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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