Amici Sunt in Cloacis ("I've Got Friends in Low Places" in Latin)

A Latin Song for All of our Country Latinists

Garth Brooks in 2015. (from fatherspoon’s Flickr)

[Editor’s note: In Latin a cloaca is a sewer, which gives us this ingenious translation of “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places:” “Amici sunt in cloacis.” This is another example of Jon Meyer’s use of Latin phrases that keep closely to the same vowels as the original song — “cloacis” and “low places” — which makes it easier to keep to the melody as well. As with many country songs, the verses gain immeasurably from being twanged a bit, and sound flat with a flat voice. The chorus is delightfully choral, however, and easy to sing. We need some more country songs, if anyone is looking to translate a few more.]

AMICI SUNT IN CLOACIS / I’VE GOT FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES (Garth Brooks) (Blackwell/Lee) (tr. Jon Meyer) [1989]

sunt in culpa avi

caligas gessi

foedavique convivium

extremus scivi,

extremus veni,

numquam putabas me adfuturum

erat stupefactus

necnon pavidus

cum scyphum eius capio

propino tibi

“mel,” inquam, “effugisti,

sed numquam querelas dabo!”

[Chorus]

Amici sunt in cloacis,

ubi vino mers(i) atque zyth(o) acti

luctus omnes,

et agam bene

nil refert proprietatis,

delapsurus sum erg(o) in tabernis,

amici sunt in cloacis

nisi fallor, erro,

non cohaereo,

hem, factumst antea

omne est bene,

iam dicam “vale”

et proiciam me foras

non cupiebam

citare turbam,

da mihi punctum temporis:

tam altus ero quam eburnea turris, in qua incolis!

[Chorus]

Amici sunt in cloacis,

ubi vino mers(i) atque zyth(o) acti

luctus omnes,

et agam bene

nil refert proprietatis,

delapsurus sum erg(o) in tabernis,

amici sunt in cloacis