Here’s a little Latin you may find useful when you’re working from home, recovering at home, taking refuge at home, or being confined at home.

Domi manere convenit felicibus. — It befits those who are happy at home to remain there.

I hope that’s true for you; it’s not true for too many, because as Ovid says, “Dos est uxoria lites,” that is, strife is a wife’s dowry. May that not be your home, for domus sua cuique tutissimum refugium (every man’s home is his safest place of refuge).

Remember that a friendly house is the best of houses (domus amica domus optima), but remember also that pain compels all things (dolor omnia cogit).

You may find it useful to say to yourself and others:

• Dominus vobiscum (The Lord be with you)
• Dominus providebit (The Lord will provide)
• Dominus illuminatio mea (The Lord is my light)
• Deus det [nobis pacem] (May God give [us peace])
• Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori (God be merciful to me a sinner)

Here are a few others words you may wish to repeat, echoing the wisdom of the ages.

• Honesty is the poor man’s pork and the rich man’s pudding.
• Hope is grief’s best music, but help which is long on the road is no help.
• Keep a thing seven years, and you’ll find a use for it.
• Little fires burn up much corn.
• Love your neighbor, yet pull not down your hedge.
• Many a man asks the way he knows full well.

Found in W. Gurney Benham’s A Book of Quotations: Proverbs and Household Words (Photo by Drew Coffman on Unsplash)