Meta Description: Explore the world of children’s books translated into the Latin language. From the genius of Dr. Seuss to the controversy of The Hobbit, Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle review the best (and worst) resources for reading Latin for pleasure.
Introduction: Escaping the Marble Halls
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 69 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe take a break from the “stately poetry of Virgil” and the “grand rhetoric of Cicero” to tackle a lighter, yet surprisingly complex genre: Children’s books in the Latin language.
For many students, learning Latin feels like a binary choice: you either slog through dry grammar textbooks or you wrestle with high-stakes classical literature. But is there a middle ground?
The episode opens with a quote from Mark Walker, translator of The Hobbit, who notes a “curious gap” in Latin reading material. He asks, “What for the accomplished reader who wants to escape from ancient Rome’s marbled halls from time to time? What for the reader who wants to just read Latin… for fun?”.
While the hosts don’t agree with everything Walker says—Dr. Noe takes offense at the idea that one cannot read Cicero for fun—they agree that intermediate readers need accessible texts. Today, we review the good, the bad, and the “farting” dogs of Latin translation.
The Gold Standard: Dr. Seuss in Latin
If you are looking for the pinnacle of modern Latin translation, look no further than the works of Dr. Seuss, translated by Jennifer and Terence Tunberg.
The hosts spend the first segment marveling at Quomodo Invidiosulus Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit (How the Grinch Stole Christmas). The title alone is a masterpiece of the Latin language.
- ** Invidiosulus:** A diminutive form of “envious.” It captures the petty, small-hearted nature of the Grinch perfectly.
- ** Laetuli, Laetopoli:** Instead of clunky phonetic transliterations for “Whos” and “Whoville,” the Tunbergs use Laetuli (the happy little ones) living in Laetopoli (Happy City). It captures the spirit rather than just the sound.
Why It Works:
The Tunbergs didn’t just swap words; they respected the idiom. For the famous “noise, noise, noise!” section, they used a variety of Latin terms for sound: qualis stridoris fragorisque, teaching the reader nuances that English glosses over.
They also captured the animal sounds. In Latin, animals are very specific:
- A dog (canis) doesn’t say “woof”; it says latrat (bow-wow).
- A wolf (lupus) ululat (howls).
- A sheep (ovis) balat (bleats).
- And the Grinch? He fremit (growls/roars), a verb often used for lions.
** The Cat in the Hat (Catus Petasatus)**
The Tunbergs also translated The Cat in the Hat. Unlike the Grinch, which is prose, here they maintained Seuss’s famous rhythm and rhyme.
- Imber totum diem fluit (The rain flowed the whole day).
- Urceatim semper pluit (It rained in buckets/cats and dogs).
These books are not “easy” Latin, but they are excellent Latin. They are perfect for the learner who wants to see the language stretch its legs.
The Controversy: Hobbitus Ille
If Seuss represents the peak, ** Hobbitus Ille** (The Hobbit) by Mark Walker might be the valley.
Dr. Noe points out that this translation has “ruffled a lot of feathers” in the Latin community, with some reviews calling it “horrible” and “barbaric”.
The Issues:
- The Title: Hobbitus Ille is a strange choice. Ille implies “that famous Hobbit” or “that one over there.” A better title might have been simply Hobbitus.
- The “Hole” Problem: The famous opening line, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit,” is translated using the word foramen.
- Foramen refers to a hole drilled by a tool (like a drill bit).
- Hobbits live in cozy burrows. A better choice would have been latibulum (a lair/lurking spot) or antrum (cave).
Using foramen suggests Bilbo Baggins lives in a hole drilled into a 2×4, which misses the mark entirely.
The Gateway Drug: Harry Potter (Harrius Potter)
Somewhere in the middle lies ** Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis** (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone), translated by Peter Needham.
The hosts agree this is a solid, readable translation that has served as a “gateway text” for many students. Justin Bailey, a friend of the show, noted that Harrius Potter was the first time he “lapped up Latin by the double digits of pages per day”.
Highlights:
- ** Hamaxostichus Rapidus:** The translation for the Hogwarts Express. Hamaxostichus is a Greek-derived word for a train (a collection of wagons), combined with rapidus.
- The “Boy Who Lived”: Needham translates this as Puer Qui Vixit.
- Critique: Vixit is the perfect tense of “to live.” In classical contexts (like Cicero), saying “he has lived” (vixerunt) was a euphemism for “they are dead.”
- Alternative: Dr. Noe suggests Redivivus (one who has come back to life/survived) might be more accurate to the plot, but acknowledges Needham’s work is generally high quality.
The Old Guard: Pooh and Alice
The episode also touches on the classics of the genre:
- ** Winnie Ille Pu (1960):** A surprise bestseller that stayed on the charts for 20 weeks. The Latin is excellent (Apes nonnullae – “some bees”), though the hosts admit that the story of Pooh itself is a bit “dull” compared to the action of the Iliad.
- ** Alicia in Terra Mirabili (Alice in Wonderland):** While a faithful translation, Dr. Winkle notes it struggles in the classroom because modern students often don’t know the plot well enough to follow the strange twists in a foreign language.
Conclusion: Patience is the Key
Whether you are reading about a Catus Petasatus or a Walter Canis Inflatus (yes, Walter the Farting Dog exists in Latin), the goal is to engage with the language actively.
As you build your library of children’s books in Latin, remember the advice from the episode’s Gustatory Parting Shot via P.J. O’Rourke:
“A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do.”
Let your Latin studies ferment like fine fruit, not rot like Brussels sprouts. Pick up a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Latin and enjoy the stridoris fragorisque (noise, noise, noise!) of the season.
Valete!
Note: This blog post was adapted from the Ad Navseam Podcast, Episode 69.
