Saltem hodie, inquit mater, noli cum fratre contendere; cras enim rursus ludere poteritis.

Saltem means at least, and hodie means today. Together they mean at least today.

Putting them first gives them emphasis. The mother is basically saying: if nothing else, at least today don’t quarrel.

So the opening sets the tone before the actual command appears.

Inquit mater means said the mother or the mother said.

Latin often inserts inquit into direct speech as a kind of parenthetical expression. English can do something similar with ..., said Mother, ..., though Latin uses it more naturally and more often.

So:

• Saltem hodie ... noli ... = the actual words spoken
• inquit mater = the interruption telling us who is speaking

It is not unusual at all for Latin to place a speech tag in the middle like this.

Inquit is a very common verb used specifically for introducing or interrupting direct speech. It means he/she says/said, but in narrative English we usually translate it as said.

Even though it looks present in form, it is often used where English uses a past tense. You can think of it as a conventional storytelling verb.

So inquit mater is just a very standard Latin way to write said Mother.

This is the normal way to give a negative command to one person in Latin:

• noli
  • infinitive = do not ... to one person
• nolite
  • infinitive = do not ... to more than one person

Here:

• noli = do not (singular)
• contendere = to contend / argue / quarrel

So noli contendere means do not quarrel or don’t argue.

This is one of the first important command patterns Latin learners meet.

This is a very natural thing to notice.

• noli is singular, so the mother is addressing one child
• poteritis is plural, so later she is talking to both children together

The idea is something like:

• You, don’t quarrel with your brother today
• Tomorrow, you two will be able to play again

So the command is aimed at one child, but the future result involves both siblings.

Because it follows cum, and the preposition cum takes the ablative case when it means with.

So:

• cum = with
• fratre = ablative singular of frater (brother)

Together, cum fratre means with your brother.

This is a very common Latin pattern:

• cum amico = with a friend
• cum puella = with the girl
• cum fratre = with a brother

Contendere can have several meanings depending on context, such as:

• to strive
• to contend
• to compete
• to argue / quarrel

Here, because it is followed by cum fratre and occurs in a family context, it most naturally means to quarrel or to argue.

So noli cum fratre contendere is best understood as don’t quarrel with your brother.

Because it depends on noli.

As mentioned above, Latin commonly forms a negative command with:

• noli
  • infinitive
• nolite
  • infinitive

So in this sentence:

• noli = do not
• contendere = to quarrel

Literally, it is something like be unwilling to quarrel, but in normal English we simply say don’t quarrel.

Poteritis is the future tense, second person plural, of possum (I am able / I can).

So poteritis means:

• you all will be able
• or simply you will be able

Because the sentence has cras (tomorrow), the future tense makes perfect sense:

• cras ... ludere poteritis = tomorrow you will be able to play

Because possum is a modal verb, like English can / be able to, and it is commonly followed by an infinitive.

So:

• ludere = to play
• poteritis = you will be able

Together:

• ludere poteritis = you will be able to play

This is directly comparable to English:

• I can swim
• he could run
• they will be able to play

Latin uses the infinitive in the same kind of structure.

Enim usually means for, indeed, or you see. Here it introduces the reason for the command:

• don’t quarrel today
• for tomorrow you will be able to play again

A very important point: enim is a postpositive word. That means it usually comes second in its clause, not first.

So:

• cras enim rursus ludere poteritis

not usually:

• enim cras ...

This second-position habit is normal for enim and a few other Latin particles.

Rursus means again or back again.

So cras enim rursus ludere poteritis means:

• for tomorrow you will be able to play again

It suggests that today’s quarrel should stop because there will be another chance tomorrow.

To an English speaker, yes, it may feel unusual, but it is perfectly normal Latin.

A more mechanically ordered version might look like this:

• Mater inquit: Saltem hodie noli contendere cum fratre; cras enim rursus ludere poteritis.

But Latin often moves words around for emphasis and style. In the original sentence:

• Saltem hodie comes first for emphasis
• inquit mater is inserted parenthetically
• cum fratre is placed before contendere
• cras enim rursus sets up the reason before the main verb poteritis

Latin word order is much freer than English word order, because endings show grammatical relationships more clearly.

Yes, very often.

Latin has no article like the or a, so mater could mean:

• mother
• the mother
• Mother

In a family context, English often prefers Mother or his/her mother, depending on style. If this is direct speech in a story, said Mother is often the most natural English rendering.

So inquit mater could reasonably be translated as:

• said the mother
• said Mother
• the mother said

depending on the tone of the translation.