum veheménter prōjícere solet4.
John, when he goes to bed, is-accustomed vigorously to throw his shoes onto the floor.
Dīē quōdam, vīcīnus eī dīcit: «Amīce, precor! Nōlī nocte calceōs tam vehementer prōjicere5, fragor in cubiculō meō audītur, itaque ē somnō expergīscor.»Dīē quōdam, vīcī́nus eī dīcit: «Amī́ce, precor! Nōlī nocte cálceōs tam veheménter prōjícere5, fragor in cubículō meō audī́tur, ítaque ē somnō expergī́scor.»
One day (on a certain day), a neighbour says to him: “Friend, please (I pray)! Don’t throw [your] shoes so vigorously at night: the noise is heard in my bedroom, and so I wake up (I am awaken out of [my] sleep)”.
Dā veniam, respondet Jōhannēs, calceōs jam nōn prōjiciam6.Dā véniam, respóndet Jōhánnēs, cálceōs jam nōn prōjíciam6.
I’m sorry (give pardon), responds John, I will no longer throw [my] shoes.
Nocte sequentī, Jōhannēs cubitum it, vestem dēpōnit, calceum priōrem in pavīmentum prōjicit, et tunc, ō horror, subitō vīcīnī meminit...Nocte sequéntī, Jōhánnēs cúbitum it, vestem dēpṓnit, cálceum priṓrem in pavīméntum prṓjicit, et tunc, ō horror, súbitō vīcī́nī méminit...
The following night, John goes to bed, takes off his clothes, throws the first shoe onto the floor, and then, oh horror, he suddenly remembers [his] neighbour (of neighbour).
Sed quid faciat7? Calceum alterum in pavīmentō lēniter cautēque pōnit, ... et in somnum lābitur.Sed quid fáciat7? Cálceum álterum in pavīméntō lḗniter cautḗque pōnit, ... et in somnum lā́bitur.
But what is he to do? He gently and cautiously puts the second shoe on the floor, … and slips into sleep.
Posterō diē, vīcīnum videt eīque dīcit: «Mēliusne hāc nocte dormīstī?»Pósterō diē, vīcī́num videt eī́que dīcit: «Mēliúsne hāc nocte dormī́stī?»
On the day after, he sees the neighbour and says to him: “Did you sleep better last (this) night”?
Tunc respondet vīcīnus: «Pessimē etiam dormiī: ūnum calceum cadentem audīvī... et alterum tōtā nocte exspectāvī!»Tunc respóndet vīcī́nus: «Péssimē étiam dórmiī: ūnum cálceum cadéntem audī́vī... et álterum tōtā nocte exspectā́vī!»
Then the neighbour replies: “I slept still very badly: I heard one shoe falling… and I waited for the other for the whole night!”
Notes
Nolo, non vis, non vult, nolumus, non vultis, nolunt: I do not want, you do not want, etc.; infinitive: nolle, not to want.
Volo, vis, vult, volumus, vultis, volunt: I want, you want, etc.; infinitive: velle, to want. Velle is an irregular verb, as you can see, and its compound nolle is even more so, since its non is sometimes joined and altered, and sometimes separated. You will see these verbs often enough to be able to remember them without effort thanks to usage.
Dare, to give. Present tense: do, das, etc.; future tense: dabo, dabis, dabit, dabimus, dabitis, dabunt.
Labor, laberis, labitur, labimur, labimini, labuntur, I slip, you, etc.; infinitive: labi, to slip, is an active verb (intransitive) which is conjugated in the passive form, like loquor or sequor, which we have already seen. Such verbs are called deponents, because they put down (depose) their active form to take the passive form. In contrast mergor, mergeris, etc.; infinitive, mergi is the passive voice of mergo (is, ere) which is to immerse [something], sink [something] down; that passive form means therefore: to be immersed, or also to sink (i.e. to be sinking) if we are talking about a ship. You may know the motto of the city of Paris: Fluctuat nec mergitur, it floats and does not sink (nec, and not).
Solere, to be in the habit of; present tense: soleo, soles, solet, etc.
Noli projicere, do not throw (literally do not want to throw). The imperative alone is never used with negation: it is replaced with the imperative of nolo and the infinitive.
Projiciam is a future tense; 2nd pers., projicies; 3rd, projiciet; etc., projicient; whereas the present tense is projicio, projicis, etc., projiciunt.
Faciat, 3rd pers. sg. of the pres. subj. of facere.
Exercitatio
Volō tē cubitum abīre.Volō tē cúbitum abī́re.
I want you to go (go away) to bed (to lie down).
Nōn vult mē calceōs in pavīmentum prōjicere.Nōn vult mē cálceōs in pavīméntum prōjícere.
He doesn’t want me to throw [my] shoes onto the floor.
Vīs Jūlium in lectō dormīre.Vīs Jū́lium in lectō dormī́re.
Do you want Julius to sleep in [his] bed?
Marius vult nōs jānuam pede urgēre.Márius vult nōs jā́nuam pede urgḗre.
Marius wants us to nudge (urge) the door with [our] foot.
Quō calceus prōjicitur? — Calceus in pavīmentum prōjicitur.Quō cálceus prōjícitur? — Cálceus in pavīméntum prōjícitur.
Where (whither) is the shoe thrown? — The shoe is thrown onto the floor.
Ubi est Jūlius? — Jūlius est in lectō.Ubi est Jū́lius? — Jū́lius est in lectō.
Where is Julius? — Julius is in bed.
Calceī dē tabulātō quadrāgēsimō quīntō prōjiciuntur.Cálceī dē tabulā́tō quadrāgḗsimō quīntō prōjiciúntur.
The shoes are thrown from the forty-fifth floor.