new to Latin and i need a quick translation..... lazy i know

AriasStella · Post by **AriasStella** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:17 pm

i have recently begun studying M&F's Latin on my own. i have a phrase that i would like help with translating from english into latin. not sure if i have the right conjugations, so any help would be grateful. the phrase:

Only the Rainmaker can help cleanse me.

also the "Rainmaker" is a female, so.....

please help

Selvete

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:35 am

No problem!

The Roman feminine word for Rainmaker is "nubes."

So your sentence would run thus:

Sola nubes obscenitatem meam abligurire potest.

adz000 · Post by **adz000** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:03 pm

Whoa! Be careful whom you call an abligurritor!

There are definite sexual connotations with that word.

obscenitatem

From ob - scena? I'm not sure the kind of dirtiness we're dealing with here is that kind. Though if there's regular abligurrire, it's possible we might be. Maybe I'm not quite catching the joke.

Latin doesn't do compound nouns well and I'm not sure that nubes really captures the sense of a person making rain.

Sola, quae fundit/spargit/facit (?) imbres, me adiuvare potest ablui.

I feel a bit uncomfortable with my sentence too.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 5:39 pm

I feel a bit uncomfortable with my sentence too.

The idea of "helping" only weakens what should be a powerful statement. It is like saying that a Pop-Tart is "part" of a complete breakfast: it says nothing.

I know my translation was pretty good, but you are right that I was getting a little fancy with the suggestive vocabulary.

Here's the plain way of saying it, which takes the best from our two sentences, although now it is a little less compact:

sola puella aquam faciens me libidine nudare potest.

The most literal translation goes thus:

Only the girl who sends rain can cleanse me of my sin.

Of course, "libidine" is an ablative of separation, not means.

Ah, perfect. This time nobody should be able to find fault with it, since there is only one way of reading the neutral vocabulary.

adz000 · Post by **adz000** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 6:17 pm

Hmm, you're certainly right about the adiuvo not adding anything. But perhaps I shouldn't have discouraged you from elegant vocabulary.

Do you think for aquam we could use lotium? In its primary definition of 'water for washing' (lotio) I think it would be a rather piquant way to characterize the rain and bring out the 'washing' aspect of the sentence.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 6:27 pm

Do you think for aquam we could use lotium? In its primary definition of 'water for washing' (lotio) I think it would be a rather piquant way to characterize the rain and bring out the 'washing' aspect of the sentence.

Ah you are quite clever, I see! Either way is possible, and just as good. I'm so glad we could help a poor student with her homework or new tatoo!

AriasStella · Post by **AriasStella** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 9:50 pm

Thank you guys very much for your help. I really appreciate it, and yes it is for a new tattoo....

I actually liked the lieteral translation of the phrase a lot better than my own.

Ha. Poor student? abosolutely. Her.... no, Aria is my daughter

Once again though, thank you very much, and I now know where to come with help in my studies.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 9:58 pm

Hmmm well if it's for a permanent tattoo, we'd better ask Benissimus since he knows much more latin than we do, and we frequently make honest mistakes. We wouldn't want you to have a poorly translated tattoo!

Benisssimus · Post by **Benisssimus** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:28 am

It's a good thing you asked! Pete, your translation is terrible. The words hardly match up with the sense. It is very rare for "nudare" to take an ablative of separation, and it is equally rare for it to signify cleansing. Try something simple like this:

Sola imbrem fundens mihi peccata abluere potest.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:31 am

Oh whoops... I just looked up "nudare," and you're right: my translation is terrible. But yours is much better. I meant it as in a way stripping away sin.... It's a good thing you pointed that out. I just hope he hasn't gone and gotten it tattoed already....

PS. Ben, I'm sorry about that small license I just took in that last post, but I felt compelled by the circumstances. It won't happen again.

benissimus · Post by **benissimus** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:35 am

Benisssimus wrote:It's a good thing you asked! Pete, your translation is terrible. The words hardly match up with the sense. It is very rare for "nudare" to take an ablative of separation, and it is equally rare for it to signify cleansing. Try something simple like this:

Sola imbrem fundens mihi peccata abluere potest.

That was harsh and I have no memory of writing it... must have been that pill I took...

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:39 am

Well, my Greek teacher always warned me about that instable sigma.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:41 am

At any rate, you give better translations on pills than I ever do at the best of times. I agree that

Sola imbrem fundens mihi peccata abluere potest.

is a much better translation than the one I gave.

Literal translation: Only she who pours the rain can wash away my sins.

Episcopus · Post by **Episcopus** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:47 am

BAN BAN BAN

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 4:25 pm

BAN BAN BAN

Ah, an emotional translation rather than a literal one!

Episcopus, I am surprised by your knowledge of the proto-indo-european form of "banous," the so-called "purifying thunder of Diopittar." It is rarely seen even by the time of Archaic Latin. Again, you have impressed me with that poetic vocative "ban(e)". Indeed the triple invocation of Banus seems to convey the desperation with which one might call for divine absolution. And I didn't miss that the multiplied plosive consonants echo the sound onomatapoeically--your skill has not gone unnoticed, believe me.

But unfortunately, "banous" is masculine and so is Jupiter (or "Diopittar" in the old tongue), who is in fact the true agent impied wherever his "banous" is called upon. Thus while your translation is quite good, you are missing out on one of the few things she requested: that the rainmaker be feminine.

Episcopus · Post by **Episcopus** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 4:52 pm

Pete how about you write a Latin work whose quality be the dynamis of the square root of the quanitity of half of any of my two works, then you may be so ineffectively and embarrassingly pompous

i.e. your Latin is utter BOLLOCKS go home seriously don't even try

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:11 pm

You coward with the face of a dog and the heart of a deer, if you know any Latin, a god has given you this I think, but I am the best and I dare you to come down yourself to the hollow ships of the flashing-eyed Achaeans and prove it ain't so, having taken away any prize of mine you have not given!

Truly he who counselled you thus to dishonour me in public has put to you in your heart a foul opinion and an unwise judgement, and it will rest heavy on you in times to come.

Episcopus · Post by **Episcopus** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 10:21 am

Although you may be some sad strange being, I do not say this in order to offend you, I am just being honest: your latin bears the retarded simplicity of Ecce Romani; banal, worthless, lacking. Whether you choose to take that as the fact that it is will be your choice. Looking at your latin I doubt that, so come on another insult or pile of bollocks.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:08 pm

Although you may be some sad strange being, I do not say this in order to offend you, I am just being honest: your latin bears the retarded simplicity of Ecce Romani; banal, worthless, lacking. Whether you choose to take that as the fact that it is will be your choice. Looking at your latin I doubt that, so come on another insult or pile of bollocks.

Well, I was simply trying to help someone with what Latin knowledge I had. If I were better, I would write better. In fact, I already admitted that Benissimus's sentence was better, so give me a break ok? I didn't see you helping anyone.

I don't see how my charity merits your arrogance and verbal abuse, but it is clear that your head is swollen with ugly visions of your own supposed greatness, and you look down on all others with contempt.

Kasper · Post by **Kasper** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:02 pm

Well, I was simply trying to help someone with what Latin knowledge I had. If I were better, I would write better. In fact, I already admitted that Benissimus's sentence was better, so give me a break ok? I didn't see you helping anyone.

Pete, I couldn't agree more.