Serenity prayer - translation help

sebbb

New Member

Hello,
Could you please help me to get the accurate translation of the Serenity Prayer?

The English version is:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

I've found some translations into latin online but I've no idea which one would be the most accurate?

1/ Deus, mihi dona serenitatem ut accipiam res quas mutare non possum; virtutem ut mutem eas quas possum, et prudentiam ut discernam differentiam.

2/ Deus, dona mihi serenitatem accipere res quae non possum mutare, fortitudinem mutare res quae possum, atque sapientiam differentiam cognoscere.

3/ O deus / domine, dona mihi animi aequitatem, ut quae mutare non possim, clementer feram; ac fortitudinem, ut quae mutare possim, mutem; ac sapientiam, ut haec ab illis discernam.

The nr 2 seems to be most popular... Is it correct?

Thank you
 
Last edited:

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
I think the third option is the best of the three.

Deus = God
Domine = Lord
 
Last edited:

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
However I'm not entirely sure about clementer. Maybe it could be changed to leniter.
 

sebbb

New Member

And what do you think about that translation : "Deus, dona mihi serenitatem accipere res quae non possum mutare, fortitudinem mutare res quae possum, atque sapientiam differentiam cognoscere."?
It seems to be commonly used, I've found it even on an album cover of some music band...
 

sebbb

New Member

There are so many versions... Can you please help me get the final one? Shall I replace clementer with leniter? Maybe with those all versions we will be able to make one and correct...

Here are some other translations I’ve found online :


Domine,
serenitatem necessariam ea quae mutare non possumus accipiendi,
fortitudinem ea quae possumus mutandi,
sapientiam utrasque discernendi.

Deus, mihi dona serenitatem ut accipiam res quas mutare non possum; virtutem ut mutem eas quas possum, et prudentiam ut discernam differentiam.

Dona mihi temperatiam qua feram quae non possim mutare, fortitudinem qua mutem quae possim, atque sapientiam qua cognoscam utrum sit annon.

feram, deo volente, immutabilia, possim mutare mutabilia, atque ita sapiam ut cognoscam quae sint profecto mutabilia.

mihi sit temperantia qua immutabilia feram , virtus qua mutabilia mutem , atque sapientia qua haec discernam.

Deus, dona mihi serenitatem accipere res quae non possum,
fortitudinem mutare res quae possum,
atque sapientiam differentiam cognoscere
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Can you please help me get the final one? Shall I replace clementer with leniter?
Yes. Even if I'm wrong that clementer doesn't work very well, there's at least no harm in changing it to leniter, so let's do so. Here's your final version:

Deus, dona mihi animi aequitatem, ut quae mutare non possim, leniter feram; ac fortitudinem, ut quae mutare possim, mutem; ac sapientiam, ut haec ab illis discernam.
 

sebbb

New Member

`
Yes. Even if I'm wrong that clementer doesn't work very well, there's at least no harm in changing it to leniter, so let's do so. Here's your final version:

Deus, dona mihi animi aequitatem, ut quae mutare non possim, leniter feram; ac fortitudinem, ut quae mutare possim, mutem; ac sapientiam, ut haec ab illis discernam.
Hi,

I've found one of yours translations of the same text from 2016.

Deus, confer mihi tranquillitatem animi qua patiar quae mutare non possum, et virtutem qua mutem quae possum, ac sapientiam qua internoscam ea.

Which one is better? Both are yours :)

THREAD: serenity-prayer
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
I think I prefer the other one.
 

sebbb

New Member

I think I prefer the other one.
Ok thanks for such a quick reply. So I will stay with "Deus, dona mihi animi aequitatem, ut quae mutare non possim, leniter feram; ac fortitudinem, ut quae mutare possim, mutem; ac sapientiam, ut haec ab illis discernam." I'm getting it tattooed tomorrow.

Could you just help me with the commas? I would like to eliminate the semicolons. Shall I better replace them by commas or points?
Aren't the commas too many?

Like:

Deus, dona mihi animi aequitatem, ut quae

mutare non possim, leniter feram,

ac fortitudinem, ut quae mutare possim, mutem,

ac sapientiam, ut haec ab illis discernam.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
You could do it this way:

Deus, dona mihi animi aequitatem ut quae mutare non possim leniter feram, ac fortitudinem ut quae mutare possim mutem, ac sapientiam ut haec ab illis discernam.
 

sebbb

New Member

You could do it this way:

Deus, dona mihi animi aequitatem ut quae mutare non possim leniter feram, ac fortitudinem ut quae mutare possim mutem, ac sapientiam ut haec ab illis discernam.
Great! Thanks a lot! If you can think about any change to make it's now or never cause I'm getting it tattooed tomorrow morning :D
 

fabulaZeldae

New Member

Hello,
Could you please help me to get the accurate translation of the Serenity Prayer?

The English version is:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

I've found some translations into latin online but I've no idea which one would be the most accurate?

1/ Deus, mihi dona serenitatem ut accipiam res quas mutare non possum; virtutem ut mutem eas quas possum, et prudentiam ut discernam differentiam.

2/ Deus, dona mihi serenitatem accipere res quae non possum mutare, fortitudinem mutare res quae possum, atque sapientiam differentiam cognoscere.

3/ O deus / domine, dona mihi animi aequitatem, ut quae mutare non possim, clementer feram; ac fortitudinem, ut quae mutare possim, mutem; ac sapientiam, ut haec ab illis discernam.

The nr 2 seems to be most popular... Is it correct?

Thank you
I just want to say, this is great. I have had the same idea before myself, but I am glad to hear it has already been done.

The third seems to be to be more "collect-y" in that it looks more poetic and like the collects you find in the old Latin Mass missal.
 
Top