Latin Phrases Worth Knowing

ad astra per aspera
to the stars through difficulties

alis volat propriis
he flies by his own wings

amantium irae amoris integratio est
the quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love

ars longa, vita brevis
art is long, life is short

aut insanity homo, aut versus facit
the fellow is either mad or he is composing verses

dum spiro spero
while I breathe, I hope

ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem
with the sword, she seeks peace under liberty

exigo a me non ut optimus par sim sed ut malis melior
I require myself not to be equal to the best, but to be better than the bad

experiential docet
experience teaches

helluo librorum
a glutton for books (bookworm)

in libras libertas
in books, freedom

littera scripta manet
the written letter lasts

mens regnum bona possidet
an honest heart is a kingdom in itself

mirabile dictu
wonderful to say

nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit
there is no book so bad that it is not profitable in some part

omnia iam fient quae posse negabam
everything which I used to say could not happen, will happen now

poeta nascitur, non fit
the poet is born, not made

qui dedit benificium taceat; narrat qui accepit
let him who has done a good deed be silent; let him who has received it tell it

saepe ne utile quidem est scire quid futurum sit
often, it is not advantageous to know what will be

sedit qui timuit ne non succederet
he who feared he would not succeed sat still

si vis pacem, para bellum
if you want peace, prepare for war

struit insidias lacrimis cum feminia plorat
when a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears

sub rosa
under the rose

trahimir omnes laudis studio
we are led on by our eagerness for praise

urbem latericium invenit, marmoream reliquit
he found the city a city of bricks; he left it a city of marble

ut incepit fidelis sic permanet
as loyal as she began, so she remains