mottoes1-msg - 10/25/00
Latin mottoes and phrases for SCA use.
NOTE: See also the files: mottoes2-msg, Latin-msg, languages-msg, Latin-online-art.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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Please note:
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A helpful hint for those wishing to translate phrases from Latin to English:
Before asking a Latin expert to translate your phrase for you, first try doing
a websearch for it. Convert the phrase, if needed, to all lower case and enclose the whole phrase in quotes for your search. There are a lot of famous Latin phrases already available on-line with translations.
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From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 11:13:25 -0500
Subject: Re: Latin Translation, Please?
>Would anyone out there be able to help me with a translation into Latin,
>please? I would like the following phrase translated and simply don't
>have the knowledge (or the time, currently) to do so myself:
>
>This, too, shall pass.
Heilsa, Margaret!
I'll take a swing at it. Try: Hic quoque transiet.
I also have a collection of short Latin phrases, painfully learned in
school, that I think would make good mottoes for folks who may be shopping
for one. Here they are:
Vestis virum reddit. (Clothes make the man).
Veritatem dies aperit. (Time discloses the truth).
Veritas numquam perit. (Truth never dies).
Vitam regit Fortuna, non sapientia. (Fortune rules our lives, not wisdom).
Vincit imitationem veritas. (Truth conquers imitation).
Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur. (A sure friend is discovered in an
unsure situation).
Numquam periculum sine periculo vincitur. (Danger is never conquered without
danger).
Nemo sine vitio est. (No one is without flaw).
Sapientia vino obumbratur. (Wisdom is overshadowed by wine).
Mens regnum bona possidet. (A noble mind possesses a kingdom).
Habet suum venenum blanda oratio. (Smooth speech has its own poison).
Fortes Fortuna adjuvat. (Fortune favors the brave).
Fortuna fortes metuit, ignavos premit. (Fortune fears the brave and crushes
the cowardly).
Stulti timent Fortunam, sapientes ferunt. (The foolish fear Fortune, the
wise endure her).
Ducunt volentem Fata, nolentum trahunt. (the Fates guide the willing and
drag the unwilling).
Parva leves capiunt animos. (Small things capture frivolous minds).
Certa stant omnia lege. (All things stand under a fixed law).
Oculi sunt in amore duces. (The eyes are leaders in love).
Justus, fortis, patiens. (Just, brave, and patient).
Ars longa, vita brevis. (Life is brief, but Art endures).
Ira furor brevis est. (Anger is brief insanity).
Forma bonum fragile est. (Good form is fragile).
Leges sine moribus vanae. (Laws without morals are empty).
Vox audita perit, litteras scripta manet. (The spoken word vanishes, the
written word remains).
In virtute posita vera felicitas. (True happiness is places in virtue).
Qui pro innocente dicit satis est eloquens. (Who speaks for the innocent is
eloquent enough).
Deo, Regi, Patriae. (God, King, Country)
Artes serviunt vitae, sapienta imperat. (Education serves our life, wisdom
commands it).
Malitia ipsa maximam partem veneni sui bibit. (Malice itself drinks the
largest part of its own poison).
Gloria unmbra virtutis est. (Glory is the shadow of virtue).
Gravis ira regum est semper. (The anger of kings is always serious).
Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit. (No mortal is wise at all hours).
Fortitudo est domina et regina virtutem. (Courage is the mistress and queen
of all virtues).
Auribus teneo lupum. (I have the wolf by the ears).
Effugere non potes necessitates; vincere potes. (You can't escape necessity,
but you can conquer it).
Hodie mihi, cras tibi. (Today is mine, tomorrow is yours). colloq for
"You'll get yours"
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam. (I will either find a way or make one).
Veritas vos liberabit. (The truth shall set you free).
Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi. (I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith).
Nil sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus. (Life has given nothing to
mortals without great labor).
Quod non dedit Fortuna, non eripuit. (What Fortune does not give, she cannot
take away).
Aut amat aut odit: nil est tertium. (Love or hate: there is no third course).
Wassail!
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
From: "V. Allan Endel" <endel at tarleton.edu>
To: Ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 15:56:40 -0500
Subject: Another Latin motto
A saying in Latin which I remember (probably because it is so short) is
"Festina lente", meaning "Make haste slowly". It was a favorite of one of
the Roman emperors, although I don't remember which one.
Alan
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 19:08:08 -0600
Subject: More Latin Mottos
I recently received requests to translate the following mottos into Latin:
Glory is fleeting, Honor is forever.
(Gloria brevis, Honor longus)
and
Be as good as your word.
("Quam probus esto quam tu fides" or "Quam probus, quam fides")
The first motto is parallel to the famous epigram, "Vita brevis, Ars longa"
(Life is short, Art endures). If you want a motto in this format (i.e., X
is temporary, y is permanent) you can simply substitute in the appropriate
pair of nouns. Since they're in the nominative case, all you have to do is
use the word as it will appear in the Latin dictionary, no grammatical
finagling required.
The second motto is listed in two forms. The first is the grammatical
version, the second is a shortened version which is much more
"motto-compatible." Latin epigrams frquently can leave out grammatical
constructions essential to a sentence and still be understood. The
"grammatical" sentence reads "You should be as good as your given word"
while the second is literally "As good as the sworn word" ... like the first
motto listed above, there are no verbs (the grammatical version of "Glory is
fleeting, Honor endures" would be "Gloria brevis est, Honor longa est.")
Wassail and God Jul,
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
(Who is seriously considering translating, "The joys of peerage are
fleeting, Circles go on forever, and ever, and ever..." to use as my own motto!)
From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Translation/Latin
Date: 30 Dec 1996 16:04:25 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Jason C Kolton <kolton at kitts.u.arizona.edu> wrote:
> I would be most appreciatitive if there is someone out there who
>could translate a phrase into latin for me. That phrase is "In God there
>is Truth." I would be very thankful for any help.
In Deo veritas.
Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE djheydt at uclink
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: ansteorra at eden.com, sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 10:18:37 -0600
Subject: More Latin Translations
I had a request to translate another Latin phrase, which I will share with
the rest of you for the benefit of those who collect such things.
"Time flies, whether you're having fun or not."
Tempus fugit utrum ludis necne.
Wassail,
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin Translation of this phrase, please?
Date: 16 Jan 1997 17:05:20 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Anonymous <CS23001 at MAINE.MAINE.EDU> wrote:
>Would appreciate a latin translation of this phrase:
>
> " If lost, please return to: "
>
>or something close in meaning.
OK, I can do this, but let me first explain a difference in
usage.
The English phrase you quote is short for "If [this thing is]
lost [and found, would the finder] please return [it] to
(name and/or address of owner)." The lost thing is being spoken
of in the third person.
But in period you tended to get inscriptions where, as it were,
the object speaks for itself in the first person. "A made me."
"A made me for B." "B owns me; may God keep her; a curse on any
who steals me." "Alfred commanded me to be made."
So what you want is
Si erro, reduc me ad [name].
"If I wander, lead me back to [name]."
If you'll send me email with the name of the group you want
your wanderer returned to, I'll try and Latinate it for you.
Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE djheydt at uclink
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: Casey Weed <nextristan at n-link.com>
CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 02:34:35 -0600
Subject: Re: More Latin Mottos
You said:
>I beg your assistance again on the issue of translation to Latin those words
>I would use as my motto: "Tis better to give than recieve." Although my
>younger brother Adolphus wears the tonsure of the Benedictine order in
>nearby Trier, he is jealous of my station and frowns on the small time I
>dedicated to learning the higher tongue. The last time I asked him for a
>similar boon- to paint in Latin the words "follow me" on the back of my
>surcoat just before we took the field at Seckenheim in June of last year- he
>saw a time to lower my standing with the right good Elector Frederick... and
>when I see him next I will show him the true meaning of "kick me."
You had been told:
>"Melio est dare quam recipere."
The proper Latin for "It is better to give than to receive" is:
Melior dare quam accipere est.
"recipere" while it looks like it would be correct actually means "to keep
back, to keep in reserve, to withdraw" while "accipere" is "to take, to
receive, to accept" -- and of course we get our modern words receive and
accept from these Latin roots, but nuance has shifted slightly. The other
change from what you were given is in the word order. The phrase I have
given above has a more classical word order, with the verb falling at the
end of the sentence (as in formal Ciceronian oratory). Latin has no word
order per se, as the word forms tell you the part of speech you're looking
at, so you can put "est" (to be) either at the front or the back and not
affect the meaning. If you plan on using this phrase as a motto, you'd drop
the verb altogether... most mottos lack the obvios verb when it's a form of
the verb "to be", thus:
Melior dare quam accipere
would be a good motto.
Just so that you will not be deceived by your overeducated brother in the
future, "Follow me!" is:
Sequare me!
While "Kick me!" is:
Calcitrate me!
Bona fortuna!
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: "Koch, KA Kimberly (4384)" <KochKA at gvlmailrtr.gvl.esys.com>
CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 05:00:26 -0600
Subject: Re: translation
>I have been comissioned to do Mikaela's duchy scroll. In the original that I'm
>working from, part of the design incorporates a short Latin motto
>repeated over and over. Since Mikaela doesn't have a motto of her own
>as yet, the most obvious choice of phrase for her scroll seemed to me to
>be (gods of authenticity forgive me) "party on". Would it be possible
>for you to work up a translation for me? I would really appreciate any
>help you could give me.
Heilsa, Thyra!
OK. As you undoubtedly are aware, "party on" is Valley-speak. The nearest
equivalent in Latin is:
Usque Comissor (Party continually in the here and now)
or
Usque Comissare (Party continually into the future)
Here I have used usque in its meaning as on=continually.
Comissor, -are is a First Conjugation deponent verb emaning literally "to
join in bacchanalian celebration," "to revel," or "to guzzle wine or alcohol."
In general, I think the second translation with the future imperative makes
a better motto.
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: CRICKETRED at aol.com
CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 06:01:11 -0600
Subject: Re: latin???
>"While others debate the why, I have done the how."
Heilsa, Letha.
This is a tough one. Latin does not use "how" or "why" as nouns, as you
have them in this sentence. They appear as adverbs. To say this in Latin,
you have to modify it somewhat to say, "While others debate why a thing is,
I have done the thing." Of course, there may be some colloquial way of
saying this that I do not know... otherwise it is thus:
Tempus alii disputant quapropter res est, effeci.
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
From: clevin at ripco.com (Craig Levin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin Translation of simple Phrase
Date: 16 Feb 1997 18:57:51 GMT
Organization: Ripco Internet BBS, Chicago
Shire2308 <shire2308 at aol.com> wrote:
>"Here too Virtue has it's reward".
>I saw it etched on the blade of a sword at the Royal Armory in Madrid,
>Spain. I would like to have it engraved on a ring I'm having made.
>Armando Rafael D'Euzkadi
Sure, I'll give it a roll:
Hic quoque virtus proprium remunerationem habet.
Literally, "Here also virtue has its own special reward."
--
http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~clevin/index.html
clevin at ripco.com
Craig Levin
From: clevin at ripco.com (Craig Levin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Another Latin translation
Date: 21 Feb 1997 15:03:50 GMT
Organization: Ripco Internet BBS, Chicago
Chris Bays <coyote at pagan.com> wrote:
> If you please, is there anyone who could translate the
>following phrase into Latin for me?
> "Dreams are the Seedlings of Reality"
Somnia sunt surculos veritatis.
--
http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~clevin/index.html
clevin at ripco.com
Craig Levin
From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin translation, please?
Date: 31 Mar 1997 20:34:26 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
A while back somebody posted,
>>> :: Can someone give me the Latin for "Your mother wears army boots"? I used
>>> :: to know it - it retranslates as "Your mother wears the samdals of a
>>> :: soldier" ....
Mater tua caligas gerit.
Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE djheydt at uclink
From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin translation please...
Date: 2 May 1997 15:25:28 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
BlackCat =^. .^= <blackcat at blueneptune.com> wrote:
>"In His spirit, the strength"
In spiritu eius virtus.
Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE djheydt at uclink
From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Help in Latin Translation
Date: 9 May 1997 16:04:17 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Shung Yar <alsaden at singnet.com.sg> wrote:
>....help me translate "Men of Power and Glory",
Viri Potestatis et Gloriae. (I'm assuming that you mean "men" =
"heroes" = "fighting men" = "male humans", as would've been used
in period. If you want to include female humans also, use
"Homines" instead of "Viri.")
and "We don't let the bastards get us down" into Latin....
Nothos nos permolere non sinimus.
Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE djheydt at uclink