Latin Tattoo: Be Strong, Seize the Day

by Lauren
(Ontario, Canada)

Dear Latin Teacher,

I'm getting a Latin tattoo in a few weeks and want to be sure that Be Strong and Sieze the Day in Latin was, Perfer Et Carpe Diem.

Thanks, Lauren


Dear Lauren,

Yes, your Latin tattoo will read perfectly well in the translation you provide.

The word perfer means literally carry on through to the end, don't give up, endure. It is a fine translation of 'Be strong'. It occurs famously in Catullus 8, in which the poet admonishes himself to be strong in the face of losing his lover.

The phrase carpe diem means literally seize the day, or possibly seize the opportunity. It occurs famously in Horace I.11, in which a man seeks to entice a young woman into a love affair. The whole line reads: Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.

Hope this helps, and thanks for asking a Latin teacher.

Sincerely,

John

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