Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Latin term or phrase:
Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori
English translation:
It is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country.
Added to glossary by
Simon Charass
Sep 30, 2001 11:43
22 yrs ago
Latin term
Laura Plenty
Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori
Non-PRO
Latin to English
Other
A poem by Wilfred Owen named Dulce et Decorum est, final sentence "The old lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori."
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
35 mins
Simon Charass
Canada
Canada
Native in English
Canada
Over 20 Years Freelance Translation
Native in: English 
, French
Works in: Italian to English, French to English, English to French, and 9 more.
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4
Selected
It is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country.
QUOTATION: It is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country.
[Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.]
ATTRIBUTION: Horace [Quintus Horatius Flaccus] (65–8 B.C.), Roman poet. Odes, bk. 3, ode 2, l. 13 (23 B.C.).
The first four words used as title of a poem by Wilfred Owen, calling it “the old Lie.”
BIOGRAPHY: Columbia Encyclopedia.
[Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.]
ATTRIBUTION: Horace [Quintus Horatius Flaccus] (65–8 B.C.), Roman poet. Odes, bk. 3, ode 2, l. 13 (23 B.C.).
The first four words used as title of a poem by Wilfred Owen, calling it “the old Lie.”
BIOGRAPHY: Columbia Encyclopedia.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thankyou very much, those few words have been anoying me for ages as we are studying Wilfed Owen at the moment in English at school and no one knew the answer. i shall return to this website in the future and recomend it to my friends."
+2
7 mins
Mary Worby
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
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United Kingdom
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4
it is sweet and proper to die for one's country
See reference below ...
HTH
Mary
HTH
Mary
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
DR. RICHARD BAVRY (X)
: I cannot possibly argue with Oxford! ;>) and "decorum" fits in so well with "proper"
12 hrs
|
| agree |
Nicola (Mr.) Nobili
13 hrs
|
+1
1 hr
It is sweet and beauteous to die for one's country.
Another suggestion.
"Decorum" also means beautiful or beauteous, an old-fashioned word for beautiful. It has the right "flavor" to me, in relation to the subject of Owen's excellent poem (WWI). Also, the image (of sweetness and beauty shining on the faces of the young soldiers who were sacrificing themselves for their country in this first of horrendous modern wars) seems to me to fit Owen's poem especially well.
N.B.: "Dulce" can be translated as sweet, but it also means agreeable, pleasant
"Decorum" also means beautiful or beauteous, an old-fashioned word for beautiful. It has the right "flavor" to me, in relation to the subject of Owen's excellent poem (WWI). Also, the image (of sweetness and beauty shining on the faces of the young soldiers who were sacrificing themselves for their country in this first of horrendous modern wars) seems to me to fit Owen's poem especially well.
N.B.: "Dulce" can be translated as sweet, but it also means agreeable, pleasant
7 hrs
CLS Lexi-tech
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16
pleasing and honorable is to die for one's homeland
sweet for "dulce" seems perhaps too literal.
regards
paola l m
regards
paola l m
14 hrs
Nicola (Mr.) Nobili
Italy
Italy
Italy
Specialised in Veterinary Medicine
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4
It is sweet and decorous to die for your homeland
Just a "variation on the theme". But if my memory serves me right, this is how my teacher translated it into English. Quite literal, but sounds pleasant to me.
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