001.09

Absentem qui rodit amicum,
Qui non defendit alio culpante, solutos
Qui captat risus hominum, famamque dicacis,
Fingere qui non visa potest, commissa tacere
Qui nequit; hic niger est, hunc tu, Romane, caveto.

Horace. Satires, I., 4, 81.

He who maligns an absent friend's fair fame,
Who says no word for him when others blame,
Who courts a reckless laugh by random hits,
Just for the sake of ranking among wits,
Who feigns what he ne'er saw, a secret blabs,
Beware him, Roman! that man steals or stabs. - (Conington.)

Absentem quī rōdit amīcum,
Quī nōn dēfendit aliō culpante, solūtōs
Quī captat rīsūs hominum, fāmamque dicācis,
Fingere quī nōn vīsa potest, commissa tacēre
Quī nequit; hic niger est, hunc tū, Rōmāne, cavētō.

āmīcus, -ī, m., friend.

rōdō, -ere, -sī, -sum, gnaw, backbite, slander, disparage.

nōn, adv., no, not.

dēfendō, -ere, -dī, -fēnsus, ward off, repel, defend.

culpō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, to reproach, blame, condemn (ablative absolute).

solūtus, -a, -um, free, uncontrolled.

captō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, strive after, grasp, provoke.

rīsus, -ūs, m., laughter.

fāma, -ae, f., report, rumor, fame, reputation.

dicāx, -ācis, sarcastic, witty.

fingō, -ere, finxī, fictus, put on, feign.

videō, -ēre, vīsī, vīsum, see, observe.

commissum, -ī, n., a secret, trust.

taceō, -ēre, tacuī, tacitus, be silent, not speak.

nequeō, nequīre, nequīvī, nequitus, be unable, cannot.

hic, haec, hoc, demonstr. pron., he, she, it, this.

niger, -gra, -grum, black, dark, bad, wicked.

tū, tuī, tibi, tē, tē, pers. pron. 2nd sing., you, thou.

Rōmānus, -ī, m., a Roman.

caveō, -ēre, cāvī, cautus, beware, take care, guard against (future active imperative).