# La fille aux cheveux de lin



## Casquilho

Hi guys, could you please translate this verse by Leconte de Lisle, from the poem of same name, "la fille aux cheveux de lin"? My interest is chiefly in "aux cheveux de lin", most chiefly in "aux cheveux". If I only knew how to translate "aux", in this phrase, to Latin, I would comprehend many things!


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## relativamente

Puella quae capillum lini habet
 or
 puella cuius capillus lini est
 I do not use french  preposition aux.In spanish would be "la chica DE los cabellos de lino"But in Latin i don't think a preposition would be used, anyway maybe I am wrong.


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## Casquilho

I heartily thank for your aid! But I think I wasn't so clear.

A moça dos cabelos de linho
La chica de los cabellos de lino
La fille aux cheveux de lin

I was thinking, in Latin, in something like
Puella [word for _cheveux_ in some case] [word for _lin_ in the case ablative of quality]

That is, three words in Latin to say what I mean.
Can someone give me a translation for that?


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## bibax

I should use genitivus qualitatis:

puella capillorum coloris lini


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## relativamente

Besides
maybe you can say Puella  Puella capillis lineis or even capilli linei , but I think is more medievel Latin, but maybe I am wrong.
lineus formed as aureus argenteus, and so on but I do not know to which point is acceptable

I have found this examples with" capillis albis"


Erat natura placida, miti et benigna, statura media, capilli albi, oculi glauci, nasus aduncus, cutis candida mollis et feminea, vox clara et exilis, ...

Comes Conradus de Ballanuce erat stature non magne, albus, facie formosa, capillis albis; litteratus et sapiens, dulcis et affabilis, providus et in bello ...

We have classical examples to describe qualities of a person using ablative like the description of Catilina " L. Catalina, nobili genere natus, fuit magna vi et animi et corporis, sed ingenio malo pravoque"


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## Quiviscumque

"Linteus" : de lino

El Leconte de Lisle latino habría inventado quizás un "linicomans"


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## Casquilho

Relativamente, may you please mark in what case are the adjectives of your example, and what is your source?


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## relativamente

Casquilho said:


> Relativamente, may you please mark in what case are the adjectives of your example, and what is your source?



C. SALLVSTI CRISPI BELLVM CATILINAE
capitulo 5
L. Catilina, nobili genere natus, fuit magna vi et animi et corporis, sed ingenio malo pravoque. 
fuit magna vi sed ingenio malo pravoque.verbo sum + ablativo sin preposición ninguna.

Los pàrrafos restantes no son clásicos y los obtuve buscando en google la expresión "Capillis albis".No me molesté en tomar referencias sino solo me limité a copiar y pegar los párrafos.Se pueden encontrar muchos textos que no son modélicos si consideramos modélico el latín de siglo I A.C. pero son latín al fin y al cabo y mejor del que podemos escribir la mayoría de los foreros de este foro.


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## Casquilho

Thank you! I asked for sources because I could more easily search for a translation to my language. But your explanation is enough, ablative without preposition, exactly what I wanted to write but wasn't that sure if I could to.


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## Quiviscumque

Dear Casquilho, relativamente is right (as far as I can tell). In natural, classical prose, "ablativus qualitatis" is the main option: 

  puella linteis capillis

In postclassical prose, "genetivus qualitatis" is common:

  puella linteorum capillorum

In poetry, you could find the "Greek accusative"

  puella lintea comam 

or a Greek-like word as

  linicomans puella

Surely there are more options. Who said Latin is simple?


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## Casquilho

Greek accusative? Never heard of such a thing!


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## Quiviscumque

Casquilho said:


> Greek accusative? Never heard of such a thing!



Listen carefully  Surely there are examples also in Portuguese. Let me show you a couple of examples in Spanish:

"... los alemanes / el fiero cuello atados" (Garcilaso)

"lasciva el movimiento,/ mas los ojos honesta" (Góngora)


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## bibax

A Latin example with the accusative:

*hiems cana capillos* _(Ovidius, according to my dictionary)_


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