On the last day of Chanukah, ten brave classics faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and library staff took a few minutes off from exams, papers, grading, and book purchasing to gather in the Classics Library to read aphorisms in Latin, Greek, Sinhala, Mandarin, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Swedish, and English out loud, picked from a bowl of faux parchment scrolls with some 40 aphorisms, and listen to music from around the world, arranged and performed by the Library’s resident musician Yo Shionoya, munch on candy and gingerbread cookies, and have a few well-earned laughs.
Faux parchment scrolls with aphorisms.
The Master of Ceremonies was none other than Becket Braunlin who stole the show in his black top hat and red necktie.
It was nice to see classics faculty and students, who are brilliant and serious, relax and just have fun. Zimo Liang, graduate student, Daniel Markovich, professor and chair, Michael Shobe, undergraduate student and junior, and Susan Prince, professor.
Joining our classics family was Elizabeth Meyer, head of the DAAP Library, who translated several Latin aphorisms.
Peter Van Minnen, professor, Zimo Liang, graduate student, Daniel Markovich, professor.
Becket Braunlin, master of ceremonies, Barbara Burrell, professor, Mike Braunlin, bibliographer, Yo Shionoya, musician.
Aphorism: “Any principle or precept expressed in few words; a short pithy sentence containing a truth of general import; a maxim.” — TheOxford English Dictionary
Here are some of the participants’ favorite aphorisms:
Sinhala
කල දේ පල දේ . Actions have consequences.
German
Leben und leben lassen. Live and let live.
French
La critique est la puissance des impuissants. Criticism is the power of the powerless.
Italian
L’italiano: totalitario in cucina, democratico in parlamento, cattolico a letto, comunista in fabbrica. The Italian: totalitarian in the kitchen, democratic in the parliament, catholic in the bed, communist in the factory.
Tra il dire e il fare c’è di mezzo il mare. Between talking and doing there is half a sea.
Greek
Σκηνή πας ο κόσμος εστί και παίγνιον· ή μάθε παίζειν ή φέρε τας οδύνας. The whole world is a stage and a game; either learn to play or bear the pain.
Μέγα βιβλίον, μέγα κακόν. A big book, a big evil.
English
Give a man an airplane ticket and he’ll fly for a day; push him out of an airplane and he’ll fly for the rest of his life.
Latin
Bis dat qui cito dat. He who gives swiftly gives twice.
Mandarin
知者不言，言者不知。 Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.
Japanese
禍福は糾える縄の如し. Good luck and bad luck alternate like the strands of a rope.
Swedish
Livet är ett engångserbjudande — använd det väl! Life is a one-time offer — use it well!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!
“We light candles in testament that faith makes miracles possible.” — Nachum Braverman
Becket’s favorite aphorism was, “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” to which he could very much relate as the center of everyone’s attention.
