The earliest Latin I recall reading was in a Heinlein novel and was "Dom vivimus, vivamus!" I remembered (wrongly) the meaning as being that if you are going to be alive, then live! I understood it to mean to be an active participant in life, to do things, to learn, to explore, to experience. Again, this was how I took it and I know now that was not the literal translation, I'm told it literally is "While we live, let us live!", so I think I have the spirit right. Somewhere in the forty or fifty years since I read that, I've modified it a bit into a personal motto of "It is Better to Die Living, than to Live Dying." I've spend too much time in long term care facilities and nursing homes and seen too many people that appear to simply be waiting to die. For a while I thought, "If you aren't living, then you are dying.", but time and (I hope) maturity changed my view to this. I want to get it as a tattoo to both remind myself of the spirit of the life I want to live, and perhaps to inspire others who are curious enough to ask the meaning. I want it in Latin because there is, to me, an inherent gravitas to the language that suits my feelings of the matter. As per the guidelines. I am a male, although for my purposes I see this as more of a generic "you all" statement. I apologize, but I do not know grammar well enough to define the term better than that, simply something that could be said with generic application to any who read/heard it. I have long wanted this, and I sincerely appreciate any assistance given. Thank you!
It is better to die living, than to live dying.
- Thread starter Wraithbane
- Start date
Yes, you certainly got the spirit right. Note, though, that dom should be dum.
Satius est viventem mori quam morientem vivere.
I apologize for my delay in responding. Thank you very much for your help. Is it possible to tip or perhaps make a donation to support the website as a more tangible form of that appreciation? Also, do you think it would be better to use the more modern versions of the letters, or the older V vs U? I intend to use the all capital form, so it would look something like 'SATIVS EST VIVENTEM MORI QVAM MORIENTEM VIVERE" Which is probably wrong somehow...lol
No problem.
We used to have a donation page, but it's broken.
That's a matter of personal preference.
No, it's fine.
Well then, thank you again. I'll keep an eye out for a future donations page.