Peter Abelard

On Romantic Love

Grammar Exercise: Guided Translation

Quid plura? Primum domo una coniungimur, postmodum animo. Sub occasione itaque discipline, amori penitus vaccabamus, et secretos recessus, quos amor optabat, studium lectionis offerebat. Apertis itaque libris, plura de amore quam de lectione verba se ingerebant, plura erant oscula quam sententiae.

Guided Translation

Choose the most appropriate translation for each of the following words/phrases from the passage above:

1. Quid plura?
What many?
Which of several?
Why should I say more?

2. domo una coniungimur
we were joined in one house
we were man and wife
one master joined us

3. postmodum animo
afterwards in spirit
alive, after death
moved after the heart

4. vaccabamus
a large cow
we bellowed like cattle
we were free

5. quos amor optabat
who chose love
which love desired
love will choose them

6. apertis itaque libris
with boars and books
and with the books lying open
and seeing that freedom was before us

7. verba se ingerebant
words poured forth
they were wearing the words themselves
words wore themselves out

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