I’ve started working on Latin reader for Luther’s Large Catechism! If you like this sort of thing, please like share this post and consider purchasing a book from the Concordia Latin Readers series.
Praefatio
14] Quodsi neque haec satis sufficiant ad excitandos[1] commonendosque animos ad diligentem Catechismi lectionem, ipsum tamen praeceptum Dei vel solum cogere nos debebat, quod exstat Deut. 6, 6 sqq., ut praecepta ipsius sedentes, ambulantes, stantes, iacentes, surgentes nunquam non meditemur, ac velut signum aliquod ob oculos ponamus ac manibus gestemus. Procul dubio non temere Deus hoc tam severiter et praecipit et exigit, sed cum non ignoret, quae nos pericula et necessitates urgeant, adhaec quanta contentione, assiduitate et pertinacia maligni spiritus nullo non momento in perpetuam nostri perniciem sint instructi, voluit nos contra optimus ille Pater noster coelestis veluti solida et efficaci armatura hoc modo paratos atque instructos esse, quo possimus, et ignita tela ac pravas pestiferasque illorum aggressiones repellere ac profligare.
15] Sed o stolidos ac insensatos nos,[2] qui, cum necesse habeamus, diversari ac degere inter hostes adeo potentes, nempe daemones, nihilominus arma nostra contemnamus, desides atque stertentes ea ne[3] aspicere quidem, aut ipsorum meminisse sustineamus!
[1] Ad with the gerundive to indicate purpose- to rouse souls
[2] An accusative of exclamation
[3] Ne…quidem- not even
Vocabulary
Aggressiō, aggressiōnis, f. – attack, assault
Aliquod – some, any
Ambulō, āre, āvī, ātus – to walk
Animus, ī, m. – mind, spirit
Arma, ōrum, n. pl. – arms, weapons
Armātūra, ae, f. – armor, equipment
Aspiciō, ere, aspexī, aspectus – to look at, behold
Assiduitās, assiduitātis, f. – constancy, persistence
Caelestis, e – heavenly
Catechismus, ī, m. – catechism
Cōgitō, āre, āvī, ātus – to think, consider
Commoneō, ēre, commonuī, commonitus – to remind, admonish
Contemnō, ere, contempsī, contemptus – to despise, scorn
Contentiō, contentiōnis, f. – struggle, effort
Dēgerō, ere, dēgī, dēgestus – to pass time, spend life
Dēuteronōmium, ī, n. – Deuteronomy
Dīligēns, diligentis – careful, diligent
Dīverso, āre, āvī, ātus – to turn around
Dubius, a, um – doubtful
Efficāx, efficācis – effective, powerful
Excitō, āre, āvī, ātus – to rouse, stir up
Exigō, ere, exēgī, exāctus – to demand, require
Exstō, āre– to exist, stand forth
Faciō, ere, fēcī, factus – to do, make
Gēsto, āre, āvī, ātus – to bear, carry, wear
Hostis, hostis, m. – enemy
Iaceō, ēre, iacuī – to lie down, rest
Ignītus, a, um – fiery, burning
Ignōrō, āre, āvī, ātus – to be ignorant, not know
Insēnsātus, a, um – senseless, foolish
Instruō, ere, instrūxī, instrūctus – to equip, prepare
Inter+acc. – among, between
Lege, lēgis, f. – law
Malignus, a, um – wicked, evil
Manus, ūs, f. – hand
Meditōr, ārī, meditātus sum – to meditate
Meminī, meminisse – to remember
Momentum, ī, n. – moment, short time
Necesse (indecl.) – necessity
Nēmpe – indeed, namely
Nēquidem – not even
Nūllus, a, um – none
Numquam – never
Ob – before, in front of, on account of
Oculus, ī, m. – eye
Parātus, a, um – prepared, ready
Pars, partis, f. – part
Pāter, patris, m. – father
Patiōr, patī, passus sum – to suffer, endure
Perniciēs, perniciēī, f. – ruin, destruction
Perpetuus, a, um – perpetual, continual
Pertinācia, ae, f. – obstinacy, stubbornness
Pestifer, a, um – pestilential, destructive
Ponō, ere, posuī, positus – to place, set
Praecipiō, ere, praecēpī, praeceptus – to command, instruct
Prāvus, a, um – perverse, corrupt
Procul – far, at a distance
Profligō, āre, āvī, ātus – to rout, overthrow, crush
Quodsi – but if, and if
Repellō, ere, reppulī, repulsus – to drive back, repel
Sevērus, a, um – severe, strict
Signum, ī, n. – sign, token
Spiritus, ūs, m. – spirit
Sterteō, ēre – to snore
Stō, stāre, stetī, statum – to stand
Sufficiō, ere, suffēcī, suffēctus – to be sufficient
Sustinēō, ēre, sustinuī, sustentus – to bear, endure
Tantus, a, um – so great
Telum, ī, n. – weapons, missiles, darts
Temere – rashly, by chance
Urgueō, ēre, ursī – to press, urge
Velut – just as, as if
Verbum, ī, n. – word
Volō, velle, voluī – to want, wish
Translation
[14] But if these things do not suffice enough for exciting and admonishing souls to a diligent reading of the Catechism, nevertheless, even the very commandment of God ought to compel us that Deuteronomy 6:6 is on the record that sitting, walking, standing, lying down, rising we should never not meditate on His commandments and just as we place that sign before our eyes and bear it in our hands. Far from doubt God does not so rashly teach and require this, but, since he is not ignorant of what dangers and necessities pressure us and for these things what practice, constant attention and persistence the evil spirits have been equipped at any moment for our destruction, our very good heavenly Father wants us to be prepared and trained as if with real and efficacious arms against them, where we are able, and to repel and overthrow the flaming, perverse and pestilential attacks of them.
[15] But oh how stupid and irrational are we, who, when we have what is necessary, turn and wait among enemies so powerful, truly demons, likewise we despise our weapons, idle and snoring we do not even consider these things or support ourselves with the memory of them!