The Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black" in Latin
As with Tristis Dies Solis, suggestions and correxions are welcome.
Pingere id Atrum
ab Saxis Volventibus
Ianuam rubram video, et eam atram pingi(1) volo
Nulli colores amplii; eos atros fieri(2) volo
Puellas praetereuntes video(3), vestitas in vestibus suis aestivis
Meum caput vertere debeo, donec tenebrae meae exeunt
Video ordinem currorum(4), et omnes ei atri picti sunt
Et floribus et amatrice(5) mea numquam reveniendis
Homines vertentes capitia suis video, et abvideo veloce
Ut infans natus nove, quisquo die evenit
Me interspicio, et video cor meum esse atrum
Ianuam rubram meam video, et atra picta est
Tum forsitan vanescam, et facta aspicere non debebo
Veritatem aspicere facilis non est(6), quando mundus totus tuus est ater!
Non plus mare viride meum fiet caeruleum profundior
Non auguravi hanc rem tibi evenientem
Si in solem occidentem satis dure videbo,
Amatrix mea mecum ridebit antequam mane veniet
Ianuam rubram video, et eam atrum pingi volo
Nulli colores amplii; eos atros fieri volo
Puellas praetereuntes video, vestitas in vestibus suis aestivis
Meum caput vertere debeo, donec tenebrae meae exeunt
Hmm, hmm, hmm...(7)
Volo id pingi, atrum pingi
Atrum ut nox, atrum ut carbo
Volo video solem ex caelo oblitterata(8)
Volo id pingi, pingi, atrum pingi!
Eah!(9)
(1)The best way to say "I want them painted black" in Latin is probably "I want them to be painted black." Thus, I have used the passive infinitive pingi, "to be painted," here.
(2)Saying "to turn black" is problematic. The standard verb phrase for one thing turning into another is mutare in + accusative, but this only works for nouns becoming other nouns. I could have used this, with the accusative being the substantive adjective atram, "black," but I decided that fieri, a verb one of whose several meanings is "to become," would be more elegant, as, as far as I know, it can be used to describe a noun becoming an adjective.
(3)"I see the girls go by" is translated here as "I see the girls going by," with "going by" as a participial form of praeterire.
(4)"Chariots," sc. "cars."
(5)The "love" here is a person, rather than the concept; thus I have used amatrix, "lover."
(6)The idiomatic "it's not easy facin' up" is here translated as "to face reality is not easy."
(7)There isn't really any "translation" for this.
(8)Here "blotted out" is translated by the perfect passive participle ("having been blotted out"), rather than with the passive infinitive "to be blotted out," since the singer does not merely wish the sun to be blotted out; he wishes to see said sun, and this second verb (videre) depending on volo would make an infinitive translation of "blotted out" awkward.
(9)"Yeah!"
Pingere id Atrum
ab Saxis Volventibus
Ianuam rubram video, et eam atram pingi(1) volo
Nulli colores amplii; eos atros fieri(2) volo
Puellas praetereuntes video(3), vestitas in vestibus suis aestivis
Meum caput vertere debeo, donec tenebrae meae exeunt
Video ordinem currorum(4), et omnes ei atri picti sunt
Et floribus et amatrice(5) mea numquam reveniendis
Homines vertentes capitia suis video, et abvideo veloce
Ut infans natus nove, quisquo die evenit
Me interspicio, et video cor meum esse atrum
Ianuam rubram meam video, et atra picta est
Tum forsitan vanescam, et facta aspicere non debebo
Veritatem aspicere facilis non est(6), quando mundus totus tuus est ater!
Non plus mare viride meum fiet caeruleum profundior
Non auguravi hanc rem tibi evenientem
Si in solem occidentem satis dure videbo,
Amatrix mea mecum ridebit antequam mane veniet
Ianuam rubram video, et eam atrum pingi volo
Nulli colores amplii; eos atros fieri volo
Puellas praetereuntes video, vestitas in vestibus suis aestivis
Meum caput vertere debeo, donec tenebrae meae exeunt
Hmm, hmm, hmm...(7)
Volo id pingi, atrum pingi
Atrum ut nox, atrum ut carbo
Volo video solem ex caelo oblitterata(8)
Volo id pingi, pingi, atrum pingi!
Eah!(9)
(1)The best way to say "I want them painted black" in Latin is probably "I want them to be painted black." Thus, I have used the passive infinitive pingi, "to be painted," here.
(2)Saying "to turn black" is problematic. The standard verb phrase for one thing turning into another is mutare in + accusative, but this only works for nouns becoming other nouns. I could have used this, with the accusative being the substantive adjective atram, "black," but I decided that fieri, a verb one of whose several meanings is "to become," would be more elegant, as, as far as I know, it can be used to describe a noun becoming an adjective.
(3)"I see the girls go by" is translated here as "I see the girls going by," with "going by" as a participial form of praeterire.
(4)"Chariots," sc. "cars."
(5)The "love" here is a person, rather than the concept; thus I have used amatrix, "lover."
(6)The idiomatic "it's not easy facin' up" is here translated as "to face reality is not easy."
(7)There isn't really any "translation" for this.
(8)Here "blotted out" is translated by the perfect passive participle ("having been blotted out"), rather than with the passive infinitive "to be blotted out," since the singer does not merely wish the sun to be blotted out; he wishes to see said sun, and this second verb (videre) depending on volo would make an infinitive translation of "blotted out" awkward.
(9)"Yeah!"