Looking for Latin speakers to translate a motto.

[North_Ranger]

Hi, all.

Last summer I had a bit of trouble trying to come up with a Latin translation for a bawdy poem, and on a whim I posted the verse here - and to my joy I found out that a good number of OOTS fans are also well-versed in Latin, to the point where people were debating furiously what is the correct Latin expression for "balls" :D

Now I turn to you again, as I've been offered by a bowyer friend to engrave my soon-to-be-ready longbow with a phrase. I'm going with something personal, and being something of a Medievalist I thought it would be appropriate to have this de facto motto of mine in Latin.

The motto?

"No Regrets"

I know, silly, but I live by that code.

Now, Google Translator gave me "Non Dolet" for "No Regrets", which while accurate also sounds like something you order as an appetizer from Olive Garden. For "I Regret Nothing" I got "Nihil Paenitet", which is a lot better. But since we're talking about Google Translator here, I'm pretty sure there's a better translation available.

Any suggestions, o those of us smart enough to speak the scholars' tongue? :smallwink:

[Kneenibble]

"Dolere" is more about physical pain or grief than regret in the way you mean it. "Non dolet" just means "it doesn't grieve" -- impersonal usage requires a dative for context, so it would be "mihi non dolet." The phrase misses the mark by wide even still.

"Paenitere" is better; it hits the mark of regret among some other meanings. Again, though, the translation you received is an impersonal, so it would have to be "mihi nihil paenitet." That's closer, but it still doesn't quite match up to what you want in English.

Both verbs have personal as well as impersonal applications -- I'm curious why the translator rendered the latter, especially without the personal pronoun to complete the phrase.

My first recommendation is "numquam paenitens." - never repenting: paenitens is the present active participle. It carries the active and succint force that "no regrets" has in English.

My second choice would be "nulla paenitudo" which is kind of like "no repentance" but it's slightly weaker in force to my mind than my first recommendation.

Hope that helps.

edit This is Classical Latin I'm helping you with, however. I think if you were looking at this Medievally and using paenitere in any form, the meaning blends with "I never feel bad for my sins." I can't think of another synonym for dolere/paenitere off the top of my head, though, and I'm not strong in Medieval Latin.

[North_Ranger]

edit This is Classical Latin I'm helping you with, however. I think if you were looking at this Medievally and using paenitere in any form, the meaning blends with "I never feel bad for my sins." I can't think of another synonym for dolere/paenitere off the top of my head, though, and I'm not strong in Medieval Latin.

I see no problem with that :belkar:

[Kneenibble]

Well there you have it then. :smallamused: