Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Latin term or phrase:
Bene autem, quod omnia tempus revelat, testibus etiam vestris proverbiis et sent
English translation:
Moreover, it is well, because time reveals all, when your witnesses are also proverbs and maxims.
Added to glossary by
Joseph Brazauskas
Aug 15, 2008 15:11
15 yrs ago
Latin term
Bene autem, quod omnia tempus revelat, testibus etiam vestris proverbiis et sent
Latin to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Could anyone help me translate this sentence into English? Thanx!
Change log
Aug 17, 2008 13:45: Joseph Brazauskas Created KOG entry
Aug 17, 2008 13:46: Joseph Brazauskas changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/40449">Joseph Brazauskas's</a> old entry - "Bene autem, quod omnia tempus revelat, testibus etiam vestris proverbiis et sent"" to ""Moreover, it is well, because time reveals all, when your witnesses are also proverbs and maxims. ""
Proposed translations
5 hrs
Joseph Brazauskas
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
When You Want It Done Right
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
, Spanish (Variant: Standard-Spain)
Works in: Latin to English, English to Latin, Greek (Ancient) to English, and 23 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
56
Selected
Moreover, it is well, because time reveals all, when your witnesses are also proverbs and maxims.
Or perhaps, 'since even your witnesses are proverbs and maxims'. I take 'testibus etiam vestris proverbiis et sententiis' as an ablative absolute; it could be translated more literally by an English nominative absolute, viz., 'your witnesses being also proverbs and maxims.
Note from asker:
| Thanks. with 'your witnesses being also proverbs and maxims' I can understand better this sentence. Thanks! |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Stephen C. Farrand
: I have always thought that this type of phrase, where a modifier agrees with two nouns or noun phrases, is intentionally ambiguous. Other than "even your own proverbs and pronouncements are your witnesses", i.e. repeating the modifier, no Eng. options.
1 day 16 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+2
6 hrs
Stephen C. Farrand
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Experienced. Literate. Thorough.
Native in: English 
Works in: Latin to English, Greek (Ancient) to English, Russian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
28
Yet it is well that time uncovers all things--and your sayings and pronouncements are witness--
This is from Tertullian Apologeticum 7. And the sentence does continue, by the way, which is helpful to know. I say that 'testibus...sententiis' is ablative absolute.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
snowlamb
: I believe this is a more accurate translation than the awarded one, see the French translation "Heureusement que le temps dévoile tout : vos proverbes et vos maximes m'en sont témoins"(http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Apologétique)
1 day 9 hrs
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Thank you, Snowlamb!
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| agree |
Olga Cartlidge
: ,,, to which - incidentally - your proverbs and maxims bear witness.
1 day 17 hrs
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Thank you, Olga! I applaud your 'incidentally'!
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Discussion