Expert: Maria - 12/16/2011

Question
There was a plack above my parents fireplace that I believe said "tibi splendat (or splendet) focus". hopefully my memory hasn't distorted this tooo badly. 40 years at least since I last saw it in person....

Can you illuminate my sister and I as to it's translation?

Thanks!

Joe

Answer
Hello,

the correct Latin phrase is “Tibi splendet focus” which is an adaptation of a line we read in Horace, Epistles, book  I, epistle 5, line 7.

It literally means:”For you the hearth-fire glows ” or “For you the fire-place shines”, i.e. "The hearth-fire glows for you" or "The fire-place shines for you".
[Read more below].

Best regards,
Maria
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Note that:

-TIBI (dative of the 2nd.person singular pronoun) = for you

-SPLENDET (3rd.person singular, present indicative of the verb SPLENDEO)= glows/shines

-FOCUS (subject in the nominative case, 2nd.declension)= the hearth-fire / the fire-place