You thought you were going to strike gold.
More literally: You believed yourself about to be a goldsmith.
Aurificem is the accusative singular form of aurifex, aurificis (3m): goldsmith. Tē is the accusative form of tū: you. is the m/n accusative singular form of , the future active participle of sum, esse, fuī, (irreg.): to be. Crēdēbās is the second person singular imperfect form of crēdō, crēdere, crēdidī, crēditum (3): to entrust; lend (money); trust; believe.
They take no account of time that will never more return.
More literally: Meanwhile there is no account of time never more going to return.
(Said of people who devote themselves to grasping at things that don’t last.) Nūllus/ nūlla /nūllum (1/2, irreg.): not any, no, none. Interim (adv.): meanwhile. Numquam (adv.): never. Amplius (adv.): more. is the m/n genitive singular form of , the future active participle of redeō, redīre, rediī, reditum (irreg.): to go or come back, return. Tempus, temporis (3n): time. Ratiō, ratiōnis (3f): calculation, account; reasoning; reason; method; the way a thing works. Est: there is.
You had said they would come too late.
Dīxerās is the second person singular pluperfect form of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say. Illōs is the masculine accusative plural form of ille/illa/illud (pron.): that, that one; he, she, it. Sērō (adv.): late; too late. is the masculine accusative plural form of , the future active participle of veniō, venīre, vēnī, (4): to come.
For one facing life without Hercules, that light has no value.
More literally: That light is worthless for the about-to-be-without Hercules. Or: . . . for (me) about to be without. . . (Spoken by, and of, the wife of Hercules.)
is the feminine dative singular form of , the future active participle of careō, carēre, caruī, caritum (2): to lack, be without, be free from. Hercule is the ablative singular form of Herculēs, Herculis (3m): Hercules. Lūx, lūcis (3f): light. Vīlis/ vīlis /vīle (3): cheap; worthless. Iste/ ista /istud (adj.): that, this. Est: is.
Mark the number of things, all to pass down a single throat, that luxury mixes together.
More literally: See how much of things about to pass through one throat luxury mixes together.
(He’s ridiculing the trouble and expense of fancy meals made from exotic combinations of foods.) Vidē is the singular imperative form of videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsum (2): to see. Quantum is the accusative form of quantum, quantī (interrog. pron.): how much? how great an amount? Rērum is the genitive plural form of rēs, reī (5f): thing; matter, affair; fact; circumstance; property. Per (prep.): through; by; during (takes the accusative). Ūnam is the feminine accusative singular form of ūnus/ūna/ūnum (1/2, irreg.): one; alone; only, sole, single. Gulam is the accusative singular form of gula, gulae (1f): throat. is the feminine genitive plural form of , the future active participle of trānseō, trānsīre, trānsiī/trānsīvī, trānsitum (irreg.): to go over, go across, cross; pass. Permisceat is the third person singular subjunctive form of permisceō, permiscēre, permiscuī, permixtum/permistum (2): to mix (thoroughly) together (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question). Luxuria, luxuriae (1f): luxury, extravagance, excess.
Those who face a long task need food.
More literally: (There is) a need of food for those about to endure in work.
Cibō is the ablative singular form of cibus, cibī (2m): food. Opus, operis (3n): work; need. (That last meaning occurs mostly in the expression opus est = there is need/it is needed. The est here is implied. The thing needed goes in the ablative case (thus cibō), and the one who needs it goes in the dative case.) is the m/f/n (here m) dative plural form of , the future active participle of dūrō, dūrāre, dūrāvī, dūrātum (1): to harden; endure, last, continue. In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into. Labōre is the ablative singular form of labor, labōris (3m): work, toil, labor; hardship.
Look about, rather, for some good that will remain.
Aliquod is the neuter accusative singular form of aliquī/aliqua/aliquod (adj.): some. Potius (adv.): rather, instead. Bonum is the accusative singular form of bonum, bonī (2n): a good; benefit; (in pl.) possessions. is the m/n accusative singular form of , the future active participle of maneō, manēre, mānsī, mānsum (2): to remain; await. Circumspice is the singular imperative form of circumspiciō, circumspicere, circumspexī, circumspectum (3, –iō): to look around (for); ponder, consider.
What are we (m.) going to do?
Quid is the neuter accusative singular form of quis/quis/quid (interrog. pron.): who? what? is the masculine nominative plural form of , the future active participle of faciō, facere, fēcī, (3, –iō): to do; make. Sumus: are we.
Here he shows that some ships will be lost.
(“Ships” is implied from the context: Servius is commenting on a passage that’s talking about ships—using the word carīna, carīnae (1f): keel or hull; (poetically) ship.) Hīc (adv.): here. Ostendit is the third person singular form of ostendō, ostendere, ostendī, ostentum/ostēnsum (3): to show, exhibit, display. Aliquās is the feminine accusative plural form of aliquī/aliqua/aliquod (adj.): some. Esse: to be. is the feminine accusative plural form of , the future active participle of pereō, perīre, periī, peritum (irreg.): to become lost, disappear; be destroyed, perish, die.
Ask me of things to come.
is the neuter accusative plural form of , the future active participle of veniō, venīre, vēnī, (4): to come. Interrogāte is the plural imperative form of interrogō, interrogāre, interrogāvī, interrogātum (1): to ask; interrogate (it can take a double accusative: one to refer to the person being asked, the other to refer to what’s being asked about). Mē is the accusative form of ego: I (me).
When I begat him, I knew then he was going to die.
(The Stoical response of a father when told that his son had died.) Ego: I. Cum (conj.): when; since; while; although. Gignō, gignere, genuī, genitum (3): to beget; give birth to; create; produce; cause. Tum (adv.): then. is the m/n accusative singular form of , the future active participle of morior, morī, mortuus sum (3, –ior, deponent): to die. Sciō, scīre, scīvī /sciī, scītum (4): to know.
Why do you plant trees that will supply nothing but shade?
More literally: Why are trees, going-to-give nothing except shade, planted?
Cūr (interrog. adv.): why? Arborēs is the nominative plural form of arbor, arboris (3f): tree. Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing. Praeter (prep.): besides, except, aside from (takes the accusative). Umbram is the accusative singular form of umbra, umbrae (1f): shade; shadow. is the feminine nominative plural form of , the future active participle of dō, dare, dedī, (1, irreg.): to give. Cōnseruntur is the third person plural passive form of cōnserō, cōnserere, cōnsēvī, cōnsitum (3): to sow, plant.
No one should take anything for granted about the future.
More literally: No one should give himself any promise about the future.
Most literally: Nothing should anyone promise to himself about the going-to-be.
Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing. Sibi: to himself—the dative form of the reflexive pronoun. Quisquam /quicquam (pron.): anyone, anything. Dē (prep.): from, down from; about, concerning (takes the ablative). is the m/n ablative singular form of , the future active participle (about to be—neuter used substantively to mean the future) of sum, esse, fuī, (irreg.): to be. Dēbet is the third person singular form of dēbeō, dēbēre, dēbuī, dēbitum (2): to owe; ought, should. Prōmittō, prōmittere, prōmīsī, prōmissum (3): to send forth; let grow long; promise, guarantee; give hope or promise of; predict as certain.
It is surrounded by two branches of the river which then come together into one.
More literally: It is surrounded by two rivers about to unite into one.
Duōbus is the m/n ablative form of duo/duae/duo (irreg.): two. In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into. Ūnum is the m/n (here n) accusative singular form of ūnus/ūna/ūnum (1/2, irreg.): one. is the m/f/n ablative plural form of , the future active participle of coeō, coīre, coiī, coitum (irreg.): to come together, meet, unite. Amnibus is the ablative plural form of amnis, amnis (3m): river. Cingitur is the third person singular passive form of cingō, cingere, cīnxī, cīnctum (3): to surround, encircle; gird.
What will he gain by hiding when he is bound to be recaptured?
More literally: What will having hidden avail (him) about to return into the hands (of his enemy)?
Quid is the neuter accusative singular form of quis/quis/quid (interrog. pron.): who? what? Prōderit is the third person singular future form of prōsum, prōdesse, prōfuī, prōfutūrus (irreg.): to be helpful, be useful, avail (takes dative). Latuisse is the perfect infinitive form of lateō, latēre, latuī, — (2): to be hidden, hide, lurk. is the m/n dative singular form of , the future active participle of redeō, redīre, rediī, reditum (irreg.): to go back, return; pass back (to the control of someone). In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into. Manūs is the accusative plural form of manus, manūs (4f): hand.
He said he would speak with his friends.
Dīxit is the third person singular perfect form of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say, declare. Sē: himself—the accusative form of the reflexive pronoun. Cum (prep.): with (takes the ablative). Amīcīs is the ablative plural form of amīcus, amīcī (2m): friend. is the m/n accusative singular form of , the future active participle of conloquor, conloquī, conlocūtus sum (3, deponent—also colloquor): to speak or talk together, speak or talk (with/to someone), have a conversation.
His friends were sad at the thought of losing such a man.
More literally: The friends were sad, about to lose such a man.
Trīstēs is the m/f nominative plural form of trīstis/trīstis/trīste (3): stern; sad. Erant: (they) were. Amīcī is the nominative plural form of amīcus, amīcī (2m): friend. Tālem is the m/f accusative singular form of tālis/tālis/tāle (3): such. is the masculine nominative plural form of , the future active participle of āmittō, āmittere, āmīsī, āmissum (3): to lose; let go. Virum is the accusative singular form of vir, virī (2m): man; husband.
They expect Varro today or tomorrow.
More literally: They thought Varro going to come today or tomorrow.
(They thought: that is, they thought so at the time when I wrote this letter; when Romans wrote letters, they would sometimes adopt the temporal point of view of the reader—the so-called epistolary imperfect.) Varrōnem is the accusative singular form of Varrō, Varrōnis (3m): Varro, a common Roman surname. Hodiē (adv.): today. Aut (conj.): or. Crās (adv.): tomorrow. is the masculine accusative singular form of , the future active participle of veniō, venīre, vēnī, (4): to come. Putābant is the third person plural imperfect form of putō, putāre, putāvī, putātum (1): to think, suppose.
It is a forecast of rough sea.
More literally: It is an indication of a sea going to rage.
Indicium, indiciī (2n): disclosure; sign, indication. Est: it is. is the m/n genitive singular form of , the future active participle of saeviō, saevīre, saeviī, saevītum (4): to rage, vent one’s rage; be fierce, violent, furious. Mare, maris (3n): sea.
If there are no fates, the future is inscrutable; if there are, it cannot be changed.
More literally: (He said that. . .) If there are not fates, the things about to be are not known; if there are, they are not able to be changed.
Sī (conj.): if. Nōn: not. Sint is the third person plural subjunctive form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be. Fāta is the nominative plural form of fātum, fātī (2n): fate, destiny. Nescīrī is the passive infinitive form of nesciō, nescīre, nescīvī/nesciī, nescītum (4): to not know (nescīrī is an infinitive in an indirect statement; the indirect nature of the statement also explains why futūra is accusative, why sint is subjunctive, and why posse is infinitive). is the neuter accusative plural form of , the future active participle of sum, esse, fuī, (irreg.): to be (neuter plural forms of the future active participle of sum can be used substantively to mean the things going to be, future things, future events, the future). Possum, posse, potuī, — (irreg.): to be able, can. Mūtārī is the passive infinitive form of mūtō, mūtāre, mūtāvī, mūtātum (1): to change; exchange.