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TRANSFRETI FRUIMUR

English translation: across the wall of raging waves

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Latin term or phrase:trans freti saevi murum
English translation:across the wall of raging waves
Entered by: Nicholas Ferreira

22:38 Oct 23, 2006
Latin to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Heraldic Mottos
Latin term or phrase: TRANSFRETI FRUIMUR
I am translating a series of heraldic mottos (quite ill written, misspelled, etc.!) from Latin. This is the one I am completely stuck on.

MANU TENENS CORDE SUPERANS TRANSFRETI FRUIMUR NEQUE ULTRA VISUS SIMILES ERIT.

You can consult the original mottos in images at this URL: http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/mexico.htm
Nicholas Ferreira
Canada
Local time: 12:10
Could it be: trans freti s(a)evi murum?
Explanation:
Are you working on the original coat of arms or on the image? That "fruimur" does not look likely. The first letter seems more of an "s" and the last "r" sports a small line at its base which looks like an abbreviation (usually for "-um", of plural genitives)": if so, it could be "trans freti s(a)evi murum": across the wall of raging waves.
"Fruimur" would also be wrong for the concordance with the previous two present participles, which are in the singular.
Selected response from:

Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
Local time: 18:10
Grading comment
Leonardo, once again, awesome job! I can see you have experience in this! Your suggestion matches the context well. Your work is much appreciated, as is everyone's.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
1 +3Could it be: trans freti s(a)evi murum?
Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
3we enjoy being ferried across the sea
Joseph Brazauskas


  

Answers


16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Could it be: trans freti s(a)evi murum?


Explanation:
Are you working on the original coat of arms or on the image? That "fruimur" does not look likely. The first letter seems more of an "s" and the last "r" sports a small line at its base which looks like an abbreviation (usually for "-um", of plural genitives)": if so, it could be "trans freti s(a)evi murum": across the wall of raging waves.
"Fruimur" would also be wrong for the concordance with the previous two present participles, which are in the singular.

Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
Local time: 18:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Leonardo, once again, awesome job! I can see you have experience in this! Your suggestion matches the context well. Your work is much appreciated, as is everyone's.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rebecca Garber
13 mins
  -> Hi Rebecca!
agree  Joseph Brazauskas: Maybe. You have excellent vision, Leonardo!
1 hr
  -> Hi, Joseph! Practising all the time in dark archives on even darker documents... :-)
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
2 hrs
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18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
we enjoy being ferried across the sea


Explanation:
This is reading 'transfretari' for 'transfreti', which is an impossible form. The sentence seems to suggest a journey at sea. Possibly the whole should read 'manu tenens, corde superans, transfretari fruimur neque ultra visum simile erit' which I would render 'holding the [rudder, i.e., holding it steadfastly] with the hand, triumphant in the heart, we enjoyed being ferried across the sea and nothing else will have seemed similar [to this experience]'. But this requires emending 'visus' and 'similes'.

The future perfect was commonly used as equivilent to a simple future, so that it is not perhaps as stange a construction here as it seems.

Joseph Brazauskas
United States
Local time: 12:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Joseph, this is also possible, and was my initial thought also. It seems that Leonardo's fit the context better, however.

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