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IN THE BEGINNING
by kendrive @ 2008-05-12 - 09:08:49

It is to my eternal regret that I studied Latin for just one term at school.

In my only examination, I scored the lowest mark of my student days - one quarter of one per-cent!

Now I learn that the Vatican has launched a Latin version of its website, which you can find at:

http://www.vatican.va/latin/latin_index.html

Although the language has fallen out of favour in the modern church, it was used for saying mass and issuing important documents from the early days of the Roman church until the 1960s.

Pope Benedict XVI is now trying to revive Latin for some church functions and has encouraged its use in priestly training.

The Latin pages do not contain all the information available on the Italian, French, German, English, Spanish and Portuguese sections of the Vatican’s website, but they do contain a number of important documents, including the whole of the Bible.

I have posted below the first chapter of the book of Genesis and, despite my lack of Latin, I find it surprisingly easy to follow.

latin_index_02

LIBER GENESIS

1

1 In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram.
2 Terra autem erat inanis et vacua, et tenebrae super faciem abyssi, et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas.
3 Dixitque Deus: “Fiat lux”. Et facta est lux.
4 Et vidit Deus lucem quod esset bona et divisit Deus lucem ac tenebras.
5 Appellavitque Deus lucem Diem et tenebras Noctem. Factumque est vespere et mane, dies unus.
6 Dixit quoque Deus: “Fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum et dividat aquas ab aquis”.
7 Et fecit Deus firmamentum divisitque aquas, quae erant sub firmamento, ab his, quae erant super firmamentum. Et factum est ita.
8 Vocavitque Deus firmamentum Caelum. Et factum est vespere et mane, dies secundus.
9 Dixit vero Deus: “Congregentur aquae, quae sub caelo sunt, in locum unum, et appareat arida”. Factumque est ita.
10 Et vocavit Deus aridam Terram congregationesque aquarum appellavit Maria. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
11 Et ait Deus: “Germinet terra herbam virentem et herbam facientem semen et lignum pomiferum faciens fructum iuxta genus suum, cuius semen in semetipso sit super terram”. Et factum est ita.
12 Et protulit terra herbam virentem et herbam afferentem semen iuxta genus suum lignumque faciens fructum, qui habet in semetipso sementem secundum speciem suam. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
13 Et factum est vespere et mane, dies tertius.
14 Dixit autem Deus: “Fiant luminaria in firmamento caeli, ut dividant diem ac noctem et sint in signa et tempora et dies et annos,
15 ut luceant in firmamento caeli et illuminent terram. Et factum est ita.
16 Fecitque Deus duo magna luminaria: luminare maius, ut praeesset diei, et luminare minus, ut praeesset nocti, et stellas.
17 Et posuit eas Deus in firmamento caeli, ut lucerent super terram
18 et praeessent diei ac nocti et dividerent lucem ac tenebras. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
19 Et factum est vespere et mane, dies quartus.
20 Dixit etiam Deus: “Pullulent aquae reptile animae viventis, et volatile volet super terram sub firmamento caeli”.
21 Creavitque Deus cete grandia et omnem animam viventem atque motabilem, quam pullulant aquae secundum species suas, et omne volatile secundum genus suum. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum;
22 benedixitque eis Deus dicens: “Crescite et multiplicamini et replete aquas maris, avesque multiplicentur super terram ”.
23 Et factum est vespere et mane, dies quintus.
24 Dixit quoque Deus: “Producat terra animam viventem in genere suo, iumenta et reptilia et bestias terrae secundum species suas”. Factumque est ita.
25 Et fecit Deus bestias terrae iuxta species suas et iumenta secundum species suas et omne reptile terrae in genere suo. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
26 Et ait Deus: “Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram; et praesint piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et bestiis universaeque terrae omnique reptili, quod movetur in terra”.
27 Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam;
ad imaginem Dei creavit illum;
masculum et feminam creavit eos.
28 Benedixitque illis Deus et ait illis Deus: “Crescite et multiplicamini et replete terram et subicite eam et dominamini piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et universis animantibus, quae moventur super terram”.
29 Dixitque Deus: “Ecce dedi vobis omnem herbam afferentem semen super terram et universa ligna, quae habent in semetipsis fructum ligni portantem sementem, ut sint vobis in escam
30 et cunctis animantibus terrae omnique volucri caeli et universis, quae moventur in terra et in quibus est anima vivens, omnem herbam virentem ad vescendum”. Et factum est ita.
31 Viditque Deus cuncta, quae fecit, et ecce erant valde bona. Et factum est vespere et mane, dies sextus.

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LissaTLissaT pro
12/05/08 @ 10:17

I did Latin for three years, but still managed to fail my O level - not slightly, but spectacularly badly! However, having a sticky sort of memory and an interest in English useage Latin from reading tombstones and memorials, I seem to have retained rather more than those who did better with it as a school subject.

Many years ago a friend and I visited Bishop Morgan's birthplace (he who translated the Bible into Welsh) and the curator asked whether either of us knew Latin as she wanted to know what the Latin dedication at the front of the Bible said. I volunteered my friend, but she had hardly started when her small son needed to be taken to the lavatory. While they were gone I sat looking at the dedication when it all suddenly made sense. So I told the curator, and she gave us both a cup of tea on the strength of that translation.

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kendrivekendrive pro
12/05/08 @ 10:31

A little Latin goes a long way

At one time I thought I may have been a doctor and Latin would have been very useful for that.

In the past few years I have taken a keen interest in etymology and the English language. Latin would be helpful there too.

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glancerimglancerim [Member]
12/05/08 @ 10:31

This reminds me again how our grandmother lead us praying the Angelus -a 6:00 p.m. habit of prayer. I don't know what she's talking about.

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kendrivekendrive pro
12/05/08 @ 10:39

THIS MAY HELP!

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

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LissaTLissaT pro
12/05/08 @ 12:25

I wonder, does Irish television still have a 6 o'clock slot for the Angelus, or did that go the way of the British epilogue?

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kendrivekendrive pro
12/05/08 @ 15:49

from RTE:

The Angelus has been broadcast almost every day since 1950.

When television opened from 1962, the 'Angelus Bell' was played from a tape and accompanied by old master paintings of the Annunciation.

Periodically, the broadcast Angelus becomes the focus of public controversy but it can claim its place along with News and the Weather Forecast as the longest running 'item', if not programme, on RTÉ.

From a blog:

I'm Irish, although I'm only home about a month a year these days. Don't know if you're aware of the fact that the Angelus is played every day before the news (on both RTE TV and radio, which I listen to daily).

Here's a Youtube video of the TV version:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YMNQ84nHFZo

There is something of a recent argument about whether it should still be played, although it's kind of half-heartedly argued among my peers and family.

(posted by jamesonandwater at 11:07 AM on May 29, 2007)

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firelightfirelight [Member]
12/05/08 @ 21:29

I studied Latin for a year in school but other subjects seemed more important at the time.
Sometimes, I do wish I had paid more attention. *sigh*

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kendrivekendrive pro
12/05/08 @ 21:40

It seems that several of us regret giving up Latin so early in our education.

I have been looking at "Learn Latin" self-help books in my local store and wonder whether, at my advanced age, it is worth having another go.

Unfortunately there are so many competing demands on my time.

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firelightfirelight [Member]
12/05/08 @ 22:06

Too true, that. Too many things on our hands at this time to contemplate studying Latin again.

But I'll tell you what- one day, I shall learn to read it and hopefully be able to write something in Latin right here. :)

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LissaTLissaT pro
12/05/08 @ 22:21

Someone could start a blog in Latin which accepts comments in Latin only? We could start with brief remarks like 'Amo tabulam' and work our way up to longer and better constructed comments.

(By the way, I am using tabula in the sense of picture rather than plank or writing tablet - a safe, standard comment.)

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firelightfirelight [Member]
13/05/08 @ 07:40

Sounds like a damn good idea to me! :)

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kendrivekendrive pro
15/05/08 @ 22:17

Abyssus Lissa

EGO admiratio utrum is est bonus Latin?

EGO sum impono , usura a solvo reddo online procul :

http://www.translation-guide.com/free_online_translators.php? fromEnglish =&to=Latin EGO sum impono

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