I need help translating for a tattoo?

Question

My sister would like the english translation of "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."

And we have found some answers, unfortunately not any solid ones. We've gotten "Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow!" and "Seize the day, trust not to the morrow."

Any help? Or at least the most commonly used translation.

Answer 1

I would get it in Latin if I were her. According to google, it's "put no trust in tomorrow." That is quite literal. A prettier version would be "Seize today, for you cannot trust what will come tomorrow." Or "Seize today, for you cannot trust tomorrow." Or "seize the day, and don't worry about the future." Or: "Enjoy the present moment , trusting the least possible to the future."

The most literal, good translation would likely be "Seize the day, trusting/believing/expecting the least/little from the future."

Answer 2

The problem with Latin is that it is a dead language.  This means there are no living native speakers of this language who use it as their mother tongue.

Latin words do not always have a direct English translation, a single word in one language can often have two or three translations in the other.  As you have found out already.

Using my uncle's old Latin books this is what I've translated:

Carpe Diem, does translate as "Seize the day"

Quam minimum credula postero has a rough translation of "put no trust in tomorrows".

Here are a few sites with translations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpe_diem

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/kend0062/veritas...

http://www.quoteworld.org/quotes/6754

http://www.flacc.us/flaccus.html

as you can see each one varies slightly.

If I was your sister I wouls simply pick the one she feels sounds best and go with that one.  Either that or stick with the Latin version.

Answer 3

seize the devil by which route is shortest belief to posterity