You'll never walk alone

A

Anonymous

Guest

Hi all

I've been asked by a colleague what the famous Liverpool FC phrase "You'll never walk alone" would be in Latin (for a tattoo of course!)

I've found the following translation on the net but am not sure if is correct or not:
"Numquam solus ambulabatis"

Wondered if anyone could check this for me?

Thanks for your help!!
 

Fulgor Laculus

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Montes Naphtalenses
This is fine except for a small typo and subject-predicate number agreement.

For a single person: Numquam solus ambulabis
For a number of people: Numquam soli ambulabitis.

Since this is a club motto, both of these options are valid: the first can apply to the team as a single entity, while the second might apply to the players themselves.

A note though - if you choose the first option, it might be prudent to change it to the feminine, since the word for 'team' in Latin is feminine (manus). In this case the phrase would be Numquam sola ambulabis.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest

Thanks for this!

I think the feeling of the phrase (which come orginally from a Liverpudlian song with the lyrics "Walk on/With hope in your heart/And you'll never walk alone") is just directed at any one person. It doesn't really reference the team.

In that case, would Numquam solus ambulabis be the best option?

Thanks!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest

Sorry to be a pain, I've just found the following translation referenced by an English newspaper: "Solus nunquam vades"

Do you think this translation is better?
 

QMF

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Virginia, US
That is correct as well. It uses a different verb of "to walk", but makes sense. (Obviously the meaning is slightly different, but not substantially enough to render it an inaccurate translation.) It is specifically singular; the plural would be:
Soli nunquam vadetis.

Note that nunquam and numquam are completely interchangeable.

It should be mentioned that, since Latin grammar lacks an emphasis on syntax, this can also mean something along the lines of "If you are alone, you'll never walk." This is true of the ambulabis translation as well.
 
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