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Says arnie, elsewhere, "Domine, dirige nos / Contra hos motores bos! (That's treating bus as a first declension noun.)" Lay of Ancient Rome by Thomas Ybarra Oh, the Roman was a rogue, . . He erat was, you bettum; He ran his automobilis . . And smoked his cigarettum; He wore a diamond studibus . . And elegant cravattum, A maxima cum laude shirt, . . And a stylish hattum! He loved the luscious hic-haec-hoc, . . And bet on games and equi; At times he won, at others, though, . . He got it in the necqui; He winked (quo usque tandem?) . . At puellas on the Forum, And sometimes even made . . Those goo-goo oculorum! He frequently was seen . . At combats gladiatorial, And ate enough to feed . . Ten boarders at Memorial; He often went on sprees . . And said, on starting homus, "Hic labor --- opus est, . . Oh, where's my hic--hic--domus?" Although he lived in Rome -- . . Of all the arts the middle -- He was (excuse the phrase) . . A horrid individ'l; Ah! what a diff'rent thing . . Was the homo (dative, hominy) Of far-away B.C. . . From us of Anno Domini. | ||
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I looked up the full text of that poem, which was written by AD Godley (1856-1925). I learnt it in my first year of learning Latin aged about 12. What is this that roareth thus? Can it be a Motor Bus? Yes, the smell and hideous hum Indicant Motorem Bum! Implet in the Corn and High Terror me Motoris Bi: Bo Motori clamitabo Ne Motore caedar a Bo--- Dative be or Ablative So thou only let us live:--- Whither shall thy victims flee? Spare us, spare us, Motor Be! Thus I sang; and still anigh Came in hordes Motores Bi, Et complebat omne forum Copia Motorum Borum. How shall wretches live like us Cincti Bis Motoribus? Domine, defende nos Contra hos Motores Bos! "Corn and High" refers to streets in Oxford. I am sure the version I learnt had "Domine, dirige nos" instead of "defende", but the meaning is similar. It is an example of Macaronic verse. Now there's a word that might have worked well in the Bluffing game! Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. | |||
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