Latin carries more weight
February 6, 2019 4:28 AM   Subscribe

A powerlifiting podcast I'm listening to has a motto I'd like to translate into latin. Can the linguistic hive help out or know where to turn?

The motto is: Exercise/train hard, eat well/good, die regardless. This is said as a general commandment.

Since I know little about latin beyond that Life of Brian sketch, I imagine that there are cases and such to mind when translating to latin…

In Swedish it's "Träna hårt, ät bra, dö ändå"
• "Träna" is general for training for a purpose – with an added "exert yourself" in this context
• "Ät bra" means that you eat good quality food
• "Dö ändå" is a flippant way of saying that you'll die regardless of adhering to these advice.


Auxilium tu mihi sola spes examina.
posted by monocultured to Writing & Language (6 answers total)
 
Best answer: There are a lot of different ways you could translate this, but I came up with: "Exerce graviter, cene bene, morere tamen."
posted by firechicago at 5:18 AM on February 6, 2019


While I can't answer your question, I would love a link to the podcast! It sounds like something I would enjoy. My googling of the phrase hasn't turned anything up. Thanks!
posted by AaRdVarK at 7:25 AM on February 6, 2019


I have never used their services but this translator has been around for a long time and seems to specialise in exactly this—translating short phrases for a fixed (and reasonable) price.
posted by Jabberwocky at 8:29 AM on February 6, 2019


Best answer: Durum exercitium, manducare bene, usquam morietur ??
posted by terrapin at 8:33 AM on February 6, 2019


Best answer: I agree with exerce (literally "exert yourself", and can carry the meaning of military drilling or training") but think "hard" is best translated as fortier (strongly, bravely, manly-ly) or strenue (strenuously, vigorously, actively), depending on which strikes you as best int the context of the podcast.

cene bene is great

for "regardless" I suggest quilibet literally "like anybody", and idiomatically "no matter what" or "no matter who you are"
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:06 AM on February 6, 2019 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: @ AaRdVarK – the podcast is Styrkelabbet and it's a nice change of pace from more bro-isch powerlifting / training material that is out there. Styrkebyrån is another nice podcast, albeit occasionally too chatty for my taste. (Both in Swedish though)

So either
> Exerce graviter, cene bene, morere tamen
or
> Exerce strenue, cene bene, morere quilibet

I can't judge the merits of the two, so it comes down to a idiomatic judgement call I guess. What would a drill sergeant shout?
posted by monocultured at 11:41 AM on February 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


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