Emblem 34

Emblem 34

Gourd-vines climbing a pine-tree

In momentaneam felicitatemLatin

On momentary happiness

Interpretation (German): Kurzer Ruhm

Description of the imageAI-generated

Woodcut within an elaborate ornamental arabesque border: a tall pine tree in a landscape, its trunk and branches entwined by a climbing gourd vine bearing large hanging gourds, broad leaves and blossoms. The vine spreads over the ground around the tree's roots. In the background at left is water with a distant town or shoreline; low hills rise at right.

Subscriptio

Facsimile page — Facsimile; click the page to enlarge

TranscriptionAI-generated

THE fruictfull gourde, was neighboure to the Pine, And lowe at firste, abowt her roote did spread, But yet, with dewes, and siluer droppes in fine, It mounted vp, and almoste towch'de the head: And with her fruicte, and leaues on euerie side, Imbrasde the tree, and did the same deride. To whome, the Pine with longe Experience wise, And ofte had seene, suche peacockes loose theire plumes, Thus aunswere made, thow owght'st not to despise, My stocke at all, oh foole, thow much presumes. In coulde, and heate, here longe hath bene my happe, Yet am I sounde, and full of liuelie sappe. But, when the froste, and coulde, shall thee assaie, Thowghe nowe alofte, thow bragge, and freshlie bloome, Yet, then thie roote, shall rotte, and fade awaie, And shortlie, none shall knowe where was thy roome: Thy fruicte, and leaues, that nowe so highe aspire The passers by, shall treade within the mire.

TranslationAI-generated

The fruitful gourd was neighbour to the Pine, and at first spread low about her root; but yet, with dews and silver drops at length, it mounted up and almost touched the head: and with her fruit and leaves on every side embraced the tree, and derided the same. To whom the Pine, wise with long Experience, and which had often seen such peacocks lose their plumes, made this answer: thou oughtest not to despise my stock at all; oh fool, thou much presumest. In cold and heat my lot has long been here, yet am I sound and full of lively sap. But when the frost and cold shall assail thee, though now aloft thou brag and freshly bloom, yet then thy root shall rot and fade away, and shortly none shall know where was thy room: thy fruit and leaves, that now aspire so high, the passers-by shall tread within the mire.

CommentaryAI-generated

2 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)

Petrus Crinitus de honesta disciplina lib.2.cap.14.

Petrus Crinitus, On Honourable Learning, book 2, chapter 14.

Nic. Reusnerus. Cœruleus cucumis, tumidóq. cucurbita vētre, Cruda leuat, stomacho perniciosa, sitim.

Nicolaus Reusnerus. The blue-green cucumber, and the gourd with swollen belly, raw, relieve thirst, though harmful to the stomach.

Iconclass

25G13 groups of plants (herbs)

25G3(PINE)(+21) trees: pine (+ stem, trunk)

25G4(GOURD)(+34) plants and herbs (GOURD) (+ bearing fruit)

25G4(GOURD)(+39)(CLIMBING)

25H11 mountains

25H213 river

25H217 river bank

25I12 prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city

25I5 landscape with tower or castle

54F121(+4) Turn of Fate, Wheel of Fortune (+ emblematical representation of concept)

56B22(+4) Short Felicity; 'Felicità breve' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)

59B31(+4) Honour, Glory; 'Ampiezza della Gloria', 'Gloria', 'Gloria de prencipi', 'Gloria & Honore', 'Honore', 'Sublimatà della Gloria' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)

86(IN MOMENTANEAM FELICITATEM) proverbs, sayings, etc. (IN MOMENTANEAM FELICITATEM)

Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated

Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.

25G3(PINE) trees: pinehigh

The correlate 'trees: pine' directly matches the tall pine tree that dominates the woodcut.

25G21(GOURD) fruits: gourdhigh

The correlate 'fruits: gourd' matches the climbing gourd vine with large hanging gourds, also named in the commentary.

25H2 landscapes with waters, waterscapes, seascapes (in the temperate zone)medium

The correlate 'landscapes with waters, waterscapes' fits the background water with a distant shoreline/town in the landscape setting.

41C129 thirstlow

The correlate 'thirst' corresponds to the commentary's statement that raw gourd and cucumber relieve thirst, though thirst is not pictured.

Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated

Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.

IV vii 12 Flos cinis – thematic inventiomedium

Erasmus explains 'a flower is but ash' as said of the fleetingness of human life ('today young men bloom, tomorrow they will be in the tomb'), exactly the lesson of 'In momentaneam felicitatem', where the gourd that 'freshlie bloome[s]' rots at the first frost and its leaves are trodden in the mire.

I vi 93 Pennas nido maiores extendere – thematic inventiomedium

The gourd that climbs far above its lowly root to 'almoste towch' the pine's head embodies the image of spreading wings greater than the nest, i.e. rising above one's native condition; Whitney turns the metaphor to censure such over-reaching.

I vi 89 Tuo te pede metire – thematic inventiolow

Erasmus's moral—that no one should inflate himself beyond his own condition or judge himself by fortune's momentary favour—matches the pine's rebuke, 'oh foole, thow much presumes', to the briefly exalted gourd.

I vii 63 Omnium rerum vicissitudo est – thematic inventiolow

The emblem's doctrine of 'momentary happiness'—present bloom followed by rot and oblivion, while the enduring pine stays sound—illustrates the commonplace that nothing in human affairs is stable or lasting.

II vii 49 Aut cucurbitae florem aut cucurbitam – thematic inventiolow

Shares the gourd/gourd-blossom imagery and Erasmus's association of the gourd-flower with hopes quickly frustrated, which is the point of the gourd's short-lived triumph over the pine; there is, however, no verbal borrowing.