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QUEMCUNQUE MISERUM VIDERIS HOMINEN SCIAS

English translation: "Whatever wretch you will see, you should know that

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Latin term or phrase:QUENCUNQUE MISERUM VIDEBIS HOMINEM [ESSE] SCIAS "Whatever wretch you will see, you should know that
English translation:"Whatever wretch you will see, you should know that
Entered by: Egmont

13:59 Sep 22, 2000
Latin to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
Latin term or phrase: QUEMCUNQUE MISERUM VIDERIS HOMINEN SCIAS
This expression in on a life saving medal.
Phil Schafran
[See below]
Explanation:
Your transcription has at least one copying error, and furthermore there seems to be a word missing (perhaps TE or ESSE or both), and the form you write as VIDERIS seems wrong (perhaps it is VIDERI or VIDEBIS or VIDEBERIS).

As it stands it is fragmentary: "You see whatever wretched person...you should/may know" -- pretty flimsy stuff. If corrected to QUENCUNQUE MISERUM VIDEBIS HOMINEM [ESSE] SCIAS, it would improve immensely: "Whatever wretch you will see, you should know that it's a person."

Usually mottoes and inscriptions are a little more meaningful, or else they are quotations, usually from poetry. As your text stands, however, it shows no signs of poetic meter, and though I tried to look up the fragments as they stand on the Perseus site I had no luck in getting any hits. Please consider recopying the text and posting it here.
Selected response from:

Wigtil (X)
Grading comment
Thanks for the help. The only misspelling from the medal that I posted was Hominen instead of Hominem. It does reade VIDERIS not VIDEBIS and QUEMCUNQUE not QUENCUNQUE. Can ESSE be understood grammatically without having to be written? Anyway perhaps the person responsible for the medal did not possess good Latin skills. The medal is issued by the Royal Life Saving Society. Those Brits!!
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3Whomsoever you see in distress, recognise in him a fellow man
craigb
na +1[See below]
Wigtil (X)


  

Answers


2 days 8 mins peer agreement (net): +1
[See below]


Explanation:
Your transcription has at least one copying error, and furthermore there seems to be a word missing (perhaps TE or ESSE or both), and the form you write as VIDERIS seems wrong (perhaps it is VIDERI or VIDEBIS or VIDEBERIS).

As it stands it is fragmentary: "You see whatever wretched person...you should/may know" -- pretty flimsy stuff. If corrected to QUENCUNQUE MISERUM VIDEBIS HOMINEM [ESSE] SCIAS, it would improve immensely: "Whatever wretch you will see, you should know that it's a person."

Usually mottoes and inscriptions are a little more meaningful, or else they are quotations, usually from poetry. As your text stands, however, it shows no signs of poetic meter, and though I tried to look up the fragments as they stand on the Perseus site I had no luck in getting any hits. Please consider recopying the text and posting it here.

Wigtil (X)
PRO pts in pair: 67
Grading comment
Thanks for the help. The only misspelling from the medal that I posted was Hominen instead of Hominem. It does reade VIDERIS not VIDEBIS and QUEMCUNQUE not QUENCUNQUE. Can ESSE be understood grammatically without having to be written? Anyway perhaps the person responsible for the medal did not possess good Latin skills. The medal is issued by the Royal Life Saving Society. Those Brits!!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Egmont
727 days
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3381 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Whomsoever you see in distress, recognise in him a fellow man


Explanation:
The translation I have given is (I believe) the RLSS translation of their motto into English. I hold personal membership of RLSS UK and the translation I have given is the translation I have been told.

P.S. As for "those Brits!!" RLSS operate in 53 different countries around the world (figures published in 1997) (ref. Lifesaving 6th Edition ISBN: 0 907082 59 9)

craigb
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