is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

translation of an aphorism coming originally from Greek. It roughly translates to "skillfulness takes time and life is short". The aphorism quotes the first two lines of the

Aphorisms An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by tra ...

by the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

physician Hippocrates: "". The familiar Latin translation reverses the order of the original lines, but can express the same principle.

Translations

The original text, a standard Latin translation, and an English translation from the Greek follow.

Interpretation

Despite the common usage of the Latin version, ''Ars longa, vita brevis'', the usage caveat is about the Greek original that contains the word tékhnē (''technique'' and ''craft'') that is translated as the Latin ''ars'' (art) as in the usage '' The Art of War''. The authorship of the aphorism is ascribed to the physician Hippocrates, as the preface of his medical text: “The physician must not only be prepared to do what is right himself, but also to make the patient, the attendants, and externals cooperate”.

In academia

The phrase was used as the title of the dissertation of James Morris Whiton, who, in 1861, was one of the first three men to earn a PhD from an American university.

Similar sayings

The late-medieval author Chaucer (–1400) observed "The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne" ("The life so short, the craft so long to learn", the first line of the Parlement of Foules). The first-century CE rabbi Tarfon is quoted as saying "The day is short, the labor vast, the workers are lazy, the reward great, the Master urgent." ( Avot 2:15). A light-hearted version in England, thought to have originated in Shropshire, is the pun "Bars longa, vita brevis" i.e. so many bars (or pubs) to visit, in so short a life. In 1890, Ariel, a London illustrated newspaper, announced a great national cycling song competition. Frederic Cowen was chosen to adjudicate the competiton, which received no less than 304 entries. The winner was a song composed by Mr C. Francis Lloyd, of South Shields, and the title of his composition was Vita Brevis Ars Longa.Newcastle Daily Chronicle, Thu 4 Sep 1890 p. 4

References

External links