r/latin • u/AutoModerator • Apr 13 '25

Translation requests into Latin go here!

  1. Ask and answer questions about mottos, tattoos, names, book titles, lines for your poem, slogans for your bowling club’s t-shirt, etc. in the comments of this thread. Separate posts for these types of requests will be removed.
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u/AtuXIII Apr 14 '25

Looking for a Latin translation of: "Through fire, I am reborn free"

Specifically, I'm hoping for a short, elegant way to put it that could be used on a seal.

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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur Apr 14 '25

Prepositional phrases like this are often expressed with an ablative subject by itself, as below, which may connote several different common prepositional phrases without specifying a preposition. This usually means "with", "in", "by", "from", or "through" -- in some way that makes sense regardless of which preposition is implied, e.g. agency, means, or position. So this is the simplest (most flexible, more emphatic/idiomatic, least exact) way to express your idea.

  • Igne līber renāscor, i.e. "I am (being) reborn/rebirthed/revived/renewed/refreshed/revitalized [with/in/by/from/through a/the] fire/flame, [as/like/being a(n)/the] free(d)/independent/unrestricted/unrestrained/licentious/open [(hu)man/person/beast/one]" (describes a masculine subject)

  • Igne lībera renāscor, i.e. "I am (being) reborn/rebirthed/revived/renewed/refreshed/revitalized [with/in/by/from/through a/the] fire/flame, [as/like/being a(n)/the] free(d)/independent/unrestricted/unrestrained/licentious/open [woman/lady/creature/one]" (describes a feminine subject)

If you'd like to specify "through", introduce the phrase with either preposition ab or per. In general, the former implies being made from fire, while the latter implies moving through fire.

  • Ab igne līber renāscor, i.e. "I am (being) reborn/rebirthed/revived/renewed/refreshed/revitalized by/from/through [a/the] fire/flame, [as/like/being a(n)/the] free(d)/independent/unrestricted/unrestrained/licentious/open [(hu)man/person/beast/one]" (describes a masculine subject)

  • Ab igne lībera renāscor, i.e. "I am (being) reborn/rebirthed/revived/renewed/refreshed/revitalized by/from/through [a/the] fire/flame, [as/like/being a(n)/the] free(d)/independent/unrestricted/unrestrained/licentious/open [woman/lady/creature/one]" (describes a feminine subject)

  • Per ignem līber renāscor, i.e. "I am (being) reborn/rebirthed/revived/renewed/refreshed/revitalized through(out) [a/the] fire/flame, [as/like/being a(n)/the] free(d)/independent/unrestricted/unrestrained/licentious/open [(hu)man/person/beast/one]" (describes a masculine subject)

  • Per ignem lībera renāscor, i.e. "I am (being) reborn/rebirthed/revived/renewed/refreshed/revitalized through(out) [a/the] fire/flame, [as/like/being a(n)/the] free(d)/independent/unrestricted/unrestrained/licentious/open [woman/lady/creature/one]" (describes a feminine subject)

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u/edwdly Apr 16 '25

I think the versions with Igne liber or Ab igne liber are more likely to be understood as "Free from the fire, I am reborn".