Expert: Maria - 1/16/2008

Question
When you have a chance, would you mind translationg "To thine own self be
ture" into Greek? I appreciate it!  

Thanks!

Answer
Hello,

Here’s the Ancient Greek translation of “To thine own self be true" from  Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act I, scene III, where Polonius speaks to his son Laertes and urged him to be true to himself, as well as to everyone:

-“Ισθι  σαυτω πιστός “ (Latin transliteration,  “Isthi  sauto  pistos” ), if ‘true’ refers to a male person.

-“Ισθι  σαυτη  πιστή “ (Latin transliteration,  “Isthi  saute  pisté”),  if ‘true’ refers to a female person

Please note that I had  to use the Latin transliteration (i.e. the Latin alphabet we use still today), because  I'm afraid you cannot read the Greek letters  as well as diacritic marks, since  the system often does not allow you to read them.

Best regards,
Maria
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Note that:

-To thine own self = SAUTO (dative case, personal pronoun, 2nd.person singular, masculine) SAUTE (dative case, personal pronoun, 2nd.person singular, feminine.

-be = ISTHI (imperative, 2nd.person singular of EIMI, I am)

-true = PISTOS (masculine nominative) / PISTE (feminine)