# Keep your head above water, but below the parapet



## cheungministro

Hi,

Help needed please.

I'm translating a family motto into Latin. Please could you advise on my efforts.

*English motto: *
Keep your head above water, but below the parapet

*conveyed message should be: *
(remain / stand / exist / be) higher than the water, and lower than the parapet.*
*Parapet  comes from the Italian word parapetto, (cover/defend breast), and means  the wall around the top of a castle. If no translation can be found,  "castle wall" or "defensive wall" could be used, as in:
"Stand higher than the water, but lower than the castle wall."

*translation: *
Super aquam at sub pinnam (murum tecti) caput tuum ponat

*Questions:*
super/supra? (acc/abl)? if placing your head I suppose it is with motion...
sub (acc/abl)? if placing your head I suppose it is with motion...
to keep - a tricky verb to translate I went for ponere to place - any better suggestions
subj for "to keep" - I see it as a 3rd person imperative - therefore subjunctive. Yay or nay?
translation of parapet - I found pinna to mean "wing" or "parapet". I have included the (murum tecti) for a literal translation. Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance


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## Scholiast

Salvete amici!

For Cheungministro who posts this enquiry there is an almost irresoluble problem - at least for rendition into Latin - namely that the metaphors are mixed; it isn't helped by the fact that both are to an extent clichés.

If the motto (in his native Chinese, I assume) means simply something like, "be safe" or "look after yourself", perhaps he could let us know.

Σ


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## cheungministro

Hi, 

I'm British and it's for a family motto and I think it is supposed to be tongue in cheek. Something like "lucky" or "right place, right time".

Kind regards,

Cheung


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## relativamente

Hi!
I am trying to answer only the two first points
Just taken from a dictionary
super is an adverb and also a preposition going both with ablative and accusative. When used with accusative means over, with or without mouvement.When used with ablative can mean also over exemple supra cervice pendet ensis (the sword is hanging over the head) or about example hac super re scribam ad te (I will write to you about this matter.
sub is only a preposition that can go with accusative or with ablative
With ablative and local meaning can be used with or without the idea of mouvement-sub terra habitare -sub iugo mittere -sub monte (at the foot of the mountain)
With ablative and temporal meaning sub Domiciano, in the times of Domicianus. Sub ipsa profectione (in the same moment of the walking)
With accusative and local meaning under (ONLY WITH MOUVEMENT)sub montem succedere to get close to the foot of the mountain
With accusative and temporal meaning after or about -sub vesperum around sunset. After sub haec dicta after those words.


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## wandle

If you would like something short and snappy, which could fit on the shield of a coat of arms, say, then I would suggest:

*nando cavendo*

The literal meaning is 'by swimming, by being cautious'.
In other words, you will survive by both swimming (keeping your head above water) and being cautious (not putting your head above the parapet).

Must be a bit difficult to keep afloat while taking a parapet along, though. Hats off to all who can do so.


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## cheungministro

cheungministro said:


> *English motto: *
> Keep your head above water, but below the parapet
> 
> *translation: *
> Super aquam at sub pinnam (murum tecti) caput tuum ponat




Are there any grammar errors with the translation though?


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## fdb

The classical Latin word for "parapet" is (I believe) agger.


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## cheungministro

fdb said:


> The classical Latin word for "parapet" is (I believe) agger.



Interesting, so...

Super aquam at sub aggerem (murum tecti) caput tuum ponat


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## relativamente

Super aquam at sub pinnam (murum tecti) caput tuum ponat
Are there any grammar errors with the translation though? 

Yes there's at least one
imperative second person is pone
http://www.allverbs.com/cache/verbtables/9/P/Pono.shtml
Better than pono maybe use teneo or servo


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## relativamente

In my dictionary spanish Latin the translation for parapeto is vallum. But I suspect that Spanish parapeto i not equivalent to English parapet


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## cheungministro

relativamente said:


> Super aquam at sub pinnam (murum tecti) caput tuum ponat
> Are there any grammar errors with the translation though?
> 
> Yes there's at least one
> imperative second person is pone
> http://www.allverbs.com/cache/verbtables/9/P/Pono.shtml
> Better than pono maybe use teneo or servo



I read that if wanting to use the imperative in the third person you should use the subjunctive...as this is a motto I thought 3rd person would suit more. any thoughts?


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## Stoicorum_simia

cheungministro said:


> I read that if wanting to use the imperative in the third person you should use the subjunctive...as this is a motto I thought 3rd person would suit more. any thoughts?



If you put in a third person verb, you would be saying 'let him/her keep your head above water...' I think mottoes quite often use a second person imperative, but if you want a subjunctive put *ponas *not *ponat*. (And you don't need the *tuum*, either. In fact to be really snappy maybe omit the verb, too.)


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