# Dum differtur, vita transcurrit



## ezurus

Is this Italian?  If not, what language is it?  If it is, can you please tell me what it means in English.  I have no knowledge of Italian whatsoever (obviously).  Thanks a bunch for your help.


----------



## Flaminius

Hello *ezurus*,

...and welcome to the Latin forum.  

It means, "While waiting, life goes away."


----------



## Cagey

Yes, this is Latin, as a kindly moderator has realized.

Translation:  "While one delays, life passes by."

(This has crossed Flaminus' post, and is another way of wording it.)


----------



## Anne345

_transcurrit_ may be a perfect : 
"While waiting, life went away." 
"While one delays, life passed by."


----------



## Cagey

Anne345 said:


> _transcurrit_ may be a perfect :
> "While waiting, life went away."
> "While one delays, life passed by."



Yes, but this is a sentence from Seneca's Epistle 1, Book 1.  Seneca is urging his _friend_ not to waste time.  Hence, I take it to express a general rule, with _transcurrit_ in the present.


----------



## wonderment

Cagey said:


> Translation:  "While one delays, life passes by."



But Cagey, time doesn't just pass by in a la-di-dah way, it _hurries_ by (transcurro), no? All the more reason to _carpe diem_, as Horace reminds us. Or in the immortal words of U2's Bono: "It's a beautiful day...don't let it get away!"


----------



## Cagey

wonderment said:


> But Cagey, time doesn't just pass by in a la-di-dah way, it _hurries_ by (transcurro), no? All the more reason to _carpe diem_, as Horace reminds us. Or in the immortal words of U2's Bono: "It's a beautiful day...don't let it get away!"



Right you are. How about:

While you delay, life hurries by.​
Feel free to improve on this.  

(Because an AE speaker requested the translation, I am replacing "one" with "you".)


----------



## wonderment

Cagey said:


> How about:
> 
> While you delay, life hurries by.​
> Feel free to improve on this.



I can't. It's provisionally perfect.


----------

