garden

Latin translation: Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, deerit nihil

23:12 Jan 30, 2010
English to Latin translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Agriculture / Cicero
English term or phrase: garden
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."

Sorry, the fields are slightly off, but there's no gardening or library category. It's been nearly 40 years, but this comment occurred to me when writing to a friend who has had some ups and downs but has just moved and is starting a new chapter in her life. I knew it was Cicero because my enthusiastic Latin teacher emphasized him, but despite searching in Google in various ways and seeing that the quote is often used by garden-related companies, I can't find the source or the Latin. So I would be very grateful if someone could point me in the right direction.
Many thanks in advance,
Terry
Terry Gilman
Germany
Local time: 23:12
Latin translation:Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, deerit nihil
Explanation:
I believe you wanted the translation of the whole phrase, not just the word 'garden'. The phrase is from Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 9.4.1 (a letter from Cicero to Varro). It actually means "if you have a garden IN the library ..."
Selected response from:

Ivo Volt
Estonia
Local time: 00:12
Grading comment
Yes, I was looking for the whole quote and its source. Thank you! It is very interesting that it's about having a garden *in* your library! A different slant than the one I remembered, but also true in its way.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, deerit nihil
Ivo Volt
4hortus
David Hollywood


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
hortus


Explanation:
Hortus Botanicus means "Botanical Garden" (in Latin), and at our nursery we are very much like a mini botanical garden; growing and propagating a wide range ...
www.hortusb.com/ - Cached - Similar

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Note added at 5 mins (2010-01-30 23:18:18 GMT)
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Hortus Botanicus means "Botanical Garden" (in Latin), and at our nursery we are very much like a mini botanical garden; growing and propagating a wide range ...
www.hortusb.com/ - Cached - Similar

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Note added at 6 mins (2010-01-30 23:19:40 GMT)
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In a more plastic way it is also called a "Hortus Siccus" or "dried garden". It offers a great wealth of plants of all kinds from all over the world, ...
www.bgbm.org/bgbm/garden/Bereiche/areas/hortsic.htm - Cached



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Note added at 13 mins (2010-01-30 23:26:15 GMT)
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The same stem, *ghor-dho-, may be the orgin of Latin hortus 'garden', Greek khortos, Welsh garth. Latin hortus of course provides such well-known terms as ...
www.yourdictionary.com/library/garden.html - Cached - Similar

David Hollywood
Local time: 19:12
Native speaker of: English
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need
Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, deerit nihil


Explanation:
I believe you wanted the translation of the whole phrase, not just the word 'garden'. The phrase is from Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 9.4.1 (a letter from Cicero to Varro). It actually means "if you have a garden IN the library ..."

Ivo Volt
Estonia
Local time: 00:12
Native speaker of: Native in EstonianEstonian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Yes, I was looking for the whole quote and its source. Thank you! It is very interesting that it's about having a garden *in* your library! A different slant than the one I remembered, but also true in its way.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Joseph Brazauskas
1 hr

agree  Sergey Kudryashov
17 hrs
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