A forum member recently sent me a PM and requested that I translate a sentence into Latin for him. I was only happy to oblige, but as it was for a tattoo I thought we’d better get other opinions before settling the matter. The sentence is:
“The future is uncertain and the end is always near.”
I suggested this translation:
futura incerta exitus semper imminens
I also said, that he could insert an et between the two parts, adding that this might not be necessary. I also said that he might want to use posteritas (posterity) instead of futura (“things to be”) and propinquus (near) instead of imminens (imminent).
the future is uncertain and the end is always near.
posterus incertus, finis semper prope.
I took “posterus” from “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”.
A variant could be done by using “cras” but then I think “incertus” should go to the neuter. I really liked your “exitus”, amans, I hadn’t thought of it.
I think prope is a good suggestion here, as the implied verb is est - perhaps this could be rendered in English by an adverbial phrase such as “at hand”.
I also like the idea of posterus. One should perhaps use the neuter in the plural here: postera incerta? The postero in your Horace quote, which is great has an implied diei as credula takes a dative.
Perhaps one might also use a form of this word for “the end” . . .
I am, however, not sure about the reference at the end.
Our friend sent me a PM as well and asked for my opinion in addition, yet I can’t come up with anything more direct and meaningful than amans’ first idea. However! I do have a stylistic suggestion. Due to the stark nature of the tatoo desired, here is my idea for how it might look:
FVTVRA·INCERTA
EXITVS·SEMPER·IMMINENS
It recalls a little bit of the PER ME SI VA NE LA CITTÀ DOLENTE sort of doom and gloom that I’ve always been fond of.
