please help translate into latin

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runthreed
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please help translate into latin

Post by runthreed »

i need a translation of "gods in his heaven, alls right with the world"<br /><br />i have tryed myself but i am sure that is is full of mistakes.<br />please mail me at endthestory@hotmail.com or just respond if you are able to translate this. <br />thank you.

Milito
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Re:please help translate into latin

Post by Milito »

Okay, bearing in mind that I'm much happier going from Latin to English..... Try<br /><br />Deus in caelo est, omnia in mundo fas sunt.<br /><br />Anyone wish to comment on this attempt?<br /><br />Milito

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Re:please help translate into latin

Post by Elucubrator »

Your:<br /><br />"gods in his heaven, alls right with the world"<br /><br />would best be rendered into Latin thus:<br /><br />Deus in caelo; recte sunt omnia in orbe.

Milito
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Re:please help translate into latin

Post by Milito »

Umm.... I was wondering about the correct translation of "right". I thought it might be "fas" due to the association with God. And, for interest, why "orbis" as opposed to "mundus"? (Seriously, I'm interested in the connotational differences!)<br /><br />Milito

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Mundus ~ Orbis, Poetry, and the "Fas est" construc

Post by Elucubrator »

sorry I hadn't gotten to this sooner. I am wiped out and exhausted from work right now. without going into much detail, cause I am falling over asleep, "mundus" is a later latin word. Perhaps it is better suited to this sentence because the person who asked about it is probably a christian. Orbis is the old Roman word for the world literally = sphere, circle, orb. And the expression for the "world" in Latin was "orbis terrarum", the circle or sphere of lands. The choice of the word "orbis" then, since it is older and more poetic than the later and prosaic "mundus" seems to me to lend the sentence more gravity, and make it more beautiful. I also think it sounds nicer in the line. But maybe you are right, "mundus" might be a more literal translation, as the sentence did not seem very poetic to begin with, and it seems that rather than taking it at face value and render it directly into Latin, I was trying to improve on it and state the thought more beautifully. <br /><br />If you mind your longs and shorts you will see that I have cast the latter half of the thought as the end of a hexametre line from the caesura forward, to suggest that when "God is in heaven" things in fact do fall into order. ;)<br /><br /> recte sunt omnia in orbe.<br /><br /> -- | -- -- | -- ^ ^ | -- --<br /><br /> 4th 5th 6th metrical foot.<br /><br /><br />As for FAS. Fas, obviously, is the opposite of Nefas which = accursed, impious, contrary to the laws established by the gods, and hence "not right" in the sense "improper". <br /><br />in the translation required: "....all's right in the world." I don't believe the author means that everything in the world is not impious, or irreverent. I think he wants to say that things are in order. But the whole sentence to begin with was very vague, to be sure.<br /><br />Remember, however, that in Latin it is not possible to say "fas sunt". Fas is a singular noun, not an adjective. It cannot take a plural verb. There is an expression "Fas est" which means "it is right (i.e. religiously proper)....... <br /><br />obviously this expression leaves you begging for more information. What is religiously proper? And Latin completes the thought with an accusative and infinitive construction. So we might say, for instance, <br /><br /> Fas est bona facere. (it is right to do good things.) and <br /><br />Nefas est in deorum templis cacare. :o (in case there was any doubt) :)<br /><br />Ok, I hope that helps, it's a tough expression for English speakers. I would suggest looking up the words FAS and NEFAS and reading the entire dictionary entries on them. It will help.<br /><br />Well, looks like I wen't into some detail here, but I hope that it was useful to you.<br /><br />take care,<br /><br />Sebastian

Milito
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Re:please help translate into latin

Post by Milito »

I appreciate the explanation - much thanks! And hopefully you didn't lose too much sleep over it! To be honest, the details are part of what I really enjoy about Latin (and English, when it comes down to it). A dictionary will tell you that two different words (in Latin) mean the same thing - for example, as I ran into today, scientia and ... (bother, I've forgotten the other - cognatio I think - the book is not with me at the moment....) But both meant "knowledge", according to the dictionary. I know they must have different connotations, though, because Cicero used them side by side with an "et" in between.... The sorting out of when which word is appropriate, and exactly which flavour of meaning is implied, is endlessly interesting (if you happen to be me....) So thank you very much for going into the detail!<br /><br />I should have figured out that FAS is always singular; apparently I wasn't thinking particularly straight when I typed the verb. I suppose I ought to work more on the English-to-Latin end of translation.....<br /><br />Milito

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English ----> Latin

Post by Elucubrator »

yeah, composition will really sharpen your mind and it's a great way to learn. There are some prose comp books already scanned and posted that you can download. I think answer keys will appear somewhere as they are discovered. <br /><br />I also have some verse composition books that I've been meaning to photocopy and send to Jeff so that he will put them up. So, if you decide to work on that, let us know when you have questions ;)<br /><br />Also Scientia refers to actual facts and cognoscentia (or cognitio) refers to being acquainted with something. It's the same difference I believe, between Spanish "saber" and "conocer". Anybody feel like refining this vague explanation?<br /><br />(I really shouldn't be posting when I'm only half awake. Well, ok, maybe I'll modify this one later, unless someone else wants to take it.)<br /><br /><br />-S.

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