Tempus fugit

Tempus fugit on a sundial

Tempus fugit is a Latin expression meaning "time flees," more commonly translated as "time flies." It is frequently used as an inscription on clocks. The expression was first recorded in the poem Georgics written by Roman poet Virgil: Sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus, singula dum capti circumvectamur amore, which means, "But meanwhile it flees: time flees irretrievably, while we wander around, prisoners of our love of detail."

The meaning is sometimes used less colloquially as: "Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes," expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.

The expression is succinct and poignant, causing it to appear in numerous ways in modern culture. It appears as titles for television episodes (The X-Files), and musical compositions (jazz pianist Bud Powell, progressive rock group Yes). It also makes many appearances in literature, television (Star Trek: Voyager, Trailer Park Boys), in Dan Brown's novel The Lost Symbol and movies such as in one of the final scenes in the original Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. But there are also computer games (like Arcanum) that use this expression for naming a spell that has impact on time - like making the player character super fast.

See also

• List of Latin phrases
• (Italian) Breve et inreparabile tempus omnibus est vitae

External links

• Ralegh's poem at an English Literature Site
• Arcanum Manual Index listing the spells of the game

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