I was searching for synonyms for "song", and this came up: "disjecta membra poetae"


Obviously another language... perhaps Latin? (Father Steve?) ...I was wondering what's the exact definition of it... for as always, Google wasn't very fruitful, but the phrase evidently appears in many English documents... only not in dictionaries.

this came up near the top of a google. (for searches like this make sure you put the phrase in quotes; otherwise you get gar-bage.):

Horace’s disjecta membra poetae – limbs of a dismembered poet

> limbs of a dismembered poet

whoa. that be some serious metaphor.

Ahh, thanks. Any idea what does the metaphorical reference of it means? ...definitely not something I could use as a grandiloquent synonym for "song" ..

no, I can see the metaphor. a song is a child, or a part of a poet. pretty damnediloquent if you ask me....

If you don't like his poetry don't read it - dismembering the guy seems a bit extreme.

This poem's gonna cost you an arm and a leg!

Iambic pentameter's an armless pursuit.

Gives a whole new meaning to "getting footless"

I would translate the phrase as the scattered limbs of a poet. Seems a fitting metaphor for a song from the poet who told us that dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (it is sweet and dignified to die for one's country).

damn, I'd got it down as I got chucked outa the poetry club - still, close...

close

Latin disjecta is the past participle of dicio 'to disperse, scatter'; it's an adjective modifying membra (neuter nom. pl.) 'limbs', and not the gen. sg. of poeta, poetae. :et's see, club would be clava, no, wait, that's a cudgel, not a group. How about ex societate poetarum jactus sum?