Re: Translation to Latin

caeruleancentaur wrote:
>> Jean-François Colson <jf@...> wrote:
>>
>> I know some one who's making a coat of arms
>> (blason). He'd like to add a text in Latin, a language
>> he doesn't know. My knowledge of Latin is
>> extremely limited. Is there some one on this list who
>> knows Latin enough to translate the following
>> sentence?
>>     [French]: « À combattre sans honneur, on
>> triomphe sans gloire. »
>>     [English]: « With fighting without honor, one
>> triumphs without glory. »
>> Thanks a lot for the help.
>
> I'll take a stab at it:
> Pugnare sine honore, triumphare sine gloria.
>
> "Triumphare" emphasizes the exultation after the victory.
>
> If it's the overcoming that is to be emphasized, perhaps:
>
> Pugnare sine honore, superare sine gloria.
>
> or
>
> Pugnare sine honore, vincere sine gloria.
>
> My two denarii.
>
> Charlie
Good stab, but I think if I saw a coat-of-arms with
the motto "Pugnare sine honore, triumphare sine gloria,"
I'd interpret it to mean "(I aspire to) fight without honor
and triumph without glory."

I'd be more inclined to use something like "Nulla
pugna sine honore, nullus triumphus sine gloria."
(= "No fight without honor, no triumph without glory")
but even that is not quite satisfying.

But Ray is the Latin expert here, so I'll defer to him.

--Ph. D.

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