Comments on: Calling all wordsmiths

Question: Calling all wordsmiths

dudiggy — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:30:40 -0800

Word challenge: Please help me express undying love in four words or less for posterity.

I have been entrusted to decide the epitaph for my father's tombstone. The problem is that the V.A., which is providing the tombstone, only allows four words. I want the epitaph to convey that love can't be destroyed by death; that love binds us forever. However, the epitaphs I've come up with seem trite. This is the best of what I've come up with so far:

'Love knows not death'
'Forever bound by love'
'Love knows no boundary'

Any Ideas?

By: Aidan Kehoe

Aidan Kehoe — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:32:21 -0800

Any Ideas?

'Love binds us forever?'

By: occhiblu

occhiblu — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:34:59 -0800

I like "love binds us forever," too; it's almost always best to go with your gut feeling rather than trying to torture the words into something else. If you want to sound slightly more religious-speak, however, maybe "love binds us eternally."

I'm sorry for your loss, and I love the sentiment you're trying to express. I hope you find something that works for you.

By: sueinnyc

sueinnyc — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:36:03 -0800

Death cannot vanquish love
Love conquers even death

I am sorry to hear of your loss.

By: JayRwv

JayRwv — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:37:49 -0800

Love endures forever.

By: dudiggy

dudiggy — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:42:56 -0800

I'm sorry to have to admit that, to me, the words bind/bound are synonomous with constipation. There, I've said it.

By: daisyace

daisyace — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:46:33 -0800

Latin? Substitute in 'love' for 'art in "Ars longa, vita brevis"?

By: inging

inging — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:47:16 -0800

Love through eternity.

Beloved father, always.

Loved beyond death.

(I'm also sorry to hear of your loss.)

By: allkindsoftime

allkindsoftime — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:55:28 -0800

To borrow from the first letter to the Corinthians,

"Love never fails."

Simple but elegant, plus you save one word.

By: BoscosMom

BoscosMom — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:59:29 -0800

"Always In Our Hearts"
Here's a link to a list of epitaph sites.

By: librarina

librarina — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:14:21 -0800

I like "love binds us forever," too, and I have no poo connotations. I also like daisyace's suggestion, but don't know Latin so don't know how to say it properly.

Sorry for your loss. Hope you are doing OK.

By: Ms Snit

Ms Snit — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:28:58 -0800

Perhaps a bit cliche, but there is

Always in our hearts

By: A189Nut

A189Nut — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:40:57 -0800

Loved, and was loved

from John McCrae's WWI poem.

By: cda

cda — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:43:40 -0800

Beloved son, husband, father.

By: staggernation

staggernation — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:52:01 -0800

Love abides death

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:53:59 -0800

I don't like "binds" either. I don't have a constipation connotation, but it makes it seem like being involuntarily tied to something unpleasant. I do, however, like the ones you already marked best.

By: cacophony

cacophony — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:59:49 -0800

Amor Vincit Omnia, while it doesn't specifically refer to death, can be used to express this concept.

By: thinkpiece

thinkpiece — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:06:23 -0800

Ever alive in our hearts, or just, Ever Alive.

Boundless love lives on, or just Love Lives On.

And condolences to you and yours.

By: zachxman

zachxman — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:18:42 -0800

from now until forever

By: headspace

headspace — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:25:33 -0800

Love still endures.

By: krippledkonscious

krippledkonscious — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:27:55 -0800

My humble suggestion:

Love's Embrace Forever Endures

...and my sincere sympathies to you and your family

By: londongeezer

londongeezer — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:41:19 -0800

Love will survive us (outlast us?)

or

What survives is love

(adapted from Philip Larkin's Arundel Tomb)

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:00:45 -0800

Apologies if a list seems tacky, but The sentiement you want to express is too moving

beautiful unbroken chain

bound beyond death

love binds us forever

love born never dies

love reaped not sown

alive in love

love breaks life's chain

the love still soars

parent and child forever

child's hand parent's love

father, I love you

chid's love only deepens

father sit with me

your shadow comforts me

your voice echoes always

happily bound in love

lover never ends

love planted forever reaped

love is no epitaph

By: hot soup girl

hot soup girl — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:25:34 -0800

Our love endures.

By: Elle Vator

Elle Vator — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:35:35 -0800

Love is no Epitaph... Brandon, that is beautiful. Here's mine:

Gently cradled forever

As in life, evermore

Love outside of time

Nothing but love

No words for it

By: Attackpanda

Attackpanda — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:43:27 -0800

always yours with love

By: sarahw

sarahw — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:43:36 -0800

love without end
united in love
together in love

By: FauxScot

FauxScot — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:47:52 -0800

How honored you are to have such a problem, and how sad that you must do it. I am sorry for your loss, dudiggy.

Thinking in terms of how the dead only fear being forgotten (C. S. Lewis), and knowing in my heart that upon death, I would rejoice in the lives of my survivors (even though I am childless), something along the lines of the following comes to mind:

Through our lives, immortal.

... a slightly different tack. You love/remember/miss him, but what might he be most proud of (e.g.; his marriage, kids, career, life, ethics)? What message would HE send with 4 words from the grave?

It's a very somber and important duty you have, and I wish you good luck in finding the perfect words. Peace.

By: rileyray3000

rileyray3000 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:48:48 -0800

Only Love Remains
Let His Love Endure
In the end...love
One Man. Good. True.
His love was boundless
Remember his heart. Always.
His Truth Was Love
His Legacy Was Love
A Very Good Man

By: Sassyfras

Sassyfras — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:01:09 -0800

Time and all eternity.

So sorry for you loss.

By: gt2

gt2 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:45:32 -0800

Always loved.

I'm sorry for your loss.

By: hadjiboy

hadjiboy — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:03:48 -0800

Love rests here eternally

Maybe you can have something inscribed in your Father's native language?

/also sorry for your loss.

By: peewinkle

peewinkle — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:17:26 -0800

Love means forever love

By: Falconetti

Falconetti — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:22:53 -0800

Undying Love Undoes Death

By: Falconetti

Falconetti — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:28:56 -0800

The Heart is Incorruptible

Death Cannot Corrupt Love

By: talkingplant

talkingplant — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:16:19 -0800

How bout: "You were my world"

By: CwgrlUp

CwgrlUp — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:22:17 -0800

I have a co-worker whose father died and he has a tattoo that says 'A son never forgets'

By: Ironmouth

Ironmouth — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:38:09 -0800

Loved Always