Expert: Maria - 2/9/2006

Question
Im working on a coat of arms project and I want the following as my motto (it has to be in latin):

'And laugh like parrots at a bagpiper'

its from Shakespear's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

I've taken some latin but I just can't figure this out.

Answer
Hello,

Though in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, act I. sc. 1, “laugh” is not an imperative, I think that your motto needs this mood, of course.

So, here's the Latin translation of  “And laugh like parrots at a bagpiper”:

“Ride ut psittaci coram utriculario”.

Please note that:
RIDE (imperative) = laugh. In Latin the conjunction ‘and' is needless.
UT = like
PSITTACI =parrots
CORAM = at
UTRICULARIO = a bagpiper. The noun ‘utriculario'(from 'utricularius') is in the ablative case as the preposition ‘coram' takes the ablative.

Best,
Maria