Manibus date lilia plenis
“Give lilies with full hands.”
Virgil, Aeneid 6.883
What does “Manibus date lilia plenis” mean?
Manibus date lilia plenis translates as “Give lilies with full hands.”
Honour someone generously, especially in remembrance of a person who died too young.
“Manibus date lilia plenis” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Manibus | with hands | ablative plural of manus (fem.), “hand”; ablative of means or manner, going with plenis |
| date | give! | plural command (imperative) of do, “I give”; Anchises addresses several people |
| lilia | lilies | accusative plural of lilium (neut.), “lily”; the direct object of date |
| plenis | full | ablative plural feminine of plenus, “full”; agrees with manibus |
How to pronounce “Manibus date lilia plenis”
The classical pronunciation gives short i in manibus and lilia, as in “bit”. The church version makes them a long “ee”. The stress is the same in both: MA-ni-bus, DA-te, LI-li-a, PLE-nis.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “with full hands give lilies”. It comes from the Aeneid, Virgil’s epic about Aeneas and the origins of Rome, in Book 6, line 883.
In Book 6 Aeneas visits the underworld and sees the souls of future Romans. His father Anchises points out the young Marcellus, nephew and heir-presumptive of Augustus, who died in 23 BC. Anchises mourns him and asks for flowers to be scattered on his spirit.
Dante echoes the line in the Divine Comedy, and it has since become a familiar phrase of mourning for someone taken too young. Today it is used in memorials, epitaphs and tributes.
How to use “Manibus date lilia plenis”
It suits a memorial card, an epitaph, a tribute to a loved one who died too soon, or a tattoo in remembrance. It also works in an essay on grief, Virgil or Roman epic.
- Latin
- Manibus date lilia plenis
- English
- Give lilies with full hands.
- Source
- Virgil, Aeneid 6.883
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Love
Common mistakes
- The line is about mourning and remembrance. It is not a general romantic phrase about giving flowers.
- Manibus plenis means “with full hands”. Do not confuse manibus (hands) with manes, the spirits of the dead, which is a different word.
- Date is a plural command. To address one person, the form would be da.
- Use lilia, not “lilies” as a singular. The singular is lilium.
Questions about “Manibus date lilia plenis”
What does “Manibus date lilia plenis” mean literally?
“With full hands give lilies.” It is a command to give flowers generously, as an act of honour.
Who said “Manibus date lilia plenis”?
It is spoken by Anchises in Virgil’s Aeneid 6.883, in the underworld, as he mourns the young Marcellus.
How do you pronounce “Manibus date lilia plenis”?
In classical Latin: MAH-nih-boos DAH-teh LIH-lee-ah PLEH-nees. Church Latin sounds nearly the same, but lilia becomes LEE-lee-ah.
Is “Manibus date lilia plenis” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is a line of Virgil as he wrote it. Keep the word order and endings as they are, since date is a plural command.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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