Expert: Maria - 4/7/2008

Question
Hi Maria,
I'm trying to translate a phrase, but am having difficulty translating wishes (i.e. may). How do you say 'may angels be with you' or 'may angels protect you and keep you safe'? If 'may' doesn't translate can you recommend a latin phrase that is similar in meaning? I'd like to use this phrase in a ceremony, so any help you can give me would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Brandi

Answer
Hello,

Here are the Latin translations you asked  me:

1-“Tecum  sint angeli” ['May angels be with you'], if the pronoun ‘you’ is a 2nd.person singular.
If on the contrary the pronoun ‘you’ is a 2nd.person plural, you must say:
“Vobiscum sint angeli”.


2-“Te angeli  custodiant ac servent” ['May angels protect you and keep you safe'], if the pronoun ‘you’  is a 2nd.person singular as you are addressing to only one person.

If on the contrary the pronoun ‘you’ is a 2nd.person plural as you are addressing to two or  many persons, you must say:
“Vos angeli custodiant ac servent”.

In Latin, in fact, like in other languages, there is a distinction between the second singular person  and the second  plural person, while in English there is no real grammatical difference between "you" (singular) and "you" (plural).

See below for grammatical analysis.

Best regards,
Maria
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Note that in 'May angels be with you':

-May ...be  = SINT (hortatory subjunctive, present, 3rd.person plural, of SUM, I am)

-angels = ANGELI (nominative plural of ANGELUS, 2nd.declension)

-with you = TECUM / VOBISCUM  where TE (ablative of the personal pronoun, 2nd.person singular)  or VOBIS  (ablative of the personal pronoun, 2nd.person plural)  mean ‘you’, while CUM (preposition which takes the ablative) means ‘with’ and is joined as an enclitic to the pronoun TE / VOBIS.
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In  “May angels protect you and keep you safe” note that:

-May...protect  = CUSTODIANT (hortatory subjunctive, present, 3rd.person plural, of  CUSTODIO, 4th.conjugation)

- angels = ANGELI (nominative plural of ANGELUS, 2nd.declension)

-you = TE (accusative of the personal pronoun in the 2nd.person singular) or  VOS ( accusative of the personal pronoun in the 2nd.person plural).
Note that in Latin TE is either the accusative or the ablative of the personal pronoun  TU, 2nd.pers.singular.

-and = AC

-(may)...keep you safe =  SERVENT (hortatory subjunctive, present, 3rd.person plural, of  SERVO, 1st.conjugation).
Note that the verb SERVO means ‘I keep …safe’.