la en en es en es nb la et it la en en en en en la fr fr en la la es ro en la la en en en fr fr la it fr es en en en it pl la la la la la la en en en en de en es fr it en fr fr es en en la la la it it io en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en en en en en en en fr pt en it en ca it en de it fr it en de en fr it it it en en en it en de pt la ceb ceb it it en sv en en ca nl sv sv en fr it en en it it it en de en en en en en fr it it pt en fr en de pt en it en en la ceb it en ru en hbs_lat en en en cs cs en en en cs cs da en da cs en en cs da en en en cs cs da en da cs en en cs cs en en en de cs da en da cs en en cs da en en en en cs da en en en en es en en cs en en cs cs en en en cs cs da en da cs en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
The Latin reading blog: De ramis cadunt folia.
Most love songs are set in springtime or summer, but this one is set in wintertime. It is found in a single manuscript from about 1200 and is written by an anonymous poet. The author describes how winter has everything in a firm grip, but thinking of his love he isn’t cold at all. In the last stanza there is a twist: suddenly the poet is in another mood. He states that Greek fire can be extinguished by vinegar, but not that (iste) fire of him, wretched man.  It is of course useless to speculate about his reasons, but it is this last stanza which makes this poem more interesting than many of the lent and summer love songs.
viror –oris (m.): green colour
linquo liqui lictus: to leave
signa coeli ultima: the last signs of the zodiac
noceo nocui nocitum (+ dat.): to harm
frigus frigoris (n.): cold weather
bruma:  the shortest day of the year, wintertime
leditur = laeditur (laedo laesi laesum: to hurt)
conqueror, conqueri, conquestus sum: to bewail, lament
adimo ademi ademptum: to withdraw (se must be supplied)
Nec lympha caret alveus,
nec prata virent herbida,
sol nostra fugit aureus
est inde dies niveus,
Nec lympha caret alveus: the river bed does not lack (careo + abl.) water
prata herbida: grassy meadows
vireo virui: to be green
Modo frigescit quidquid est,
sed solus ego caleo;
immo sic mihi cordi est
hic ignis tamen virgo est,
frigesco frixi: to become cold
caleo calui: to be warm
immo sic mihi cordi est: indeed, it is for me so (close) to the heart
ardeo ardui: to burn
et leni tactu virginis;
in suo lucet oculo
nec est in toto seculo
lenis tactus: soft touch
plus numinis: more divinity, divine beauty
cum vino iam acerrimo;
sed iste non extinguitur
ignis graecus : Greek fire was a weapon used by the Byzantines against ships. It is of unknown composition. The statement by the poet that this fire can be extinguished by vinegar (vinum acrum) is of course nonsense.
miserrimo: by me, very wretched
fomentum: kindling wood, fuel
Translation by Helen Waddell:
DOWN from the branches fall the leaves,
A wanness comes on all the trees,
And into his last house in heaven
Now goes the sun.
Sharp frost destroys the tender sprays,
Birds are a-cold in these short days.
Is grieving that the fire of heaven
Is now grown pale.
The swollen river rushes on
Past meadows whence the green has gone,
Has fled our world. Snow falls by day,
The nights are numb.
About me all the world is stark,
And I am burning ; in my heart
There is a fire,
A living flame in me, the maid
Her kisses, fuel of my fire,
Her tender touches, flaming higher.
The light of light
Dwells in her eyes : divinity
Is in her sight.
Greek fire can be extinguished
By bitter wine; my fire is fed
Yea, even the bitterness of love
Posted by Leo Tepper at 10:33
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
There was an error in this gadget
caesarius of heisterbach (1)
early christian latin (1)
gregory of tours (6)
johannis de capua (2)
paulinus of nola (1)
pliny the younger (4)
Walter of Ch√Ętillon (1)
Horace, Odes 1.33: Cheer up, Tibullus!
A warning for women concerning their dress.
De ramis cadunt folia.
Historia Augusta: Heliogabalus, the practical joke...
Carmina Burana 34: a protest song.
These blogs are meant for anyone interested in Latin and are the result of my own curiosity. Have f
View my complete profile
Lucretius I.80-101: tantum religio potuit suadere malorum or on the crimes of religion.
The Roman poet Lucretius (99-55 BC) was a follower of the Greek philosopher Epicurus   (341-270 BC). Epicurus did not believe in gods a...
An early Cristmas post.
I know it is still a bit early for Christmas posts, but a befriended cellist and leader of a baroque ensemble asked me to translate the...
Martial, Liber Speculatorum VII. A gruesome scene at the arena.
I n this poem Martial describes the performance of a mimus in the amphitheatre.  A mimus is a kind of play with often comic situations es...
Carmina Burana 211: My belly is my god!
Whenever the Carmina Burana is mentioned, the music by Carl Orff will come to mind. It is less known that Orff only orchestrated 24 of t...
Propertius 2.12: war with Amor.
This week I returned from a short holiday to Normandy and Brittany.   A lovely countryside with many remains from the Middle Ages and m...
Paulus Diaconus, Historia Longobardorum 1.4: the miracle of the seven sleepers
During the great migrations of the 4 th -6 th century, the Roman empire, or rather what was left of it, was invaded by Germanic tribes...
Some Roman Epitaphs. Memento mori!
Whenever I see an old church, I walk around the graveyard, reading the inscriptions on the graves, provided they have not faded away thro...
Propertius 3,12: Don't join the army!
In 22 BC a certain Postumus was about to enter the army for an expedition to Armenia. Augustus wanted to confront the Persians there ...
Song of songs: Nigra sum, sed formosa!
Some time ago I saw a documentary on Dutch television about a new trend amongst dark skinned women, namely to use cream to whiten their...
Petronius, Cena Trimalchionis c. 61 and 62. A were-wolf story....
This extract is from the Cena Trimalchionis  `Trimalchio’s Dinner’, which is a part of the Satyricon written by Petronius Arbiter (27-66)...
There was an error in this gadget
Watermark theme. Powered by Blogger.