# I came, I saw, I don't understand, I could not believe ...



## gred

I know that veni, vidi, vici is the first person perfect for "I came, I saw, I conquered" (I think).

What I would like to say in Latin, is:

I came
I saw
I don't understand
I could not believe what I saw

Please note that the third line is present tense, as in I still don't understand.

This is for a work situation that has been incredible.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.


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## J.F. de TROYES

I came =  Veni

I saw = Vidi

I don't understand = Non intellego

I could not believe what I saw = Quae vidi non credere poteram 

Hope it helps.


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## Quiviscumque

If you allow some minor modifications:

"Veni, vidi incredibilia, stupeo"


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## gred

Many thanks, I am consistently amazed that people with more knowledge are willing to expend time and effort to share.

JF and Quiviscumque (que es esto?) - can you describe a little the difference in the two interpretations?  in English, as in literal translation to English?

I want to have a t-shirt with this slogan made for the cutover night of a major project involving multiple years and over 50 million dollars, that I was a participant in.

And I have interest in the thoughts of a Spaniard, as I lived in Spain for 10 years and have returned for a month every year since, tengo algo de Espana en mi sangre.


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## Quiviscumque

JF de TROYES gave what you asked for: a literal translation of your English text.

My proposal was to change it a little: "* I came, I saw unbelievable things, I am stunned".

Hope it helps!
*


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## J.F. de TROYES

gred said:


> JF and Quiviscumque (que es esto?) - can you describe a little the difference in the two interpretations? in English, as in literal translation to English?
> 
> I want to have a t-shirt with this slogan made for the cutover night of a major project involving multiple years and over 50 million dollars, that I was a participant in.
> 
> And I have interest in the thoughts of a Spaniard, as I lived in Spain for 10 years and have returned for a month every year since, tengo algo de Espana en mi sangre.


 
I think I misunderstood your question. As you are looking for a concise phrase similar to Julius Caesar's, Quiviscumque is right and his translation sounds perfect. _Adhuc _(still) could be added in front of _stupeo. _


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## lacrimae

> And I have interest in the thoughts of a Spaniard, as I lived in Spain for 10 years and have returned for a month every year since, tengo algo de Espana en mi sangre.


Mi opinión desde España
La traducción de Troyes es literal y correcta,la de Quiviscumque es una versión de tu texto pero mejorada en su forma y además breve , aunque stuppeo es algo más fuerte que understand que equivale más bien a intellego.
 salutem


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## gred

Thanks to both of you for your assistance.  J.F. de TROYES, you gave me what I asked for and was looking for originally, a literal translation of how I actually feel.  But the more I think about it, I like your version, Quiviscumque, because it is closer to the form of Julius Caesar's saying and will fit better on a t-shirt as well.

Now, I just have to think twice on how it will be received, and what if any impact that might have on my future plans.  My oldest son, after reading this thread, asked me, "won't that really annoy a lot of people?"

I did plan to have on the back side of the t-shirt, in English: 

collaborate with helpful people
be grateful
make a positive difference


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## gred

A lacrimae en Espana, tambien gracias a ti.  Tu opinon me ha ayudado eligir lo que Quiviscumque propuso, y no me importa que es algo mas fuerte.  Me olvide decirte gracias tambien.


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## Ben Jamin

J.F. de TROYES said:


> I came = Veni
> 
> I saw = Vidi
> 
> I don't understand = Non intelligo
> 
> I could not believe what I saw = Quae vidi non credere potui
> Hope it helps.


 'Could not' is simple past, not conditional


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## Cagey

_Poteram _is the imperfect indicative; it's not a subjunctive.  It is the tense I would use here, unless you want to speak only of the first shock rather than of the on-going experience.


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## gred

Believe me, it is the on-going experience, the continued shocks, that I wanted to refer to.  Even today, after months on this project, I continue to be amazed.


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## Ben Jamin

Cagey said:


> _Poteram _is the imperfect indicative; it's not a subjunctive. It is the tense I would use here, unless you want to speak only of the first shock rather than of the on-going experience.


 You mean _potebam_?


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## Cagey

I mean _poteram_, the imperfect form of _possum, posse, potui_.  It amounts to _pot_ + _eram_, the imperfect form of _sum_.   

Perhaps you are thinking of another verb.


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## Ben Jamin

Cagey said:


> I mean _poteram_, the imperfect form of _possum, posse, potui_. It amounts to _pot_ + _eram_, the imperfect form of _sum_.
> 
> Perhaps you are thinking of another verb.


 Sorry, you are right.


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## J.F. de TROYES

> I don't understand = Non intelligo


 
Both forms_ intellego_ and _intelligo_ are used, but the first seems to me much more common ( See words as _intellectus_, _intellegentia_, _intellegibilis ) _.


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## Peano

Well, I find it a bit strange to have the tenses mixed like that: perfect, perfect, present, perfect ("came, saw, don't understand, couldn't believe").
So I would invert the latter two: VENI, VIDI, CREDERE NON POTVI, NON INTELLEGO.
You're well free to invert or not to invert the latter two, yet I imagine that a reaction of incredibility would be previous to the final sensation of not having understood.


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## Peano

I forgot there is an alternative equally good: "came, saw, didn't understand, can't believe" -> "VENI, VIDI, NON INTELLEXI, CREDERE NON POSSUM."


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