Silent Poetry, Speaking Painting

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Endure, O Lion, though you have suffered things unendurable, with a steadfast heart; no man who is unjust has ever escaped paying the penalty. original Greek: "τλῆθι λέων, ἄτλητα παθών..." This Greek distich (a two-line poem) encourages patience during hardship and promises that the wicked will eventually face justice.

[Image Description: An elaborate heraldic engraving. At the center is a shield, divided into four sections with various designs including lions and stripes, with a smaller central shield also featuring a lion. The shield is framed by a decorative oval and topped with a crown and a small cross. Two cherub heads appear in the clouds in the upper corners. The shield is supported by two large, upright lions standing on a landscape with a city in the distance. Hanging from the base of the shield is the characteristic ram's pelt of the Order of the Golden Fleece one of the most prestigious orders of knighthood in Christendom, often associated with the Habsburg monarchy. The shield rests upon a stone pedestal.]

original Latin: "RVGIET VT CATVLI LEONVM." This refers to Isaiah 5:29, symbolizing the powerful and fearsome nature of the figure represented by the lion.

Endure your fate with an unbreakable heart, O Lion; the wicked rage of all your enemies shall be punished. original Latin: "Infragili tolerato, Leo..." This Latin verse is a poetic paraphrase of the Greek text at the top of the page, reinforcing the theme of noble resilience against "mad" or "wicked" enemies.