Expert: Maria - 3/6/2005

Question
Hello,

I would like to translate the phrase "From the darkness comes hope with wings" into Latin as a motto for my aeromedical evacuation sqaudron. My best attempt is "Ex nox spes aligerum". Is this correct (or close)?

Also, would "Salus militis suprema lex" be a correct translation of "The health of the soldier is the supreme law"?

Thanks so much for your help!

Patrick Hsieh, MD
CAPT, USAF
Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT)
332 EAW / 379 EAES

Answer
Hello,

Glad to help you.

Well, the best translation  for "From the darkness comes hope with wings”  is in Latin:

”Ex tenebris aligera spes”.

where EX TENEBRIS is ‘from the darkness'; ALIGERA is ‘with wings'; SPES is ‘hope', while ‘comes' is implied.
[See footnote].

As for “Salus militis suprema lex » for "The health of the soldier is the supreme law", it is correct, though perhaps I'd rather use the genitive plural MILITUM (of the soldiers) instead of the genitive singular MILITIS (of the soldier) as in Latin it's better to use the plural, in this case.

Hope this can be helpful to you.
Best regards
Maria
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NOTA BENE
With regard to your translation "Ex nox spes aligerum” please note that:

-EX is correct.

-NOX is wrong, first because EX must take the ablative, i.e. ‘nocte', while ‘nox' is nominative; second because ‘nox' means ‘night', not ‘darkness' which is ‘tenebrae'(TENEBRIS in the ablative) in Latin.

-SPES is correct.

-ALIGERUM is wrong as the Latin adjective ‘aliger' must agree with the noun SPES which is feminine.
Therefore you have to say ALIGERA which is in fact the nominative feminine of ALIGER(masculine)-ALIGERA(feminine)-ALIGERUM  (neuter) meaning exactly ‘ winged' or ‘with wings'.