Other Versions: Although the story of the mix-up between Death and Love is not part of the classical corpus of fables, you can find it the modern fable books, such as Barlow's Aesop, which is the source for the image below.
Emblem 155: DE MORTE ET AMORE
Errabat socio Mors iuncta Cupidine: secum
Mors pharetras, parvus tela gerebat Amor.
Divertere simul, simul una et nocte cubarunt:
Caecus Amor, Mors hoc tempore caeca fuit.
Alter enim alterius male provida spicula sumpsit,
Mors aurata, tenet ossea tela puer
Debuit inde senex qui nunc Acheronticus esse,
Ecce amat, et capiti florea serta parat.
At ego mutato quia Amor me perculit arcu,
Deficio, iniiciunt et mihi fata manum.
Parce puer, Mors signa tenens victricia parce:
Fac ego amem, subeat fac Acheronta senex.
Prose paraphrase:
Mors errabat,
Cupidine socio iuncta secum:
Mors pharetras gerebat,
Amor parvus tela gerebat.
Simul divertere,
et nocte simul
una cubarunt:
Amor caecus,
hoc tempore
Mors caeca fuit.
Alter enim sumpsit
alterius spicula. male provida;
Mors
tela aurata tenet,
Puer
tela ossea tenet.
Inde senex,
qui nunc debuit
Acheronticus esse,
ecce: amat,
et florea serta capiti parat.
At ego deficio,
quia Amor
arcu mutato me perculit,
et fata
mihi manum iniiciunt.
O Puer, parce!
O Mors, signa victricia tenens, parce!
Fac ut ego amem;
fac ut senex Acheronta subeat.
Image. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) by the 17th-century artist, Francis Barlow:
Word list thanks to NoDictionaries.com:
Errabat socio Mors iuncta Cupidine: secum
erro wander, go astray; make a mistake, err; vacillate
socius sharing; associated; allied
mors death; corpse; annihilation
junctus connected in space, adjoining, contiguous; closely related/associated
Cupido Cupid, son of Venus; personification of carnal desire
secum = cum se
Mors pharetras, parvus tela gerebat Amor.
mors death; corpse; annihilation
pharetra quiver
parvus small, little, cheap; unimportant; smallest, least
telum dart, spear; weapon, javelin; bullet
gero bear, carry, wear; carry on; manage, govern
amor love; affection; the beloved; Cupid; affair; sexual/illicit/homosexual passion
Divertere simul, simul una et nocte cubarunt:
diverto separate; divert, turn away/in; digress; oppose; divorce/leave marriage
simul at same time; likewise; also; simultaneously; at once
una together, together with; at the same time; along with
eta nd, and even; also, even
nox night
cubo lie (down/asleep); recline, incline; lie/be in bed, rest/sleep; be sick/dead;
Caecus Amor, Mors hoc tempore caeca fuit.
caecus blind; unseeing; dark, gloomy, hidden, secret; aimless, confused, random; rash
amor love; affection; the beloved; Cupid; affair; sexual/illicit/homosexual passion
mors death; corpse; annihilation
hic this; these
tempus time, condition, right time; season, occasion; necessity
sum be; exist
Alter enim alterius male provida spicula sumpsit,
alter one; second/another; former/latter
enim namely; indeed; in fact; for; I mean, for instance, that is to say
alter one; second/another; former/latter
male badly, ill, wrongly, wickedly, unfortunately; extremely
providus prophetic; provident, characterized by forethought
spiculum sting; javelin; arrow; sharp point of a weapon
sumo take up; begin; suppose, assume; select; purchase; exact; obtain
Mors aurata, tenet ossea tela puer
mors death; corpse; annihilation
auro gild, overlay with gold
teneo hold, keep; comprehend; possess; master; preserve
osseus bone-, made/consisting of bone; bone-like; bone rather than flesh, emaciated
telum dart, spear; weapon, javelin; bullet
puer boy, lad, young man; servant; child
Debuit inde senex qui nunc Acheronticus esse,
debeo owe; be indebted/responsible for/obliged/bound/destined; ought, must, should
inde thence, thenceforth; from that place/time/cause; thereupon
senex aged, old
quiw ho, which
nuncn ow, today, at present
Acheronticus belonging to Acheron, bound for the river of death
sum be; exist
Ecce amat, et capiti florea serta parat.
ecce behold! see! look! there! here!
amo love, like; fall in love with; be fond of; have a tendency to
et and, and even; also, even
caput head; person; life; leader; top; source/mouth; capital
floreus flowery
sertum wreath; chains of flowers, garlands, festoons
paro prepare; furnish/supply/provide; produce; obtain/get; buy; raise; put up; plan
At ego mutato quia Amor me perculit arcu,
at but, but on the other hand; on the contrary; while, whereas; but yet; at least
ego I
muto move, change, shift, alter, exchange, substitute; modify
quia because
amor love; affection; the beloved; Cupid; affair; sexual/illicit/homosexual passion
percello strike down; strike; overpower; dismay, demoralize, upset
arcus bow, arc, coil, arch; rainbow; anything arched or curved
Deficio, iniiciunt et mihi fata manum.
deficio fail, disappoint, let down; leave without a sufficiency; cease to be available
injicio hurl/throw/strike in/into; inject; put on; inspire, instill
eta nd, and even; also, even
ego I
fatum utterance, oracle; fate, destiny; natural term of life; doom, death, calamity
manus hand, fist; team; gang, band of soldiers; handwriting; trunk
Parce puer, Mors signa tenens victricia parce:
parco forbear, refrain from; spare; show consideration; be economical/thrifty with
puer boy, lad, young man; servant; child
mors death; corpse; annihilation
signum battle standard; indication; seal; sign, proof; signal; image, statue
teneo hold, keep; comprehend; possess; master; preserve
victrix conquering
Fac ego amem, subeat fac Acheronta senex.
facio make/build/construct/create/cause/do; have built/made; fashion; work
ego I
amo love, like; fall in love with; be fond of; have a tendency to
subeo go/move/pass/sink/extend underneath/into; climb/come/go up, ascend; steal in on
Acheron river of death
senex aged, old
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