The Beatles' "Rocky Raccoon" in Latin
Saxosus Procyon1
ab Scarabaeis Rhythmicis2
Nunc alicubi in collibus nigris montuosis Dacotae3
Vixit iuvenis puer appellatus Saxosum Procyna
Et uno die femina sua fugit cum alio viro
Is Saxosum ferivit in oculo; Saxosus non illud amavit
Dixit: “Puniam4 hunc puerum”
Tam uno die in urbem ambulavit
Sibi conduxit5 cubiculum in taberna6 loci
Saxosus Procyon suum cubiculum entravit7
Solum ut Biblum Gideonis inveniat
Saxosus venierat, armatus pistola8
Ut crusura sui rivalis amputet9
Suus rivalis, id videtur, sua somnia fregerat
Furando puellam suae libidinis
Suum nomen Magila10, et se appellabat Lil
Sed omnes se noscebant ut Gratia11
Nunc ea et suus vir, qui se appelabat Daniel
Erant in cubiculo proximo in saltato12
Saxosus irrupit, et rictum ringens
Dixit: “Puer Daniel, hoc proelium13 est”
Sed Daniel paratus14 erat; eduxit primum et iaculatus est
Et Saxosus collapsus est in angulo
Nunc medicus intravit, fetens ut liquor iuniperorum15
Et processit iacere in mensa
Dixit: “Saxose, obiisti suum comparem”
Et Saxosus dixit: “Medice, solum est parvum vulnus16
Et melior ero, melior ero, medice, quam primum17"
Nunc Saxosus Procyon recidit in suum cubiculum
Solum ut Biblum Gideonis inveniat
Gideon confirmavit18 et reliquit nullam dubitationem
Ut adiuvet cum renovatione boni Saxosi
Notes:
1: The raccoon is a New World animal, so there’s no name for it in classical Latin. I’m using Procyon, the genus which raccoons (both the North American raccoon, P. lotor, and the South American crab-eating raccoon, P. cancrivorus) are in, as the appropriate noun. Now, this is a Latinized form of a Greek word, combining the Greek words pro, “before,” and kuon (genitive kunos), “dog.” For the purposes of this translation it seems fair to consider Procyon a third-declension noun, with genitive Procynis and accusative Procyna (the so-called “Greek accusative” form).
2: Scarabaeis Rhythmicis: “rhythmic beetles.” The pun of the Beatles’ name, mixing “beetles” with the musical “beat,” does not translate well into Latin; this is the best I could come up with.
3: Dacotae: “of Dakota,” with a Latinized form of “Dakota.”
4: Puniam: “I will punish,” sc. “I’m gonna get.”
5: Sibi conduixit: “purchased for himself,” sc. “booked himself.”
6: taberna: “tavern,” sc. “saloon.”
7: entravit: “entered,” sc. “checked into.”
8: For obvious reasons, there’s no classical Latin word for “gun.” I’m using the Spanish pistola as a stand-in.
9: amputet: “lop off,” sc. “shoot off.”
10: Magila: Latinized form of “Magil.”
11: Gratia: “Grace.” I looked up the etymology of “Nancy” (the woman’s name in the song) to see if it meant something that I could translate into Latin. Apparently it comes from the Hebrew name “Ann,” which means “Grace.”
12: saltato: “dance,” sc. “hoedown.”
13: proelium: "battle," sc. "showdown."
14: paratus: “ready.” In the song, Daniel is described as being “hot” (allowing him to draw his weapon before Rocky can). Since “hot” here has the slang meaning of “ready” or “alert,” I chose to translate it on those lines rather than using calidus, the literal word for “hot.”
15: liquor iuniperorum: “liquor of junipers,” sc. “gin.”
16: parvum vulnus: “small wound,” sc. “scratch.”
17: quam primum: “as soon as possible,” sc. “as soon as I am able.”
18: confirmavit: “verified,” sc. “checked out.”
ab Scarabaeis Rhythmicis2
Nunc alicubi in collibus nigris montuosis Dacotae3
Vixit iuvenis puer appellatus Saxosum Procyna
Et uno die femina sua fugit cum alio viro
Is Saxosum ferivit in oculo; Saxosus non illud amavit
Dixit: “Puniam4 hunc puerum”
Tam uno die in urbem ambulavit
Sibi conduxit5 cubiculum in taberna6 loci
Saxosus Procyon suum cubiculum entravit7
Solum ut Biblum Gideonis inveniat
Saxosus venierat, armatus pistola8
Ut crusura sui rivalis amputet9
Suus rivalis, id videtur, sua somnia fregerat
Furando puellam suae libidinis
Suum nomen Magila10, et se appellabat Lil
Sed omnes se noscebant ut Gratia11
Nunc ea et suus vir, qui se appelabat Daniel
Erant in cubiculo proximo in saltato12
Saxosus irrupit, et rictum ringens
Dixit: “Puer Daniel, hoc proelium13 est”
Sed Daniel paratus14 erat; eduxit primum et iaculatus est
Et Saxosus collapsus est in angulo
Nunc medicus intravit, fetens ut liquor iuniperorum15
Et processit iacere in mensa
Dixit: “Saxose, obiisti suum comparem”
Et Saxosus dixit: “Medice, solum est parvum vulnus16
Et melior ero, melior ero, medice, quam primum17"
Nunc Saxosus Procyon recidit in suum cubiculum
Solum ut Biblum Gideonis inveniat
Gideon confirmavit18 et reliquit nullam dubitationem
Ut adiuvet cum renovatione boni Saxosi
Notes:
1: The raccoon is a New World animal, so there’s no name for it in classical Latin. I’m using Procyon, the genus which raccoons (both the North American raccoon, P. lotor, and the South American crab-eating raccoon, P. cancrivorus) are in, as the appropriate noun. Now, this is a Latinized form of a Greek word, combining the Greek words pro, “before,” and kuon (genitive kunos), “dog.” For the purposes of this translation it seems fair to consider Procyon a third-declension noun, with genitive Procynis and accusative Procyna (the so-called “Greek accusative” form).
2: Scarabaeis Rhythmicis: “rhythmic beetles.” The pun of the Beatles’ name, mixing “beetles” with the musical “beat,” does not translate well into Latin; this is the best I could come up with.
3: Dacotae: “of Dakota,” with a Latinized form of “Dakota.”
4: Puniam: “I will punish,” sc. “I’m gonna get.”
5: Sibi conduixit: “purchased for himself,” sc. “booked himself.”
6: taberna: “tavern,” sc. “saloon.”
7: entravit: “entered,” sc. “checked into.”
8: For obvious reasons, there’s no classical Latin word for “gun.” I’m using the Spanish pistola as a stand-in.
9: amputet: “lop off,” sc. “shoot off.”
10: Magila: Latinized form of “Magil.”
11: Gratia: “Grace.” I looked up the etymology of “Nancy” (the woman’s name in the song) to see if it meant something that I could translate into Latin. Apparently it comes from the Hebrew name “Ann,” which means “Grace.”
12: saltato: “dance,” sc. “hoedown.”
13: proelium: "battle," sc. "showdown."
14: paratus: “ready.” In the song, Daniel is described as being “hot” (allowing him to draw his weapon before Rocky can). Since “hot” here has the slang meaning of “ready” or “alert,” I chose to translate it on those lines rather than using calidus, the literal word for “hot.”
15: liquor iuniperorum: “liquor of junipers,” sc. “gin.”
16: parvum vulnus: “small wound,” sc. “scratch.”
17: quam primum: “as soon as possible,” sc. “as soon as I am able.”
18: confirmavit: “verified,” sc. “checked out.”