Translating Latin into English

[Pepper Kittie]

It's sure been a while since I've been here ^__^ I need some help, if anyone would be kind enough to try to help me. For my homework I have to translate one of my Choir songs, "Serve Bone" by Orlando di Lasso, before Monday. I've tried a few sites like italatin.com and freetranslation.com, but the translations I get don't make any sense at all. Here's the lyrics to the song:

Serve bone et fidelis,
quia in pauca fuisti fidelis,
fuisti fi delis,
supra multa te constituam,
constituam:
in tra, intra in gaudium
Domini in gaudium
in gaudium Domini Dei tui.

I'm pretty sure that it's latin and I need an english translation. Could anyone direct me to a good translation site, or find a way to translate it for me?

[Arnobius]

http://www.quicklatin.com/
site has a program for it, but I didn't try it, so no idea if it's good or not.

but doing a Latin google, I think this is the translation

Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou has been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

[Pepper Kittie]

That's it! I'm sure! You're the best, Animeheretic!! ^___^ The best translation that I could get was only half-translated and the words were really mixed up, but from what I got from it the words it did translate fit with that perfectly. And the way the song itself sounds seems to really fit that verse. Latin songs are so beautiful... I love when we sing them in choir, and most of the time they're sacred songs about the Lord. In a very anti-Christian school, singing songs about God is always an amazing thing.

Thank you so very much. You saved my life X3

[Arnobius]

That's it! I'm sure! You're the best, Animeheretic!! ^___^ The best translation that I could get was only half-translated and the words were really mixed up, but from what I got from it the words it did translate fit with that perfectly. And the way the song itself sounds seems to really fit that verse. Latin songs are so beautiful... I love when we sing them in choir, and most of the time they're sacred songs about the Lord. In a very anti-Christian school, singing songs about God is always an amazing thing.

Thank you so very much. You saved my life X3

Glad that's it.
That chant is part of the old Latin Mass, actually-- or at least that's where I found the text

http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/05Feb/feb4pom.htm if you need it for reference. I just did a ctrl+f and then entered the text.

[Ashley]

By the way, there are 2 different kinds of Latin taught now.

The latin you quoted is Ecclesiastical Latin--used by the church. It's vastly different (more than you would think) than Julian/Caesearean/Classical latin, which is taught in most public high schools. I have 4 years of classical latin behind me, but I could still barely translate what you wrote. Classical latin is what Julius Caesar spoke in; ecclesiastical latin is centuries older and has thus changed quite a bit.

[Arnobius]

[quote="Ashley"]By the way, there are 2 different kinds of Latin taught now.

The latin you quoted is Ecclesiastical Latin--used by the church. It's vastly different (more than you would think) than Julian/Caesearean/Classical latin, which is taught in most public high schools. I have 4 years of classical latin behind me, but I could still barely translate what you wrote. Classical latin is what Julius Caesar spoke in]
Interesting. I'll defer to you on this, but it was my understanding that the difference was pronunciaion (ee-yu-li-os kay-sar vs Julius Caesar). Live and learn I guess.

I presume you meant Ecclesiastical Latin was newer? I mean Julius Caeser lived before Jesus Christ was born, if I recall correctly, and the Church didn't predate Christ...

Latin is taught in most high schools? I didn't know that.

[Ashley]

Interesting. I'll defer to you on this, but it was my understanding that the difference was pronunciaion (ee-yu-li-os kay-sar vs Julius Caesar). Live and learn I guess.

It's a little more complex than that. It's like comparing middle french to modern french. As people spoke it, they changed parts of it, changed the pronounciation, and of course the church added words like Mary, Jesus, etc.

I presume you meant Ecclesiastical Latin was newer? I mean Julius Caeser lived before Jesus Christ was born, if I recall correctly, and the Church didn't predate Christ...

Yes, Ecclesiastical is much "newer" than classical latin. As I said, it's just an older version of English. It's not like british english v. american english, there are actual grammatical and syntaxt(ual) differences.

Latin is taught in most high schools? I didn't know that.

I meant, most high schools that offer latin offer classical latin, not ecclesiastical. Of course in catholic schools, it's more likely that it'd be the latter...

By the way, just for kicks, here is what the pledge of allegiance is in (classical) latin:

fidem meum obligo
vexillo civitatum
americae foderitarunt
pro qua stat
uni nationi
deo ducente
non dividendae
cum libertate
ustitiaque
omnibus

[Mr. SmartyPants]

the ony prayer i can remember in latin is the hail mary

ave maria
gracias plena
dominus tecam

... crud i don't remember

i think im actually failing my latin class =(

[Pepper Kittie]

We sang a song called Ave Maria in school ^__^ We sing a lot of latin songs. I didn't know that there were different kinds, Ashley. That's really cool. My school doesn't teach Latin... I wish it did, that'd be so much fun to take!

[Arnobius]

We sang a song called Ave Maria in school ^__^ We sing a lot of latin songs. I didn't know that there were different kinds, Ashley. That's really cool. My school doesn't teach Latin... I wish it did, that'd be so much fun to take!

Is that the one that goes something like
"Immaculate Mary your praises we sing
You reign now in splendor with Jesus our King"

[Pepper Kittie]

I'm not sure. I've never tried to translate it ^^; It's funny because there's so many different songs called Ave Maria that have the same words, too. The beginning of it is "Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum benedictatu in mulieribus" I think.

[Arnobius]

[quote="Pepper Kittie"]I'm not sure. I've never tried to translate it ^^]
Oh, ok that's the "Hail Mary" in Latin I believe.

I regret never being able to take Latin. It would be nice to have been able to read the Church fathers in the original. (Once upon a time had hoped to get a Ph.D, but God had other plans, I guess).

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum benedictatu in mulieribus

et benidictus fructius sanctius iesus. Sancta maria, mater dai. Ora pro nobis pecatoribus, nunc in horia mortis nostris amen

yay i remembered!

[Ashley]

I regret never being able to take Latin. It would be nice to have been able to read the Church fathers in the original. (Once upon a time had hoped to get a Ph.D, but God had other plans, I guess).

I guess I make up for it. People never fail to ask me if I'm catholic when I tell them I took latin in high school. They're always shocked that I am not. Outside of the church, there are a lot of other pratical uses for it; it's a very handy language to know. I look forward to taking Greek in the upcoming years as I pursue my masters in missiology (missionary work).

[Arnobius]

[quote="Ashley"]I guess I make up for it. People never fail to ask me if I'm catholic when I tell them I took latin in high school. They're always shocked that I am not. Outside of the church, there are a lot of other pratical uses for it]
Greek was another one I wanted to take. I'm rusty but could read the alphabet, and was doing prelim flashcard work when the financial aid for classes fell through and I found out I had to look for work instead of getting a doctorate.

I hope you succeed with your plans though

[Puguni]

Latina quidem est pretiosa mihi. Mea magistra unicissma. Eheu, nescio satis Latina et posceo librum.

Yeah...my problem is lack of vocabulary. Latin pushes your Verbal SAT score up!

[Ashley]

Capio alter aspera--I have the opposite problem. Grammar was always my weakness. I knew the words easily, I just had problems with figuring out how they fit together exactly. ^^;;;

[Arnobius]

[quote="Ashley"]Capio alter aspera--I have the opposite problem. Grammar was always my weakness. I knew the words easily, I just had problems with figuring out how they fit together exactly. ^^]
I remember having a book "Latin Grammar for English Speakers", but the problem was I was so badly taught in public schools, I didn't know much about the elements of a sentence past noun adjective verb...

[Pepper Kittie]

You're going into missionary work, Ashley? That's really awesome ^__^ I am too! I have no clue what field or where, but I know that God's calling me to be a missionary somehow ^^ I'll make sure to pray for you.

[Ashley]

You're going into missionary work, Ashley? That's really awesome ^__^ I am too! I have no clue what field or where, but I know that God's calling me to be a missionary somehow ^^ I'll make sure to pray for you.

Thank you! I haven't made any official threads on it or anything; I planned on doing so once I got into seminary officially. Yes, prayers are very appreciated cause it's a very scary field to go into. However, I know I am meant to do it...and that God will be with me...so I'm not *too* scared. ^^

[termyt]

[quote="Ashley"]Capio alter aspera--I have the opposite problem. Grammar was always my weakness. I knew the words easily, I just had problems with figuring out how they fit together exactly. ^^]


I think you must have done better than me in Latin, then. I could never understand the word, but I knew exactly what they were doing in the sentence. At least I could probably have translated more from Latin to English if I could have remembered what the words meant.

Understanding grammar does you know good if you don't understand the words. At least you can make a guess if you know what the words mean.

[Azier the Swordsman]

[quote="Ashley"]Thank you! I haven't made any official threads on it or anything]

Any particular countries picked out?

[Ashley]

No, not yet. I have considered everywhere from Jamaica to Israel...and well, it still remains that I have a big heart for the whole world that needs to be refined. I plan on making a big post about it when I get in/find out where my calling is for.