Whether you are writing a love letter to a old or new romance, it is always a good idea to “spice” up the normal, same, banal content with something unique to make your significant other feel special. Why not add a little Latin? This post is dedicated to add some Latin to your love life in a love letter (Epistula Amoris).

It is often said that French is the Language of Love, but before there was even a French Language- It was Latin.

Latin Love poetry is some of the most refined and beautiful pieces ever. Some famous love poets are Catullus (here), Horace (here) , or even Ovid (here). So please use the rest of this post to add some Latin to your love letters or maybe even try to compose your own!

AN EXAMPLE OF A LOVE LETTER:

You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen You have not seen me yet but love is trust. As they say, love is blind. As long as you trust me, I will love you. You and I can spend our lives together. In my eyes you are a goddess. Instead, we can spend eternity together. 

Te caeteris feminis quas cognoui pulchriorem esse censeo. Nondum me uidisti, ast amor nil nisi fides firma. Ut dicitur, uenus ipsa caeca est. Dum mihi credas, te amem. Una uitam uiuere ualemus. Mihi diuina uideris. In aeternum potius coniunctim uersari quimus.

 

HOW TO BEGIN

Dearest ______,

carissima (female subject)____________,

carissime (male subject)_________________,

 

HOW TO DECLARE YOUR LOVE

Te amo “I love you”

Nunc scio quid sit amor “Now I know what love is”

Amor vincit omnia “Love conquers all”

Nunc scio quid sit amor “Now I know what love is”

Amor animi arbitrio sumitur, non ponitur “We choose to love, we do not choose to cease loving” (Syrus)

Amor caecus est “Love is blind”

Amor meus amplior quam verba est “My love is more than words”

Amor est vitae essentia “Love is the essence of life” (Robert B. Mackay)

Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori “Love conquers all things; let us too surrender to love” (Vergil)

Quos amor verus tenuit, tenebit “True love will hold on to those whom it has held” (Seneca)

Si vis amari, ama “If you wish to be loved, love” (Seneca)

Sine amore, nihil est vita “Without love, life is pointless”

Numquam periit amor “Love never dies”

Eis quos amo “For those that I love”

In aeternum te amabo “I will love you for all eternity”

Sine amor, nihil est vita “Without love, life is pointless”

HOW TO CLOSE YOUR LETTER

The abbreviation S.P.D. stands for Salutem Plurimam Dicit, which means something like “sends fondest greetings”.

Ab imo pectore “From the bottom of my heart”

Semper fidelis “Always faithful”

Amor sempiternus “Eternal Love”

Tibi magno cum amor “For you with great love”

Fide et amor“Faithfully and lovingly”

Tuus perdite sodalis amans “Your ever loving soul mate”

Te valde amo ac semper amabo “I love you very much, and always will forever”

Una in perpetuum “Together forever”

In perpetuum et unum diem “Forever and a Day”

Numquam te amare desistam “I’ll never stop loving you “

 

TAKE A QUOTE FOR A FAMOUS POET:

 

Amore nihil mollius, nihil violentius – Nothing is more tender, nothing is more violent than love.
Qui amat, tamen hercle si seurit, nullum esurit – He that’s in love, for sure, even if he is hungry, isn’t hungry at all (Plautus).
Dicere quae puduit, scribere jussit amor – What I was ashamed to say, love has commanded me to write (Ovid).
Rivalem patienter habe – With patience bear a rival (in love) (Ovid).
Omnia vincit amor, nos et cedamus amori – Love conquers all things, let us too yield to love (Virgil).
Militat omnis amans – Every lover is a soldier (Ovid).
Militiae species amor est – Love is a kind of warfare (Ovid).
Qui in amorem praecipitavit, pejus perit quam si saxo saliat – He who plunges headlong into love, perishes more irremediably than if he leapt from a rock (Plautus).
Dulcibus est verbis alliciendus amor – Love must be allured with kind words.
Ubi idem et maximus et honestissimus amor est, aliquando praestat morte jungi quam vita distrahi – Where there exists the greatest and most genuine love, it is sometimes better to be united in death than separated in life (Valer. Maxim.).
Ubi inerit amor, condimentum cuivis placiturum credo – Where love is an ingredient, the seasoning, I believe, will please anyone (Plautus).
Multi te oderint si teipsum ames – Many will hate you if you love yourself.
Odero si potero, si non, invitus amabo – I will hate if I can, if not, I will love against my will (Ovid).
Credula res amor est – Love is a credulous thing (Ovid).
Lucrum amare nullum amatorem decet – No lover ought to be in love with pelf (Plautus).
Qui non vult fieri desidiosus, amet – Let him who would not be an idler, fall in love (Ovid).
Notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit; tempore crevit amor – Proximiti caused their first acquaintance, and their first advances in love, with time their affection increased (Ovid).
In amore haec omnia insunt vitia: injuria, suspiciones, inimitiae, induciae, bellum, pax rursus – In love there are all these evils: wrongs, suspicions, enmities, reconcilements,war, and then peace again (Terrence).
Moribus et forma conciliandus amor – Pleasing manners and good looks conciliate love (Ovid).
Improbe amor, quid non mortalia pectora cogis? – Oh, cruel love! To what dost thou not impel the human heart? (Virgil).
Incitamentum amoris musica – Music intices to love.
Quisquis amat ranam, ranam putat esse Dianam – If a man is in love with a frog, he will think that his from is Diana herself.
Qui finem quaeris amoris, cedit amor rebus; res age, tutus eris – You who seek to end your passion, love gives way to employment; attend to business, then you will be safe (Ovid).
Haec scripsi non otii abuntantia, sed amoris erga te – I have written this, not from having an abundance of leisure, but of love for you (Cicero).
Uratur vestis amore tuae – Let him be inflamed by love of your very dress (Ovid).
Audax ad omnia femina, quae vel amat vel odit – A woman, when inflamed by love or by hatred, will dare everything.
Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem – It is difficult to suddenly relinquish a long cherished love (Catullus).
Simulatio amoris pejor odio est – Pretended love is worse than hatred (Pliny the Younger).
Nullis amor est medicabilis herbis – Love is to be cured by no drugs (Ovid).