Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!
“Alas, how hard it is not to betray guilt in one’s face!”
Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.447
What does “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!” mean?
Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu! translates as “Alas, how hard it is not to betray guilt in one’s face!”
A guilty conscience shows on the face.
“Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Heu | alas | interjection of grief or distress |
| quam | how | exclamatory adverb modifying difficile |
| difficile | hard, difficult | nominative singular neuter of difficilis, -e, “difficult”; predicate, agreeing with the infinitive phrase that is the subject |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, esse, “to be” |
| crimen | guilt, wrongdoing | accusative singular of crimen, criminis (neuter), “charge, guilt”; object of prodere |
| non | not | negative adverb, negating prodere |
| prodere | to betray, to reveal | present active infinitive of prodo, prodere, “to betray, give away”; with its object, the subject of est |
| vultu | by one’s face | ablative singular of vultus, vultus (masculine), “face, expression”; ablative of means |
How to pronounce “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!”
Heu is one syllable, and Church Latin drops its h. The c of difficile is k or ch, and the v of vultu is w or v. Difficile is stressed on its second syllable.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “alas, how difficult it is not to betray guilt by one’s face”. It is Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.447.
It comes from the story of Callisto, a nymph in the company of the goddess Diana. After Jupiter has assaulted her, she returns to Diana’s band and tries to hide what has happened, but her face and downcast eyes give her away. Ovid comments on her with this sigh.
Out of context the line has become a general saying about a guilty conscience showing in the face. In the poem, though, Callisto is a victim, and her “guilt” is the shame forced on her.
How to use “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!”
It suits an epigraph for an essay on conscience or honesty, a caption for a candid portrait, or a wry note to someone who cannot keep a secret.
- Latin
- Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!
- English
- Alas, how hard it is not to betray guilt in one’s face!
- Source
- Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.447
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Truth
Common mistakes
- Crimen here means guilt or a charge, not a crime in the legal sense.
- In the poem it is Ovid’s comment on Callisto’s situation, so reading it as a moral about wrongdoers misses that she is innocent.
- Heu is a cry of grief, not a greeting like English “hey”.
Questions about “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!”
What does “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu” mean?
“Alas, how hard it is not to betray guilt in one’s face.”
Who wrote “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu”?
Ovid, in the Metamorphoses, book 2, line 447, in the story of the nymph Callisto.
Is “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu” about a criminal?
No. In the poem it describes Callisto, who tries to hide the shame of Jupiter’s assault but cannot keep it from her face.
How do you pronounce “Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu”?
Classical: hehoo kwahm dif-FIH-kih-leh est KREE-men nohn PROH-deh-reh WOOL-too. In Church Latin difficile becomes dif-FEE-chee-leh and vultu VOOL-too.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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