Friday, May 4, 2007

Responsum Se Dedit Flamini

Here's a fun, geeky page with link to clever Latin translations of pop songs. The meter is kept really well, plus there are transliterations, or English back translations for all of them.

A friend of mine did the chorus of "I Will Follow" by U2 one time:

Si tu ambule, ambule,
Ambule, ambule,
Ego sequar!!

Or something like that.... Have a good weekend. And remember, "What happens in Chuck E. Cheese stays in Chuck E. Cheese."

2 comments:

  1. in other news -- vive la france! hey, i thought all those euros hated americans? yet another AHEM *inconvenient truth* for the left wing media and their crunchy con cohorts.

    since we're translating songs on this post,
    dig these lyrics in english:

    LA MARSEILLAISE

    "Arise children of the fatherland
    The day of glory has arrived
    Against us tyranny's
    Bloody standard is raised
    Listen to the sound in the fields
    The howling of these fearsome soldiers
    They are coming into our midst
    To cut the throats of your sons and consorts

    To arms citizens Form your battalions
    March, march
    Let impure blood
    Water our furrows

    What do they want this horde of slaves
    Of traitors and conspiratorial kings?
    For whom these vile chains
    These long-prepared irons?
    Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
    What methods must be taken?
    It is us they dare plan
    To return to the old slavery!

    What! These foreign cohorts!
    They would make laws in our courts!
    What! These mercenary phalanxes
    Would cut down our warrior sons
    Good Lord! By chained hands
    Our brow would yield under the yoke
    The vile despots would have themselves be
    The masters of destiny

    Tremble, tyrants and traitors
    The shame of all good men
    Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
    Will receive their just reward
    Against you we are all soldiers
    If they fall, our young heros
    France will bear new ones
    Ready to join the fight against you

    Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
    Bear or hold back your blows
    Spare these sad victims
    That they regret taking up arms against us
    But not these bloody despots
    These accomplices of Bouillé
    All these tigers who pitilessly
    Ripped out their mothers' wombs

    We too shall enlist
    When our elders' time has come
    To add to the list of deeds
    Inscribed upon their tombs
    We are much less jealous of surviving them
    Than of sharing their coffins
    We shall have the sublime pride
    Of avenging or joining them

    Drive on sacred patriotism
    Support our avenging arms
    Liberty, cherished liberty
    Join the struggle with your defenders
    Under our flags, let victory
    Hurry to your manly tone
    So that in death your enemies
    See your triumph and our glory!"

    wo.

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  2. Gosh. And I thought the lyrics to the Star-Spangled Banner were weird. :o

    Seriously, though--very interesting. Very...martial.

    Diane

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