# After us, the deluge.



## backpacker83

I'll eliminate backstory and cut to the chase for brevity.

I'm looking for a Latin translation of the phrase, "After us, the deluge," that matches the intent/context of it's use in Vonnegut's Piano Player:

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Paul had a vision of civilization as a vast and faulty dike, with
thousands of men like Doctor Pond in a rank stretching to the
horizon, each man grimly stopping a leak with his finger.

[and later]

"How about, 'After us, the deluge,'" said Paul.
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Many thanks for any responses.


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## Scholiast

Well greetings and welcome to the Latin Forum, backpacker83

_sine nobis, deluviabit
_​Others may here have their say, of course.

Σ


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## backpacker83

Thank you!

Just out of curiosity, how'd you arrive at "deluviabit"? I haven't found reference to that word/spelling anywhere else.


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## wandle

backpacker83 said:


> how'd you arrive at "deluviabit"?





Scholiast said:


> sine nobis, deluviabit


A good solution, except that it seems to be a slip of the pen - or should I say a _lapsus clavis_? - for _diluviabit._


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## fdb

This is Greek, not Latin, but it matches fairly closely the meaning of après nous le déluge:

νῦν ἐν ἐμοὶ πιέτω μέθυ τὸ πλέον ὀστέα τἀμά·
νεκρὰ δὲ Δευκαλίων αὐτὰ κατακλυσάτω.

(Greek Anthology 11.19)


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## backpacker83

Thanks for all of the responses. "Nobis post, diluvium," was as close as I could find anywhere.


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## Scholiast

Greetings all,


wandle said:


> or should I say a _lapsus clavis_? - for _diluviabit_


Thanks, wandle, of course it should be.
Σ


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## Glenfarclas

backpacker83 said:


> "Nobis post, diluvium," was as close as I could find anywhere.



That's not very close. The first part should be "Post nos," as _post_ takes the accusative and stands in front of its object.


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## voltape

Scholiast said:


> Well greetings and welcome to the Latin Forum, backpacker83
> 
> _sine nobis, deluviabit
> _​Others may here have their say, of course.
> 
> Σ


But "SINE NOBIS" is "without us"; not "after us"


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## wandle

voltape said:


> But "SINE NOBIS" is "without us"; not "after us"


Yes, but _diluviabit_ is future, so that expresses the idea of a later time.
Latin ls logical. 'Without' is more accurate, unless the meaning were that the people would die, which is not what post 1 implies.


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