Expert: Maria - 9/30/2009

Question
Dear Maria,

My sister and I would be grateful if you could help us with a Latin translation for our fathers headstone. Currently the inscription for our mother reads:

Vivat Post Funer Virtus
Conquiescat in Pace

We wanted something that would be in keeping with the inscription that is already there.

We would like it to say:

either:
"The spirit lives on forever. Rest in Peace"
or
"Strength comes from love. Rest in Peace"

Thankyou for your time in advance. You do a great job here.

Kind regards,

Nicola

Answer
Dear Nicola,

First of all please accept my condolences upon the  death of your  father.

With regard to your  sentences for the  headstone, here’s  their translation into Latin:

-“Vivit in Aeternum Spiritus. Requiescat in Pace”
(literally, “The spirit lives on forever. May he rest in peace”)


-“Ex Amore Fortitudo. Requiescat in Pace”
(literally "Strength comes from love. May he rest in peace”)

All the best,
Maria
________________________________________________
Note that:

-VIVIT (3rd.person singular, present indicative of VIVO) = lives on

-IN AETERNUM = forever

-SPIRITUS (subject in the nominative case, 4th.declension) = the spirit

-REQUIESCAT (3rd.person singular, present subjunctive  of REQUIESCO) = rest / may he rest

-IN (preposition which governs the ablative case)= in

-PACE (ablative of PAX, 3rd.declension)= peace

_________________________________________________________

-EX (preposition which governs the ablative case ) = from

-AMORE (ablative of AMOR, 3rd.declension)= love

-FORTITUDO (subject in the nominative case, 3rd.declension) = strength

-REQUIESCAT IN PACE (see above)

P.S.
I suppose you made a typo when you wrote “Funer” in “Vivat Post Funer Virtus. Conquiescat in Pace” as the correct Latin inscription must be “Vivat Post Funera Virtus.Conquiescat in Pace” (May Virtue live on after funeral rites)