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Tempus fugit

Latin phrase meaning "time flies"

Tempus fugit
Summary

Latin phrase meaning "time flies"

A winged hourglass representing time flying, designed for gravestones and monuments

Tempus fugit () is a Latin phrase, usually translated into English as "time flies". However, the literal translation of 'fugit' is 'flees' not 'flies'. The expression comes from line 284 of book 3 of Virgil's Georgics, where it appears as fugit irreparabile tempus: "it escapes, irretrievable time". The phrase is used in both its Latin and English forms as a proverb that "time's a-wasting".

Usage

sundial motto]] in [[Redu]], Belgium

Tempus fugit is typically employed as an admonition against sloth and procrastination (cf. carpe diem) rather than an argument for licentiousness (cf. "gather ye rosebuds while ye may"); the English form is often merely descriptive: "time flies like the wind", "time flies when you're having fun".

The phrase is a common motto, particularly on sundials and clocks. It also has been used on gravestones.

Some writers have attempted rebuttals: "Time goes, you say? Ah, no! alas, time stays, we go." by Henry Austin Dobson (1840–1921)."Hêd Amser! / Meddi Na! / Erys Amser / Dyn Â" on sundial at Univ of Bangor, North Wales. says the sundial was commissioned by Sir William Henry Preece, and offers an English equivalent: "Time flies, thou sayest – Nay! Man flies; Time still doth stay." Another English version is: "Time Flies, Say Not So: Time Remains,'Tis Man Must Go."

Bud Powell's composition "Tempus Fugue-it" is a pun on the phrase.

In the ''Georgics''

The phrase's full appearance in Virgil's Georgics is:

Original
(Virgil)Translation
(Dryden)Translation
(Rhoades)
Omne adeo genus in terris *hominumque ferarumque*Thus every Creature , and of every Kind ,
The secret Joys of sweet Coition find :
Not only Man's Imperial Race ; . . .Nay, every race on earth of men, and beasts,
et genus aequoreum, pecudes *pictae*que volucres,. . . but they
That wing the liquid Air ; or swim the Sea ,
Or haunt the Desart , . . .And ocean-folk, and flocks, and painted birds,
in furias *ignem*que ruunt: amor omnibus idem. .... . . rush into the flame :
For Love is Lord of all ; and is in all the same .Rush to the raging fire: love sways them all.
Sed fugit interea, fugit inreparabile tempus,But time is lost , which never will renew ,Fast flies meanwhile the irreparable hour,
singula dum capti circumvectamur amore.While we too far the pleasing Path pursue ;
Surveying Nature , with too nice a view .As point to point our charmed round we trace.

References

References

  1. [[Publius Vergilius Maro. Vergilius Maro, Publius]]. [[s:la:Georgicon/Liber III. ''Georgicon'', III]]. c. 29 BC. Hosted at [[Wikisource]]. {{in lang. la
  2. [[John Dryden
  3. [[James Rhoades. Rhoades, James]] (trans.). [http://classics.mit.edu/Virgil/georgics.3.iii.html ''Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics of Vergil'']. Ginn & Co. (Boston), 1900. Hosted at MIT. Accessed 30 May 2014.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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