
Semper ignavus.
Always worthless.
Buffalus ā stimulo nequicquam motus acuto,
Lentus ad agricolae verbera pergit opus.
Indocilis semper densa cute spernit habenas,
Et praeter molem nil παχύδερμος habet.
Quem vis ingenii praestans, studiumque, laborque
Deficiunt, num quid crebra flagella iuvant?
Cochlea sit gressu malo, quām penniger ales,
Quem cogas, leporem aut fuste sequare, canis,
Mitigat haud ullum tempus quae prandia lambit
Muscam, nec minus ac semper hirundo fera est.
The worthless ox, kept moving by the sharp prod, counts out his labour to the peasant’s jabs. Unteachable, he spurns the reins with his thick skin, and has nothing for his toughness [pachudermos = thick-skinned] but weight on his back. But if high intellectual talent, application, and hard work should desert a man, what use are swift-falling blows? O snail, be tardier than the feathery bird. O dog, pursue thy hare with cudgels swift. Time will not stop the horsefly’s lunch of turd, nor swallow zoom when winter snow’s adrift.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- adult man (+ two persons) [31D14(+72)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- agricultural implements: plough [47I15(PLOUGH)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards (+ holding something) [31A2515(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm raised upward (+ holding something) [31A2511(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cultivated land [25H18] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hitting at something [31A2743] Search | Browse Iconclass
- human figure of ideal proportions, e.g. academic nude [31A149] Search | Browse Iconclass
- inciting riding-animal or draught-animal [46C146] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mountains [25H11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other, walking position (+ standing) [31A26211(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ox (+ animal(s) in motion; positions, expressions of animals) [47I21111(+95):31A2747] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plain [25H16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants ~ agriculture [47I11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ploughing [47I123] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prick, goad [46C1461] Search | Browse Iconclass
- whip [46C1463] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- birds [25F3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- education, science and learning [49] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Immutability [51KK2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- insects (with NAME) [25F711(FLY)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- molluscs (with NAME) [25F72(SNAIL)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rodents (with NAME) [25F26(HARE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Slowness, Tardiness; 'Tarditā' (Ripa) [51MM11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds (with NAME) [25F32(SWALLOW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Swiftness, Speed; 'Agilitā', 'Celeritā', 'Velocitā' (Ripa) [51M11] Search | Browse Iconclass
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