"Contra vim mortis non crescit herba in hortis" (Medieval Latin: [ˈkon.traː vim ˈmor.tis non ˈkreːʃ.ʃit ˈer.ba in ˈor.tiːs] alternatively "contra vim mortis non crescit salvia in hortis") is a Latin maxim which literally translates as "no herb grows in the gardens against the power of death" or, alternatively, "no sage grows in the gardens against the power of death."[1]. In Robert Hellenga's novel The Fall of a Sparrow the translation is given as "against the strength of death, no herb grows in the garden".[2] A broader meaning of the phrase is: "nothing can revert the embrace of death." The second wording, that uses salvia in place of herba, is a wordplay with the name of "salvia" (sage), which in Latin literally means "healer", or "health maker".
See also
References
- ^ Casperson, John W. (19 June 2008). A Chalice of Miracles. AuthorHouse. p. 422. ISBN 9781434395016.
- ^ Hellenga, Robert (1998). The Fall of a Sparrow. Scribner. p. 458. ISBN 0-684-85026-5.
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This page was last edited on 7 April 2024, at 12:23