Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
“While we are talking, envious time has fled: seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.”
Horace, Odes 1.11
What does “Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero” mean?
Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero translates as “While we are talking, envious time has fled: seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.”
Time slips away even as we speak, so make the most of the present instead of relying on an uncertain future. This is the full context of the famous phrase "carpe diem".
The story behind it
These are the closing lines of Horace’s Odes 1.11, addressed to Leuconoe, who is trying to read the future in astrological tables. Horace urges her to live wisely in the present instead.
How to use “Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”
A fuller carpe diem quote for a wall print or a graduation speech.
- Latin
- Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
- English
- While we are talking, envious time has fled: seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.
- Source
- Horace, Odes 1.11
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Time
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