Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Latin term or phrase:
Alter remus aquas, alter biti radat harenas
English translation:
Let one oar skim the water, the other the sand (stay close to the shore)
Added to glossary by
Charles Davis
Nov 16, 2013 06:44
10 yrs ago
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Latin term
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Alter remus aquas, alter biti radat harenas
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Same background as last question.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 +5 | Let one oar skim the water, the other the sand (stay close to the shore) |
Charles Davis
|
Change log
Nov 20, 2013 11:55: Charles Davis Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+5
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Selected
Let one oar skim the water, the other the sand (stay close to the shore)
"biti" should be "tibi". This is from Propertius, Elegies, Book III, 3, line 23. The translation given above is that of H. E. Butler (1912) from the old Loeb edition, but it's perfectly reliable:
https://archive.org/stream/propertiuswithen00propuoft#page/1...
I've added a paraphrase to suggest the sense of it as a maxim: do not venture too far out to sea; play safe. Something similar is suggested here (though it should be "tibi" not "mihi": you, not me):
http://books.google.es/books?id=rAXHv7KlHxMC&pg=PA228&lpg=PA...
alter... alter means "the one... the other".
remus: oar (nominative)
aquas: waters (accusative)
tibi: to you (dative), here implying possession, in effect
radat: 3 p sing present subj of radere, literally "scrape"; i.e. "let it scrape".
harenas: sands (accusative)
So:
Alter remus [tibi radat] aquas: [Let] one [of your] oar[s scrape] the waters
alter [remus] tibi radat harenas: Let the other of your [oars] scrape the sands
https://archive.org/stream/propertiuswithen00propuoft#page/1...
I've added a paraphrase to suggest the sense of it as a maxim: do not venture too far out to sea; play safe. Something similar is suggested here (though it should be "tibi" not "mihi": you, not me):
http://books.google.es/books?id=rAXHv7KlHxMC&pg=PA228&lpg=PA...
alter... alter means "the one... the other".
remus: oar (nominative)
aquas: waters (accusative)
tibi: to you (dative), here implying possession, in effect
radat: 3 p sing present subj of radere, literally "scrape"; i.e. "let it scrape".
harenas: sands (accusative)
So:
Alter remus [tibi radat] aquas: [Let] one [of your] oar[s scrape] the waters
alter [remus] tibi radat harenas: Let the other of your [oars] scrape the sands
Note from asker:
| Now I see. Remus is rame in French and not the brother of Romulus. radat means to graze in passing or scrape and harena (sand) became arena in modern Spanish. Thank you! |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot!"
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