# Need some Latin (I think)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462 "2004-03-26T00:15:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462/1 "2004-03-26T00:15:40Z")

</div>

The Damned put out a nice little piece of goth rock a few years back entitled _In Dulce Decorum._ Lovely little song, but the title troubles me because I don’t know just how it translates into English and I feel I might be missing a large chunk of message offered by this masterpiece.

Assistance please?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462/2 "2004-03-26T00:33:43Z")

</div>

In sweet splendor?

Don’t let my username fool you. I haven’t studied Latin in over fifteen years, so my educated guess is derived from a very limited vocabulary.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462/3 "2004-03-26T00:36:48Z")

</div>

Probably related to _Dolce et Decorum est…_, which means “It is Sweet and Fitting…” from the [Poem of that title](http://www.bestclips.com/poem-dulce.html) by Wilfred Owen.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462/4 "2004-03-26T00:38:40Z")

</div>

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori-Horace

It is a sweet and proper to die for one’s country

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462/5 "2004-03-26T00:45:16Z")

</div>

> [@John Mace](#):
>
> Probably related to _Dolce et Decorum est…_, which means “It is Sweet and Fitting…” from the [Poem of that title](http://www.bestclips.com/poem-dulce.html) by Wilfred Owen.

D’ho. Dulce, not Dolce (the Italian version). 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462/6 "2004-03-26T00:55:51Z")

</div>

> [@John Mace](#):
>
> Probably related to _Dolce et Decorum est…_, which means “It is Sweet and Fitting…” from the [Poem of that title](http://www.bestclips.com/poem-dulce.html) by Wilfred Owen.

Yes. Thank you. That seems to fit.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-latin-i-think/236462/7 "2004-03-26T00:57:54Z")

</div>

> [@John Mace](#):
>
> Probably related to _Dolce et Decorum est…_, which means “It is Sweet and Fitting…” from the [Poem of that title](http://www.bestclips.com/poem-dulce.html) by Wilfred Owen.

Having just googled the [lyrics](http://www.google.com/search?q=Damned+Dulce+Decorum+lyrics) of the song by The Damned, I can see a clearer connection between that song and Owen’s poem. They share roughly the same mood and evoke similar feelings of disgust at the gruesomeness of war.