Translating Songs into Latin – Meaningful or Just for Show?

Thank you for your response. I appreciate your approach and your personal experience with historical languages - I understand that translating songs can be a meaningful way to develop active language skills.

However, I’d like to clarify that my original appeal was not about language practice or individual motivation. What I’ve been noticing especially on LT, is a growing trend: more and more requests to translate song lyrics into Latin, regardless of genre or content.
And that, to me, is surprising. I’m not questioning people who translate for themselves, out of passion or for practice - that’s perfectly valid. What puzzles me is the broader phenomenon, which seems to be taking on a ritualistic character, as if every song must have
its Latin version.

My appeal wasn’t a critique of such efforts, but an invitation to reflect: does every form of expression suit every language? Is Latin with all its historical and stylistic weight - truly the right medium for texts born in a completely different emotional and cultural context?

I worry that in this trend, Latin is sometimes used as a decorative layer - something meant to add gravity or exoticism, but not necessarily to deepen the meaning of the original. And that’s what I find worth discussing: not the act of translation itself, but its purpose, proportion, and cultural resonance.

I’m glad this conversation is happening - because this is exactly the kind of exchange I hoped to spark.

Respectfully,
Interpres

Thank you for your response — I appreciate your honesty and the example you shared.

That said, I must point out that this is now the second contribution to this discussion that focuses primarily on personal motivations and experiences, rather than addressing the core issue I raised in my original appeal. My point was not about whether someone has the right to translate texts into Latin (of course they do), nor whether it can be useful as a language exercise. I was referring to the broader cultural and aesthetic context of this growing trend.

What I find puzzling and worth discussing, is the increasing number of requests to translate modern song lyrics into Latin, often without any reflection on whether their content or tone aligns with the spirit of the language. Latin carries a specific historical, philosophical, and stylistic weight. Using it as a neutral vessel for any kind of expression risks reducing it to a decorative flourish rather than treating it as a meaningful medium of communication.

Interestingly, the reverse situation translating from Latin into a modern language seems far more justified. In that case, we’re trying to recover meaning, to bring something historically and culturally distant closer to us. But translating into Latin, especially when the source text is deeply rooted in contemporary culture, often feels more like an aesthetic overlay than a deliberate act of communication.

So once again, I want to emphasize: my intention was not to criticize individual efforts, but to invite reflection on the purpose, proportion, and cultural resonance of this practice. I believe Latin deserves more than to be used as a stylistic filter for everything that happens to catch our interest.

Respectfully,
Interpres