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Carpe diem

April 10, 2024

For other uses, see Carpe diem (disambiguation).

Carpe diem is a Latin aphorism, usually translated "seize the day", taken from book 1 of the Roman poet Horace's work Odes (23 BC).[1]

A sundial inscribed carpe diem

Translation edit

Carpe is the second-person singular present active imperative of carpō "pick or pluck" used by Horace to mean "enjoy, seize, use, make use of".[2] Diem is the accusative of dies "day". A more literal translation of carpe diem would thus be "pluck the day [as it is ripe]"—that is, enjoy the moment. It has been argued by various authors that this interpretation is closer to Horace's original meaning.[3] Latin scholar and Saint Joseph's University professor, Maria S. Marsilio points out, carpe diem is a horticultural metaphor that, particularly seen in the context of the poem, is more accurately translated as "plucking the day", evoking the plucking and gathering of ripening fruits or flowers, enjoying a moment that is rooted in the sensory experience of nature.[4]

History edit

Sources edit

Text from Odes 1.11:

Tu ne quaesieris, scire nefas, quem mihi, quem tibi
finem di dederint, Leuconoe, nec Babylonios
temptaris numeros. ut melius, quidquid erit, pati.
seu pluris hiemes seu tribuit Iuppiter ultimam,
quae nunc oppositis debilitat pumicibus mare
Tyrrhenum. Sapias, vina liques et spatio brevi
spem longam reseces. dum loquimur, fugerit invida
aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.

Ask not ('tis forbidden knowledge), what our destined term of years,
Mine and yours; nor scan the tables of your Babylonish seers.
Better far to bear the future, my Leuconoe, like the past,
Whether Jove has many winters yet to give, or this our last;
This, that makes the Tyrrhene billows spend their strength against the shore.
Strain your wine and prove your wisdom; life is short; should hope be more?
In the moment of our talking, envious time has ebb'd away.
Seize the present; trust tomorrow e'en as little as you may.[5]

In ancient literature edit

Perhaps the first written expression of the concept is the advice given by Siduri to Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian mythology, telling him to forgo his mourning and embrace life, although some scholars see it as simply urging Gilgamesh to abandon his mourning, "reversing the liminal rituals of mourning and returning to the normal and normative behaviors of Mesopotamian society."[6][7]

Meaning edit

In Horace, the phrase is part of the longer carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero, which is often translated as "Seize the day, put very little trust in tomorrow (the future)". The ode says that the future is unforeseen and that one should not leave to chance future happenings, but rather one should do all one can today to make one's own future better. This phrase is usually understood against Horace's Epicurean background.[8]

Related expressions edit

Other Latin edit

 
Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, by John William Waterhouse

Collige, virgo, rosas ("gather, girl, the roses") appears at the end of the poem "De rosis nascentibus"[9] ("Of growing roses", also called Idyllium de rosis) attributed to Ausonius or Virgil. It encourages youth to enjoy life before it is too late; compare "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" from Robert Herrick's 1648 poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time".

"De Brevitate Vitae" ("On the Shortness of Life"), often referred to as "Gaudeamus igitur", (Let us rejoice) is a popular academic commercium song, on taking joy in student life, with the knowledge that one will someday die. It is medieval Latin, dating to 1287.

Related but distinct is the expression memento mori (remember that you are mortal) which carries some of the same connotation as carpe diem. For Horace, mindfulness of our own mortality is key in making us realize the importance of the moment. "Remember that you are mortal, so seize the day." Over time the phrase memento mori also came to be associated with penitence, as suggested in many vanitas paintings. Today many listeners will take the two phrases as representing almost opposite approaches, with carpe diem urging us to savour life and memento mori urging us to resist its allure. This is not the original sense of the memento mori phrase as used by Horace.

Contemporary mentions edit

In modern English, the expression "YOLO", meaning "you only live once", expresses a similar sentiment.[10][11]

In the 1989 American film Dead Poets Society, the English teacher John Keating, played by Robin Williams, famously says: "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." Later, this line was voted as the 95th greatest movie quote by the American Film Institute.[12]

In the Animal Crossing series, messages referencing this phrase can be seen when catching fish. In Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: Wild World, catching a Crucian carp will result in the message "I caught a crucian carp! Carpe diem!"[13] In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, catching a Carp will result in the message "I caught a carp! I really seized the diem!"[14]

In 2011 the Phineas and Ferb episode "Rollercoaster", the musical ended with a song titled "Carpe diem" in which Before Phineas tells Isabella what "Carpe Diem means".

In the 2017 Korean drama series Chicago Typewriter, the club "Carpe Diem" is owned by Shin Yool and is the scene of revolutionary activities of the Joseon Youth Liberation Alliance spearheaded by Seo Hwi-young.[15]

Social philosopher Roman Krznaric suggested in his book Carpe Diem Regained (2017) that carpe diem is the answer to consumer cultures schedules, timed work days, consumer culture and planning out our actions over the course of weeks and the weekends, instead of "just do it", with thought experiments for seizing the day rather than placing into calendars.[16][17]

The song "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out was used to represent Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[18]

The acronym DiEM, used by the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025, alludes to the Latin aphorism.

In the song the Whole Being Dead Thing from Beetlejuice the musical, Beetlejuice sings "We should have carpe’d way more diems / Now we’re never gonna see ‘em!".

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Carmina, Liber I, Carmen XI (in Latin)
  2. ^ Lewis, Charlton T. (1890). "carpō". An Elementary Latin Dictionary. New York, Cincinnati, and Chicago: American Book Company.
  3. ^ "How 'Carpe Diem' Got Lost in Translation" by Chi Luu, JStor Daily, 7 August 2019.
  4. ^ Luu, Chi (2019-08-07). "How "Carpe Diem" Got Lost in Translation". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  5. ^ Translation by John Conington, 1882
  6. ^ Ackerman, Susan (2005). When Heroes Love: The Ambiguity of Eros in the Stories of Gilgamesh and David. Columbia University Press. pp. 130–131. ISBN 978-0231132602.
  7. ^ Perdue, Leo G. (2009). Scribes, Sages, and Seers: The Sage in the Eastern Mediterranean World: The Sage in the Mediterranean World. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. p. 57. ISBN 978-3525530832.
  8. ^ Harrison, Stephen (2012). The Cambridge Companion to Horace. Cambridge University Press. pp. 154, 168. ISBN 978-0-521-83002-7.
  9. ^ "De rosis nascentibus" 2007-08-11 at the Wayback Machine in a collection of the works of Virgil under the note Hoc carmen scripsit poeta ignotus (This poem was written by an unknown poet); Bibleotheca Augustana [de], Augsburg University of Applied Sciences
  10. ^ "Carpe Diem! How the philosophy of 'seize the day' was hijacked". iNews. 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  11. ^ . Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  12. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  13. ^ "Crucian carp". Nookipedia. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  14. ^ "Carp". Nookipedia. 2024-02-11. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  15. ^ "TV Review: Chicago Typewriter (Spoilers!)". The Kat Cafe. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  16. ^ Macdonald, Fiona. "What it really means to 'Seize the day'". bbc.com. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  17. ^ "Reclaiming carpe diem: How do we really seize the day? by Roman Krznaric, The Guardian, 2 April 2017
  18. ^ "Slovenia: Joker Out to premiere 'Carpe Diem' on Saturday night!". eurovision.tv. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.

Sources edit

  • Rohland, R.A. (2022). Carpe Diem. Cambridge Classical Studies. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-316-51082-7.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Carpe diem at Wikimedia Commons
  •   The dictionary definition of carpe diem at Wiktionary
  • Literary interpretation of Horace, Odes 1.11 (Carpe diem) at YouTube

April 10, 2024
carpe, diem, other, uses, disambiguation, latin, aphorism, usually, translated, seize, taken, from, book, roman, poet, horace, work, odes, sundial, inscribed, carpe, diem, contents, translation, history, sources, ancient, literature, meaning, related, expressi. For other uses see Carpe diem disambiguation Carpe diem is a Latin aphorism usually translated seize the day taken from book 1 of the Roman poet Horace s work Odes 23 BC 1 A sundial inscribed carpe diem Contents 1 Translation 2 History 2 1 Sources 2 2 In ancient literature 3 Meaning 3 1 Related expressions 3 2 Other Latin 4 Contemporary mentions 5 See also 6 References 7 Sources 8 External linksTranslation editCarpe is the second person singular present active imperative of carpō pick or pluck used by Horace to mean enjoy seize use make use of 2 Diem is the accusative of dies day A more literal translation of carpe diem would thus be pluck the day as it is ripe that is enjoy the moment It has been argued by various authors that this interpretation is closer to Horace s original meaning 3 Latin scholar and Saint Joseph s University professor Maria S Marsilio points out carpe diem is a horticultural metaphor that particularly seen in the context of the poem is more accurately translated as plucking the day evoking the plucking and gathering of ripening fruits or flowers enjoying a moment that is rooted in the sensory experience of nature 4 History editSources edit Text from Odes 1 11 Tu ne quaesieris scire nefas quem mihi quem tibi finem di dederint Leuconoe nec Babylonios temptaris numeros ut melius quidquid erit pati seu pluris hiemes seu tribuit Iuppiter ultimam quae nunc oppositis debilitat pumicibus mare Tyrrhenum Sapias vina liques et spatio brevi spem longam reseces dum loquimur fugerit invida aetas carpe diem quam minimum credula postero Ask not tis forbidden knowledge what our destined term of years Mine and yours nor scan the tables of your Babylonish seers Better far to bear the future my Leuconoe like the past Whether Jove has many winters yet to give or this our last This that makes the Tyrrhene billows spend their strength against the shore Strain your wine and prove your wisdom life is short should hope be more In the moment of our talking envious time has ebb d away Seize the present trust tomorrow e en as little as you may 5 In ancient literature edit Perhaps the first written expression of the concept is the advice given by Siduri to Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian mythology telling him to forgo his mourning and embrace life although some scholars see it as simply urging Gilgamesh to abandon his mourning reversing the liminal rituals of mourning and returning to the normal and normative behaviors of Mesopotamian society 6 7 Meaning editIn Horace the phrase is part of the longer carpe diem quam minimum credula postero which is often translated as Seize the day put very little trust in tomorrow the future The ode says that the future is unforeseen and that one should not leave to chance future happenings but rather one should do all one can today to make one s own future better This phrase is usually understood against Horace s Epicurean background 8 Related expressions edit Other Latin edit nbsp Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May by John William WaterhouseCollige virgo rosas gather girl the roses appears at the end of the poem De rosis nascentibus 9 Of growing roses also called Idyllium de rosis attributed to Ausonius or Virgil It encourages youth to enjoy life before it is too late compare Gather ye rosebuds while ye may from Robert Herrick s 1648 poem To the Virgins to Make Much of Time De Brevitate Vitae On the Shortness of Life often referred to as Gaudeamus igitur Let us rejoice is a popular academic commercium song on taking joy in student life with the knowledge that one will someday die It is medieval Latin dating to 1287 Related but distinct is the expression memento mori remember that you are mortal which carries some of the same connotation as carpe diem For Horace mindfulness of our own mortality is key in making us realize the importance of the moment Remember that you are mortal so seize the day Over time the phrase memento mori also came to be associated with penitence as suggested in many vanitas paintings Today many listeners will take the two phrases as representing almost opposite approaches with carpe diem urging us to savour life and memento mori urging us to resist its allure This is not the original sense of the memento mori phrase as used by Horace Contemporary mentions editIn modern English the expression YOLO meaning you only live once expresses a similar sentiment 10 11 In the 1989 American film Dead Poets Society the English teacher John Keating played by Robin Williams famously says Carpe diem Seize the day boys Make your lives extraordinary Later this line was voted as the 95th greatest movie quote by the American Film Institute 12 In the Animal Crossing series messages referencing this phrase can be seen when catching fish In Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing Wild World catching a Crucian carp will result in the message I caught a crucian carp Carpe diem 13 In Animal Crossing New Leaf catching a Carp will result in the message I caught a carp I really seized the diem 14 In 2011 the Phineas and Ferb episode Rollercoaster the musical ended with a song titled Carpe diem in which Before Phineas tells Isabella what Carpe Diem means In the 2017 Korean drama series Chicago Typewriter the club Carpe Diem is owned by Shin Yool and is the scene of revolutionary activities of the Joseon Youth Liberation Alliance spearheaded by Seo Hwi young 15 Social philosopher Roman Krznaric suggested in his book Carpe Diem Regained 2017 that carpe diem is the answer to consumer cultures schedules timed work days consumer culture and planning out our actions over the course of weeks and the weekends instead of just do it with thought experiments for seizing the day rather than placing into calendars 16 17 The song Carpe Diem by Joker Out was used to represent Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 18 The acronym DiEM used by the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 alludes to the Latin aphorism In the song the Whole Being Dead Thing from Beetlejuice the musical Beetlejuice sings We should have carpe d way more diems Now we re never gonna see em See also editWhen life gives you lemons make lemonadeReferences edit Quintus Horatius Flaccus Carmina Liber I Carmen XI in Latin Lewis Charlton T 1890 carpō An Elementary Latin Dictionary New York Cincinnati and Chicago American Book Company How Carpe Diem Got Lost in Translation by Chi Luu JStor Daily 7 August 2019 Luu Chi 2019 08 07 How Carpe Diem Got Lost in Translation JSTOR Daily Retrieved 2023 04 27 Translation by John Conington 1882 Ackerman Susan 2005 When Heroes Love The Ambiguity of Eros in the Stories of Gilgamesh and David Columbia University Press pp 130 131 ISBN 978 0231132602 Perdue Leo G 2009 Scribes Sages and Seers The Sage in the Eastern Mediterranean World The Sage in the Mediterranean World Vandenhoeck amp Ruprecht p 57 ISBN 978 3525530832 Harrison Stephen 2012 The Cambridge Companion to Horace Cambridge University Press pp 154 168 ISBN 978 0 521 83002 7 De rosis nascentibus Archived 2007 08 11 at the Wayback Machine in a collection of the works of Virgil under the note Hoc carmen scripsit poeta ignotus This poem was written by an unknown poet Bibleotheca Augustana de Augsburg University of Applied Sciences Carpe Diem How the philosophy of seize the day was hijacked iNews 2017 04 18 Retrieved 2018 03 17 YOLO Definition of YOLO in English by Oxford Dictionaries Oxford Dictionaries English Archived from the original on October 2 2016 Retrieved 2018 03 17 AFI s 100 Years 100 Movie Quotes American Film Institute Retrieved 2015 03 25 Crucian carp Nookipedia 2023 12 18 Retrieved 2024 03 18 Carp Nookipedia 2024 02 11 Retrieved 2024 03 18 TV Review Chicago Typewriter Spoilers The Kat Cafe 13 September 2018 Retrieved 6 June 2020 Macdonald Fiona What it really means to Seize the day bbc com Retrieved 16 June 2019 Reclaiming carpe diem How do we really seize the day by Roman Krznaric The Guardian 2 April 2017 Slovenia Joker Out to premiere Carpe Diem on Saturday night eurovision tv 3 February 2023 Retrieved 6 February 2023 Sources editRohland R A 2022 Carpe Diem Cambridge Classical Studies Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 1 316 51082 7 External links edit nbsp Media related to Carpe diem at Wikimedia Commons nbsp The dictionary definition of carpe diem at Wiktionary Literary interpretation of Horace Odes 1 11 Carpe diem at YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carpe diem amp oldid 1216203196, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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