# Help with latin **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624 "2006-09-14T00:21:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/1 "2006-09-14T00:21:53Z")
I’m reading **A Canticle for Leibowitz** and am trying to translate the headings for the three divisions. _Fiat Homo_ _Fiat Lux_ \* Fiat Voluntas Tua \* Online latin translators do not recognoze _fiat_ or _tua_. I can figure out that a \*fiat \*is a decree, \*lux \*is light, \*voluntuas \*is probably voluntary … but what the phrases mean escapes me. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/2 "2006-09-14T00:35:49Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] I’m reading **A Canticle for Leibowitz** and am trying to translate the headings for the three divisions. _Fiat Homo_ _Fiat Lux_ \* Fiat Voluntas Tua \* Online latin translators do not recognoze _fiat_ or _tua_. I can figure out that a \*fiat \*is a decree, \*lux \*is light, \*voluntuas \*is probably voluntary … but what the phrases mean escapes me. Any help? [/QUOTE] Fiat actually literally translates into “he lets it be”. it’s the future subjuctive of the verb to be, “esse”, if my high schoo latin still works, after all these years. Tua means your, voluntas means will or decree. Translating the paternoster? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/3 "2006-09-14T00:55:50Z")
Let there be man Let there be light _(Famous from the Vulgate version of Genesis 1:3)._ Let it be your will \*(Or, more typically, from the Vulgate version of the Our Father, _Your will be done.)_ ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/4 "2006-09-14T00:57:52Z")
[QUOTE=Diomedes] Fiat actually literally translates into “he lets it be”. it’s the future subjuctive of the verb to be, “esse”, if my high schoo latin still works, after all these years. Tua means your, voluntas means will or decree. Translating the paternoster? [/QUOTE] Que es paternoster? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/5 "2006-09-14T01:05:45Z")
Let there be man Let there be light _(Famous from the Vulgate version of Genesis 1:3)._ Let it be your will _(Or, more typically, from the Vulgate version of the Our Father, Your will be done.)_ ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/6 "2006-09-14T01:09:40Z")
paternoster = pater (father) + noster (our) = padre nuestro ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/7 "2006-09-14T01:10:26Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] Que es paternoster? [/QUOTE] The Pater noster is the “Our Father”, from the opening words in the Latin version… Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/8 "2006-09-14T03:52:10Z")
[QUOTE=Diomedes] Fiat actually literally translates into “he lets it be”. it’s the future subjuctive of the verb to be, “esse”, if my high schoo latin still works, after all these years. [/QUOTE] Actually \*fiat \* is the third person singular present subjunctive of the verb _fio, fieri_: to become or be made. The equivalent for the verb to be, _esse_, would be _sit_. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/9 "2006-09-14T07:59:05Z")
Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin/372624/10 "2006-09-14T19:46:41Z")
Here’s a study guide which includes translations of all the Latin in the book: [http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/science\_fiction/canticle.html](http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/science_fiction/canticle.html)