Wondermentalist

There’s always something experimental about my introductory warm-up set. I couldn’t resist trying out this Latin-based poem. The live Traydio version is here. Give it a try. It went better than you’d expect, although you have to remember we have a generous and forgiving audience…

 

(A Lover of Latin may not be a) Latin Lover

Quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur, but when I say that I say it quite wryly

Because it means “whatever is written in Latin is looked upon highly”

And since Latin’s been superseded as the lingua franca

Speaking it means you come across as a bit of a classicist

And though a lover of Latin may not be a Latin lover

I don’t think you should judge a Latin scholar by his cover

We all speak a bit of Latin and it’s time that we admitted it

If Latin’s an offence then let’s face it we’ve committed it

Who hasn’t been caught in flagrante delicto

A bit of Latin on their lips, sucking on its big toe (as it were)

If even ergo’s in your argot, ipso facto, you speak Latin

…and that’s fine

So if you’re offered Latin lessons, don’t feel you must decline

Because it isn’t all amo-ing and amas-ing and amat-ing

is Latin

I feel a tad defensive about its cases and its tenses tenses:

The nominative, the ablative, the dative, the accusative

The tentative, the putative, the sensitive, the fugitive

And far be it from me to propagate unproven claims

But a lot of plants would die if we forgot their Latin names

Latin’s not a dead language, although it could be more animated

It hasn’t been embalmed as such, it’s just little laminated

Modus vivendi is still pretty trendy

Modus operandi can still come in handy (and vice versa)

Magnum opus, hocus pocus, opus dei; opera (Winfrey)

Ad hoc, ad lib, non-sequitur; and veni vidi vinci

there’s post mortem; terra firma; alias; habeas corpus

amor vincit omnia; and in loco parentis;

subpoena; sine qua non alter ego, and agenda

bona fide; quid pro quo; innuendo and pudenda;

I say to Latin lovers everywhere: you mark my memorandum

nil illegitimi carborundum and quod erat demonstrandum

I could write ’em ad nauseam and ad infinitum – but, let’s face it, tempus fugit

Nevertheless: dulce et decorum est to get these feelings off my chest (gracias)