Help finding a Latin phrase about darkness and light?

LX16

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Hello fellow Latin lovers,

This is such an amazing site! I have been browsing it for a while but decided to post because after looking at the english to latin translation posts i realised that it would be better to ask your help finding a genuine Latin phrase that expresses what I'd like as a tattoo. I have looked on InRebus but as it's in alphabetical order it's hard to search since I don't know what letter the right phrase would begin with.

I would like the tattoo to express the cycle of light and darkness, (or maybe night and day if that makes more sense in Latin?) The tattoo would refer to the cycle of depression and mania in BPD. But rather than say "light after darkness" and things along those lines, I would like to acknowledge that there is also darkness after light. Kind of embracing the fact and not fearing it or letting it drag me down.

I wondered if there was any Latin phrases that might express this well?

Thanks so much in advance. This is my first post but I really hope to become a regular on here because I find this site so fascinating!
 

Callaina

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I don't know about a pre-existing phrase, but I suppose one could say something like Tenebrae et lux (or nox et dies) se invicem sequuntur ("Darkness and light (night and day) follow each other mutually/in turn.")

But wait around, maybe someone will come up with the perfect quote from Vergil or Horace. ;)
 

Pacifica

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I don't know about a pre-existing phrase, but I suppose one could say something like Tenebrae et lux (or nox et dies) se invicem sequuntur ("Darkness and light (night and day) follow each other mutually/in turn.")
Maybe tenebrae et lux sibi succedunt invicem ("darkness and light succeed each other in turns").
 

Callaina

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Maybe tenebrae et lux sibi succedunt invicem ("darkness and light succeed each other in turns").
That works too, but what exactly was wrong with mine? :p
 

LX16

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Thank you to both of you! So they both work and it's just a matter of which one I prefer?
 

Callaina

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Thank you to both of you! So they both work and it's just a matter of which one I prefer?
Yes, though note that neither of them is a pre-existing phrase; we each wrote ours just now. ;)
 

Callaina

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Just incidentally, this reminds me of one of my favorite tracks from the folk/pagan band Woodland. I'm not sure any of it would work well directly translated into Latin, but perhaps you (or another here) might find some inspiration for a phrase in the lyrics?

No video, but the track's free to listen to on their site (go down to the one named "Shadows").

Shadows, shadows dance away the fire,
from summer green to fallen leaves,
oh light the sylvan pyre;
for the day is red and ripe upon the branch,
leaves of autumn turn to gold,
shadows, shadows dance away the fire.

For there is a summer in each life,
until the shadows ride the samhain wind,
to a twilight celebration;
and there is a shadow to each light,
a dusk to every morning spring,
to a seasons celebration in the dark.
 

LX16

New Member

Thanks for sharing :) had a listen to the track but it's not my kind of thing haha but I do like the lyric, "there is a shadow to each light". I could definitely use that as inspiration if I do end up having to make up a Latin phrase. There is also a Killswitch Engage lyric that says, "there is no darkness without light". Similar thing!

Since we're talking about lyrics..what would the following lyric be in Latin: "Stars shine brightest in the darkest of night." ?

Or I could combine both lyrics and say, "there is no shadow without light". Does that sound like it embraces both the darkness and light a d accepts them as part of each other?
 

Pacifica

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"There is a shadow to each light" = omni luci est umbra.

"Stars shine brightest in the darkest of night" = maxime splendent stellae obscurissima nocte.

"There is no shadow without light": non est umbra sine luce.
 

Pacifica

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That immediately came to my mind as well when I first read the thread title, but then I read the first post:
But rather than say "light after darkness" and things along those lines, I would like to acknowledge that there is also darkness after light.
 

Callaina

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I suppose one could extend it and say Post tenebras lux, post lucem tenebrae = "Light after darkness, darkness after light".
 

LX16

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Oh wow, thanks Pacifica! I love them!

Ha yeah I had searched the site thoroughly before posting but couldn't find what I wanted. I love how these phrases look and sound in Latin though so I think I will choose one of them for my tattoo. Thanks so much for your help! Should I wait for more posters to confirm these are right, or are you fluent in Latin?
 

LX16

New Member

I think I'll go with the stars shine brightest lyric as it is by one of my favourite groups so it has extra meaning. Thanks so much to both of you for your help with this xxx

It's hard to find anyone more fluent in Latin than Pacifica without tracking down Cicero himself ;)
Hahaha! Brilliant!
 

IOHANNVSVERAX

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Transit umbra, lux permanet Means something like "cloudshadows pass, the light remains"

Non vincitur sol nubibus "The sun is not conquered by clouds"

The first one I found online.

The second one I made up, although it is based on a line from Seneca minor:


Sola virtus praestat gaudium perpetuum, securum; etiam si quid obstat, nubium modo intervenit, quae infra feruntur nec umquam diem vincunt.
"Virtue alone affords everlasting and peace-giving joy; even if some obstacle arise, it is but like an intervening cloud, which floats beneath the sun but never prevails against it."
 

Callaina

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That's a bit of an exaggeration, but I'm probably among the most "fluent" in our time. :p
You'll notice that I said "it's hard to find anyone more fluent". One can't exactly "find" people not in our time :p
 
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