How do you translate “Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy” to Latin?

4 Comments

1. Missay says:

   October 30, 2009 at 3:52 pm

   Well usually when I have t o translate words,I go to google.com and type in :Babel fish
   Just put enter and it will be Babel fish transtion/er
   It should be easy enough
2. morporc says:

   October 30, 2009 at 3:52 pm

   I would seriously consider something along the lines of:

   en fortissimus ecce calamitas

   (look at this valiant man, you are looking at a disaster).

   The problems you will have with a literal translation (you already have quite a good one) include:

   ‘heros’ does not mean the same as ‘hero’ in modern English. A ‘heros’ is someone who is part-human and part-god (Achilles and Aeneas both had Goddesses for mothers).

   You are probably using ‘tragedy’ metaphorically, but ‘tragoedia’ usually means a play, quite literally.
3. twinkie_eater91 says:

   October 30, 2009 at 3:52 pm

   ostende mihi heroem et tradoediam pro te scribam

   As near as I can tell this is the correct translation, although I hope the use of the preposition pro (meaning on behalf of, before, in front of/instead of, for about, according to, as, like) was appropriate. You can play a bit with the word order. If you are addressing more than one person, the translation would be: Ostendite mihi heroem et tradoediam pro vobis scribam.

   Broken down word by word:
   ostende=show (imperative mood)
   mihi=to me (dative)
   heroem=a hero (accusative, aka direct object)
   et=and
   tradoediam=tragedy (accusative)
   pro=for/on behalf of
   te=you (ablative, object of preposition)
   scribam=I will write

   EDIT: I am goddess probably uses a better verb for show (exhibe). However, his/her translation of I will write is incorrect. He used the ending of the second conjugation (-ebo) for the future indicative instead of the third conjugation ending (-am). Scribere is a 3rd conjugation verb.
   I am also just a student, so consider what morporc said.
4. aida says:

   October 30, 2009 at 3:52 pm

   Monstra mihi heroem, et tibi tragoediam scribam.

   In Latin, "heros" (the nominative form of that noun) means primarily a demigod such as Hercules, but it was also used, at least by Cicero, to mean a distinguished man as well.

   Edit: Pay attention to what Morporc says. (But Aristotle DID also consider the Iliad a tragedy.) Twinkie’s answer is also very good.