Expert: Maria - 11/28/2011

Question
Hello, I am writing a book and I need to know a bit of latin as my main character is the archangel Micheal. I need to know the phrases "May the Lord God have mercy on your soul," the lord's prayer and the 23rd psalm. Also, I know this is asking a bit, but I also wish to ask if you could translate one more thing for me? and that would be in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? I believe it is In nomeni Patris es Fili et Spiritus Sancti, but I am not sure.

Answer
Hello,

“May the Lord God have mercy on your soul” translates as  follows:

-“Misereatur tui Dominus Deus”, if “your” is a 2nd.person singular of the possessive as it refers to only one person.

-“Misereatur vestri Dominus Deus”, if “your” is a 2nd.person plural of the possessive as it refers to more than one person.

Please note that  Latin has a distinct second person singular and plural form for the possessive “your”, differently from English.

As for “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”, the correct translation is :
“In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti”.

Read more below.

Best regards,
Maria
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Note that:

-May have mercy = MISEREATUR (3rd.person singular, hortatory subjunctive of the deponent verb MISEREOR which takes the genitive)

-the Lord = DOMINUS (subject, nominative case, 2nd.declension)

-God =DEUS (nominative case, 2nd.declension)

-on your soul  =TUI  (genitive of the 2nd.person singular pronoun) / VESTRI (genitive of the 2nd.person plural pronoun).
Note that Latin does not translate  the noun “soul” and says simply “on you”, i.e. TUI or VESTRI.
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-In = IN (preposition which takes the ablative case)

-the name = NOMINE (ablative of NOMEN, 3rd.declension)

-of the Father =PATRIS (genitive of PATER, 3rd.declension)

-Son = FILII (genitive of FILIUS, 2nd.declension)

-and = ET

-Holy = SANCTI (genitive singular masculine of SANCTUS agreed with SPIRITUS)

-Spirit= SPIRITUS (genitive, 4th.declension)