A
Anonymous
Guest
I am not a Latin student, but I have been attempting to figure out some short Latin phrases found in some songs by my favourite band, Epica.
If my poorly-attempted interpretations sound ridiculous, it is because I have never taken this language (although I would love to some day). I can kind of get the general gist of things, but I would be ever-so-grateful if someone could help me because from what I have looked up on the internet, Latin grammar is very confusing. I'll give some context (i.e. what the song is about) with each line or set of lines, along with my very rough attempt at the english, much of which doesn't appear to make sense to me, and a lot of which isn't grammatically correct.
song: "Samadhi"
song subject: not sure, just an introduction to the album, I believe. It's short and is mainly instrumental with a couple lines of latin.
the latin:
solve mentum a molestis
mentum ad concretum dirige
unum e jhanas intra
my translation attempt:
"release my mind from annoyance
scatter/distribute my mind toward condensation/hardness
one out of jhanas within/enter"
(NB: I know "jhanas" is not a latin word, so feel free to just leave it as is! I'm pretty sure it's being used as a noun but am not positive.)
song: "Resign to Surrender"
song subject: as I see it, the song is about how - through greed and obsession with wealth - people are ruining/will ruin their lives. An excerpt repeated multiple times throughout the song: "Now that all hands are tied, we're panic-stricken, wealth out of sight".
the latin:
"Terre eos vi
Augearis
Perde eos vi
Nobis imperium"
"Nobis victoria"
"Non plus ultra"
"Nec plus ultra"
My attempted translation:
"Scare them for power
Strengthen/increase
Ruin (lose?) them for power
Power/authority over us"
"Victory over us"
"Not more beyond"
"And not more beyond"
Song: "Martyr of the Free Word"
Song subject: the importance of the freedom of speech and the freedom to live one's own way of life.
the latin:
"Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine
et lux perpetua luceat eis"
My attempt at translation:
The grammar is really puzzling me on this one. I think it has something to do with asking god to grant eternal rest, and maybe something about the perpetual light of dawn?
Song: Kingdom of Heaven
Song subject: this is a really complex song... but I'm pretty sure it boils down to the idea that people need to find a happy-medium between science and spirituality, because we can't live with only one and completely ignore the other.
the latin:
"Non intellegens nil explicas
Videre nolens nil capies
Non intellegens nil explicas
Incognita non vides"
my attempt at translation:
"You do not/cannot understand nor unfold
Are unwilling to know or seize
You do not/cannot understand nor unfold
You do not see the unexamined"
Song: "Design Your Universe"
Song subject: Again, a complex song... but in a nutshell, people can and need to take control of their lives and stop being so greedy and hateful, because life has the potential to be so much better than it is now
the latin:
"Ipsum te reperies
Potire mundorum
Potire omnis mundi"
my attempted translation:
"You will discover self
To become master of worlds
To become master of all worlds"
I know this looks like a lot and I really appreciate it if you're still reading this! If anyone can help, even with just some of it, that would be WONDERFUL. Thank you!
If my poorly-attempted interpretations sound ridiculous, it is because I have never taken this language (although I would love to some day). I can kind of get the general gist of things, but I would be ever-so-grateful if someone could help me because from what I have looked up on the internet, Latin grammar is very confusing. I'll give some context (i.e. what the song is about) with each line or set of lines, along with my very rough attempt at the english, much of which doesn't appear to make sense to me, and a lot of which isn't grammatically correct.
song: "Samadhi"
song subject: not sure, just an introduction to the album, I believe. It's short and is mainly instrumental with a couple lines of latin.
the latin:
solve mentum a molestis
mentum ad concretum dirige
unum e jhanas intra
my translation attempt:
"release my mind from annoyance
scatter/distribute my mind toward condensation/hardness
one out of jhanas within/enter"
(NB: I know "jhanas" is not a latin word, so feel free to just leave it as is! I'm pretty sure it's being used as a noun but am not positive.)
song: "Resign to Surrender"
song subject: as I see it, the song is about how - through greed and obsession with wealth - people are ruining/will ruin their lives. An excerpt repeated multiple times throughout the song: "Now that all hands are tied, we're panic-stricken, wealth out of sight".
the latin:
"Terre eos vi
Augearis
Perde eos vi
Nobis imperium"
"Nobis victoria"
"Non plus ultra"
"Nec plus ultra"
My attempted translation:
"Scare them for power
Strengthen/increase
Ruin (lose?) them for power
Power/authority over us"
"Victory over us"
"Not more beyond"
"And not more beyond"
Song: "Martyr of the Free Word"
Song subject: the importance of the freedom of speech and the freedom to live one's own way of life.
the latin:
"Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine
et lux perpetua luceat eis"
My attempt at translation:
The grammar is really puzzling me on this one. I think it has something to do with asking god to grant eternal rest, and maybe something about the perpetual light of dawn?
Song: Kingdom of Heaven
Song subject: this is a really complex song... but I'm pretty sure it boils down to the idea that people need to find a happy-medium between science and spirituality, because we can't live with only one and completely ignore the other.
the latin:
"Non intellegens nil explicas
Videre nolens nil capies
Non intellegens nil explicas
Incognita non vides"
my attempt at translation:
"You do not/cannot understand nor unfold
Are unwilling to know or seize
You do not/cannot understand nor unfold
You do not see the unexamined"
Song: "Design Your Universe"
Song subject: Again, a complex song... but in a nutshell, people can and need to take control of their lives and stop being so greedy and hateful, because life has the potential to be so much better than it is now
the latin:
"Ipsum te reperies
Potire mundorum
Potire omnis mundi"
my attempted translation:
"You will discover self
To become master of worlds
To become master of all worlds"
I know this looks like a lot and I really appreciate it if you're still reading this! If anyone can help, even with just some of it, that would be WONDERFUL. Thank you!