Expert: Maria - 8/15/2006

Question
Hi Maria, how're you?

Im wondering if you could help.Im having real problems with trying to translate this quote:

"Only in Darkness Can We See The Stars"

Its for a plaque for my grandmother (this was her saying). Problem is, no one in the family speaks latin apart from her.

The best i could come up with is:
Tantum in Obscurum can nos animadverto astrum

However when i research, each word has more than one possibility, (which has thrown my off) such as :
Darkness - obscurum, creperum, caliga
stars - astrum, stella, sidus
Only - Tantum, solus, solum, modo

Any help would be greatly appriciated
All the Best

-Daniel  

Answer
Hello Daniel,

glad to help you.

So your grandmother’s  saying would be in Latin as follows:

1-“Solum in tenebris astra videre possumus”.

2-“In tenebris tantum stellas videre possumus”

3-“Modo in tenebris sidera videre possumus”

Please note that:

-Only = SOLUM / TANTUM / MODO (adverbs)

-in = IN (a preposition which takes the ablative)

-Darkness = TENEBRIS (ablative case of the plural noun TENEBRAE , the darkness; ablative of place where)

-Can We = POSSUMUS (1st.person plural of POSSUM, I can)

-See = VIDERE (infinitive of VIDEO, I see)

-The Stars = ASTRA (accusative plural of the neuter noun ASTRUM, the star) / STELLAS (accusative plural of the feminine noun STELLA, the star) / SIDERA ( accusative plural of the neuter noun SIDUS, the star)

Hope this helps.

All the best
Maria
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PS.
As for the words you mention, i.e.-Darkness - obscurum, creperum, caliga/ -star - astrum, stella, sidus
-Only - Tantum, solus, solum, modo-, I must point out that for DARKNESS the best term is TENEBRAE, while
both ‘obscurum’ and ‘creperum’ are  the neuter of two adjectives meaning ‘dark’, and the noun ‘caligo’(not ‘caliga’) means ‘mist’ rather than ‘darkness’.