Tempestas tandem transiit, et nautae e portu discedere possunt.

Tempestas is nominative singular, because it is the subject of transiit.

• tempestas = storm
• transiit = passed / has passed

So tempestas transiit means the storm passed or the storm has passed.

This noun is from the 3rd declension:

• nominative singular: tempestas
• genitive singular: tempestatis

Tandem is an adverb meaning finally, at last, or eventually.

In Latin, adverbs often have fairly flexible placement. Here it is placed between tempestas and transiit:

• Tempestas tandem transiit

This gives the sense The storm finally passed or At last the storm passed.

Its position helps emphasize the idea of relief or delay.

Because transiit is perfect tense, while transit would be present tense.

• transit = it passes / is passing
• transiit = it passed / has passed

So the sentence is not describing the storm as happening right now; it says the storm is already over.

Transiit comes from transeo, transire (to go across, to pass). In this sentence, it means passed.

Latin’s perfect tense often covers both ideas that English separates:

• simple past: passed
• present perfect: has passed

So tempestas transiit can mean either:

• the storm passed
• the storm has passed

Which English version sounds better depends on context. In this sentence, because the next clause says the sailors can now leave, has passed often feels especially natural.

Nautae is nominative plural, so it means the sailors as the subject of possunt.

• nautae = the sailors
• nautas = the sailors as a direct object

Here the sailors are the ones able to leave, so they must be in the nominative case.

A learner may notice that nauta is a 1st-declension noun, but it usually refers to a male person, so it is grammatically masculine even though it has 1st-declension endings.

Yes. Nautae is a form that can be:

• nominative plural = the sailors
• genitive singular = of the sailor
• dative singular = to/for the sailor

But in this sentence, only nominative plural makes sense, because possunt is a plural verb:

• nautae ... possunt = the sailors ... are able

So the verb helps you identify the correct meaning.

Because the preposition e/ex takes the ablative case, not the accusative.

• e/ex = out of / from
• portu = ablative singular of portus

So:

• e portu = out of the harbor / from the harbor

If you used portum, that would be accusative, which would not work with e/ex.

E and ex are just two forms of the same preposition, meaning out of or from.

A common tendency is:

• e before many consonants
• ex often before vowels or sometimes for sound/style

But Latin authors are not completely rigid about this, so both forms can appear in various places.

Here e portu is perfectly normal.

Portu is ablative singular of portus, which is a 4th-declension noun.

Its basic forms are:

• nominative singular: portus
• genitive singular: portus
• accusative singular: portum
• ablative singular: portu

Because it follows e, it must be ablative:

• e portu = from the harbor

Because Latin uses possum with an infinitive to express can / be able to.

So:

• possunt = they are able
• discedere = to leave / to depart

Together:

• discedere possunt = they can leave / they are able to depart

This is very similar to English can leave, except Latin literally uses are able to leave.

Discedere is the present active infinitive of discedo, discedere, meaning:

• to depart
• to go away
• to leave

In this context, with e portu, it means the sailors can depart from the harbor or leave the harbor.

Because the two clauses describe two different time relationships:

• Tempestas tandem transiit = the storm has passed / passed
• et nautae e portu discedere possunt = and now the sailors can leave

So the first clause gives a completed action, and the second gives the present result of that action.

In other words:

• first: the storm is over
• now: the sailors are able to depart

This is a very natural combination.

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order, because the endings show grammatical function.

This sentence has a very natural order:

• Tempestas = topic/subject first
• tandem = emphasis on finally
• transiit = verb at the end of the clause
• et = links the two clauses
• nautae = new subject
• e portu = from the harbor
• discedere possunt = can leave

A Latin author could rearrange parts of this sentence for emphasis, but the forms would still show the grammar.

Et simply means and. It connects the two related statements:

• the storm has passed
• the sailors can leave the harbor

It shows that the second clause follows naturally from the first.

The finite verbs are:

• transiit = passed / has passed
• possunt = they can / are able

There is also one infinitive:

• discedere = to leave

So the structure is:

1. Tempestas tandem transiit
2. et nautae e portu discedere possunt

The second clause uses possunt + infinitive.

A helpful breakdown is:

• Tempestas = the storm
• tandem = finally / at last
• transiit = passed / has passed
• et = and
• nautae = the sailors
• e portu = from the harbor
• discedere = to leave
• possunt = are able / can

So the grammar works like this:

• subject + adverb + verb
• and + subject + prepositional phrase + infinitive + verb

That makes it a good example of how Latin builds meaning through endings and verb forms rather than strict English-style word order.