AVARUS INOPS.

AN IMPOVERISHED MISER

Tantalus à labris sitiens fugientia captat
Flumina: & esuriens carpere poma nequit.
Fructus plena labris nam quae imminet, effugit arbos.
Et refuga est mento quae sluit [=fluit] unda tenus.
Sic miser in liquidis sitibundus Tantalus undis,
Frugibus in mediis esurit atque sitit.
Nomine mutato de te narratur Avare,
Fabula: qui multas pauper es inter opes.
Quas non attingis, nec scis quem praebeat usum
Nummus: at in censu divite, vivis inops.

Tantalus strives to catch the water that flees his lips. Despite his hunger, he cannot pluck the apples. The tree that dangles, full of fruit, above his lips, flees him, and the water that flows up to his chin recoils from it. So poor Tantalus, thirsty in flowing water and surrounded by fruits, hungers and thirsts. With a change of name, Miser, the tale is about you, who are poor amid great riches which you never touch, nor do you know what money is for: but live in wealthy state, forever poor.