# Latin to English Translator **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493 "2009-08-15T04:13:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/1 "2009-08-15T04:13:45Z")
I have a lot of latin text i would like to translate, and don’t really know much about the language. What free internet translator (free) have you guys found to work the best? ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/2 "2009-08-15T04:19:23Z")
> [@TNWPsycho](#): > > I have a lot of latin text i would like to translate, and don’t really know much about the language. What free internet translator (free) have you guys found to work the best? I don’t think there is any good Latin-to-English translator available. You might have to find a real human to do it. What is this text? Where did you find it? ---
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/3 "2009-08-15T04:23:16Z")
Well i got involved with a band, and am going to be filming a music video. A cover of a song that is originally in latin…nobody in the band, nor i speak latin. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/4 "2009-08-15T04:23:44Z")
Latin is pretty much mostly not English. From my experience, what you need to do is buy a lot of beer for two or three Latin-English translators, let them fight it out for a half hour, record what is the closest to what they agree upon, and buy another pitcher so they can fight about the next sentence. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/5 "2009-08-15T04:24:46Z")
I don’t speak Latin. What’s the original? ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/6 "2009-08-15T04:28:42Z")
> [@TNWPsycho](#): > > Well i got involved with a band, and am going to be filming a music video. A cover of a song that is originally in latin…nobody in the band, nor i speak latin. What is the title or first line of the song? Who is the author, if known? If it is a song that a band somehow got ahold of, you may be able to find an existing translation. My Latin is limited to later ecclesiastical/scholastic dialects, but I may be able to help. ---
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/7 "2009-08-15T05:16:38Z")
> [@ragerdude](#): > > What is the title or first line of the song? Who is the author, if known? > If it is a song that a band somehow got ahold of, you may be able to find an existing translation. > > My Latin is limited to later ecclesiastical/scholastic dialects, but I may be able to help. The song is “De Profundes Mors Vas Cousomet” by Abruptum No lyrics have ever actually been printed (that im aware of) but it is fairly easy to pick out some of the simpler lines. “Es carnicium” “Sathanas!” stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Myself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Myself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myself)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/8 "2009-08-15T18:23:01Z")
Forgive me if I’m being too obvious, but have you tried searching for a Latin translator? I found these, (of which I know nothing): [http://www.translation-guide.com/free\_online\_translators.php?from=Latin&to=English](http://www.translation-guide.com/free_online_translators.php?from=Latin&to=English) This place has several score languages to choose from, including cat to dog…okay I made that up, but see to believe. (I can’t get the page to scroll properly.) [http://www.stars21.com/translator/latin\_to\_english.html](http://www.stars21.com/translator/latin_to_english.html) These people who should know about Latin. [http://www.nd.edu/~archives/latgramm.htm](http://www.nd.edu/~archives/latgramm.htm) There are many others. Maybe try a few and split the difference? ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-to-english-translator/506493/9 "2009-08-16T01:01:42Z")
There’s a program out there called Words, I believe. Here:[http://users.erols.com/whitaker/words.htm](http://users.erols.com/whitaker/words.htm) It’s what my fiancee the classicist uses, so it’s probably pretty accurate.