Latin Assistance?

quixote100104

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Greetings :),

On my Star Trek Simm, I use a motto attributed to the Apollo 1 memorial at Cape Canaverel: "Ad Astra Per Aspera (A rough road leads to the stars)"

Someone has recently told me that this is incorrect and it should read: "To the stars through difficulties"

I don't speak, read or write Latin (though I've heard there some variance in translation) and have never been to the Cape. I actually drew the inspiration from the film "Armageddon" ;-).

Can anyone tell me which translation is correct and, if mine is incorrect, how one would write "A Rough Road Leads To The Stars" properly in Latin?

Thanks :)
 
kuwisdelu

kuwisdelu

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The second translation is correct. "To the stars, through difficulties."

I don't have a latin dictionary on me at the moment, though.
 
kuwisdelu

kuwisdelu

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Asper via adducit astra.

Or, Asper via ducit ad astra.

I believe. Someone correct me.
 
maryland

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I might be adding to the difficulties here, but if I remember correctly, the motto of the Royal Air Force is 'Per Ardua Ad Astra.'
The rough version was 'To the stars through bolts and bars.' (Quite poetic)
The real translation was 'Through difficulty to the stars.'
Hope this doesn't mix you up further.
 

RobinGBrown

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Checking a Latin>English transaltion online aspera can be interpreted as rough.

So Per aspera ad astra can be translated as in the OP given some poetic license

Being British the phrase Per ardua ad astra is the one I'm more familair with

Try this: http://miljokes.com/lqote.html - although there's a LOT of poetic licence (AKA very bad translation) in many of these

quixote100104 said:
Greetings :),
On my Star Trek Simm, I use a motto attributed to the Apollo 1 memorial at Cape Canaverel: "Ad Astra Per Aspera (A rough road leads to the stars)"

Someone has recently told me that this is incorrect and it should read: "To the stars through difficulties"
Click to expand...

Most people don't have a clue about latin, so I'd guess that the person who told you this was just trying to annoy you, or is an idiot.

The use of latin mottos is a grand military tradition and a lot of traditions don't have to make complete sense.
 
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kuwisdelu

kuwisdelu

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RobinGBrown said:
Checking a Latin>English transaltion online aspera can be interpreted as rough.

So Per aspera ad astra can be translated as in the OP given some poetic license

Being British the phrase Per ardua ad astra is the one I'm more familair with

Try this: http://miljokes.com/lqote.html - although there's a LOT of poetic licence (AKA very bad translation) in many of these

Most people don't have a clue about latin, so I'd guess that the person who told you this was just trying to annoy you, or is an idiot.

The use of latin mottos is a grand military tradition and a lot of traditions don't have to make complete sense.
Click to expand...

Both aspera and ardua can be translated as either rough or difficult. However neither the words "road" (via) nor "to lead to" (adduco, adducere) appear in the original phrase.
 
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