The first song in the
album entitled Carmina Burana: The Original Ones | Medieval
Dances and Songs
Carmina Veris et
Amoris: Songs of Spring and Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq0nloMq6Nw&t=460s
Tempus transit
gelidum (from the Codex
Buranus c. 11th – 12th century)
Many Mediaeval
songs are ‘wistfully’ performed – this one isn’t!
[i] The usual
suspects turn up in the Mediaeval Latin pronunciation:
(1) ae > e
CL: laetatur;
ML: letatur
(2)
c + e / i: as /ch/
(although there can be variants of that e.g. /s/ or /ts/)
lucidior: CL
[lukidior]; ML [luchidior]
c + a / o / u retain
hard /k/
carmina [karmina]; comis
[komis]; cor [kor]; decore
[dekore]
(3) g + e / i
pronounced as a soft /g/ not hard
gelidum: CL [gelidum];
ML [jelidum]
igitur: CL
[igitur]; ML [ijitur]
cingitur: CL [kingitur];
ML [chinjitur]
(4) gn as /ny/ or
Spanish ñ
pugnaveram [punyaveram]
(5) v as /v/ and
not as CL /u/
renovatur:
CL [renouatur]; ML [renovatur]
[ii] Differences
in Classical Latin long and short vowels – together with Classical stress rules
– are thrown out in the rhythmic “Spring” cleaning!
[iii]
Interestingly: the song is for a female performer despite which her experiences
with the boys are in masculine form!
fueram reluctatus
│ I had been reluctant
sum Veneri
prostratus │ I have been prostrated to Venus
[V1]
tém-pŭs trán-sĭt
gé-lĭ-dúm │ The ice-cold season / time is passing
mún-dŭs ré-nŏ-vá-tŭr
│ the world is (being) renewed
vérquĕ rédĭt
flórĭdúm, │ and the flowering spring returns,
fórmă rébŭs
dátŭr. │ form is given to things.
ávĭs módŭlátŭr,
│ The bird sings, [modulor, -āri (1/deponent): sing; play a tune]
módŭláns ¦
lĕtátŭr │ while singing ¦ it rejoices. [CL: laetor,
-ārī (1/deponent): rejoice; could also
translate as a passive i.e. it is gladdened / made joyful]
ávĭs módŭlátŭr,
│ The bird sings,
módŭláns ¦ lĕtátŭr
│ while singing ¦ it rejoices.
lŭcídĭór
│ Clearer
ĕt lénĭór │ and
softer,
ăér iăm sérĕnátŭr;
│ the air is made calm;
iăm flórĕá, │
now flowering,
iăm fróndĕá, │
now leafy / covered with leaves,
sĭlvá cŏmís dĕnsátŭr.
│ the wood is made thick with foliage.
[V2]
Ludunt super
gramina / virgines decore, │ Upon the
grass the maidens play elegantly
quarum nova carmina │ whose new songs
dulci
sonant ore. │ sound from a sweet mouth.
annuunt favore
/ volucres canore, │ The birds with
good will and (with) singing nod approval [annuō / adnuō, -ere (3): nod assent
/ approval / consent]
favet et odore
/ tellus picta flore. │ and by its scent the Earth painted with
flower(s) is favourable / looks kindly (on them).
cor igitur │ the
heart, therefore,
et cingitur │ is both surrounded
et tangitur amore, │ and (is)
touched by love
virginibus │
with maidens
et avibus │
and (with) birds
strepentibus
sonore. │ humming with sound.
[V3]
Tendit modo retia │
Now he spreads the / (his) nets
puer pharetratus;
│ the boy wearing a quiver [pharetra, -ae (1/f): quiver]
cui deorum curia │ to whom the court of
the gods
prebet famulatus, │
offers servitude
cuius dominatus │ whose rule / absolute
power
nimium est latus, │
is too much to bear [literally: is borne too much]
per hunc
triumphatus / sum et sauciatus: │ through him I am conquered and injured
pugnaveram │ I had fought [pluperfect]
et fueram │
and I had been [pluperfect]
in primis
reluctatus, │ at first reluctant [fueram reluctatus < reluctor, -āre
(1/deponent): resist; I had resisted / fight back]
sed iterum │ but
again
per puerum │ by
the boy
sum Veneri prostratus. │ I have been
prostrated to Venus [prōsternō, -ere, -strāvī, -strātus (3): overthrow; knock
down]
Images: the original text (starting from the bottom of the first page)
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