Here is a poem I wrote while I listened to an Italian grad student teaching one of my classes:
Ex Roma, Italiane, esne?
Disputatur in capille te
Sed non consentio, candide
That's just one version of it, I had many more. Basically his hair looks Italian but he was super pale, so I called him a candidus. (white-boy). It's written as a triplet, like the Dies Irae, my favorite Latin poem.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night", or "In the Pines"
Originally an old folk song, revived by Lead Belly in the 40's and made famous by Nirvana. I've taken some artistic license to make it sound better in Latin when sung/spoken.
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me,
Tell me where did you sleep last night.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
My girl, my girl, where will you go?
I'm going where the cold wind blows.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
Her husband, was a hard working man,
Just about a mile from here.
His head was found in a driving wheel,
But his body never was found.
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me,
Tell me where did you sleep last night.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
My girl, my girl, where will you go?
I'm going where the cold wind blows.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
Mi puella, puella mi,
noli mentīri mihi
dic ubi somnabas nocti.
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
Mi puella, puella mi
ibisne ad ubi?
Ibo cum flarante venti
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
Vir eius erat industrius
via ex hoc loco
In rota caput invenitur
corpus non recipebatur.
Mi puella, puella mi,
noli mentīri mihi
dic ubi somnabas nocti.
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
Mi puella, puella mi
ibisne ad ubi?
Ibo cum flarante venti
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me,
Tell me where did you sleep last night.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
My girl, my girl, where will you go?
I'm going where the cold wind blows.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
Her husband, was a hard working man,
Just about a mile from here.
His head was found in a driving wheel,
But his body never was found.
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me,
Tell me where did you sleep last night.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
My girl, my girl, where will you go?
I'm going where the cold wind blows.
In the pines, in the pines,
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
Mi puella, puella mi,
noli mentīri mihi
dic ubi somnabas nocti.
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
Mi puella, puella mi
ibisne ad ubi?
Ibo cum flarante venti
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
Vir eius erat industrius
via ex hoc loco
In rota caput invenitur
corpus non recipebatur.
Mi puella, puella mi,
noli mentīri mihi
dic ubi somnabas nocti.
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
Mi puella, puella mi
ibisne ad ubi?
Ibo cum flarante venti
In pinu, in silvis,
Sol non lucet in illis
Horrer per tute noctis.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Merseburg Incantations
Incantation to Liberate Prisoners
Old High German:
Eiris sazun idisi
sazun hera duoder.
suma hapt heptidun,
suma heri lezidun,
suma clubodun
umbi cuoniouuidi:
insprinc haptbandun,
inuar uigandun.
Modern English:
Once sat women,
They sat here, then there.
Some fastened bonds,
Some impeded an army,
Some unraveled fetters:
Escape the bonds,
flee the enemy!
Lingua Latina:
OLIM SEDEBANT DEAE
SEDEBANT PASSIM
ALIA VINCULA LIGABANT
ALIA EXERCITUM IMPEDEBANT
ALIA CATENAS RETEXTEBANT
EVADITE VINCULA
FUGITE HOSTEM!
Healing Incantation
Old High German:
Phol ende uuodan uuorun zi holza.
du uuart demo balderes uolon sin uuoz birenkit.
thu biguol en sinthgunt, sunna era suister;
thu biguol en friia, uolla era suister;
thu biguol en uuodan, so he uuola conda:
sose benrenki, sose bluotrenki,
sose lidirenki:
ben zi bena, bluot zi bluoda,
lid zi geliden, sose gelimida sin.
Modern English:
Phol and Wodan were riding to the woods,
and the foot of Balder's foal was sprained
So Sinthgunt, Sunna's sister, conjured it.
and Frija, Volla's sister, conjured it.
and Wodan conjured it, as well he could:
Like bone-sprain, so blood-sprain,
so joint-sprain:
Bone to bone, blood to blood,
joints to joints, so may they be glued.
Lingua Latina
POL ATQUE VOTAN EQUITABANT AD SILVAM
ET PES EQUULEI BALDRI INTORQUEREBATUR
ITA BEABAT EUM SINTGUNT, SOROR SUNNAE,
ITA BEABAT EUM FREIA, SOROR VOLLAE
ET SIC BEABAT EUM VOTAN, PRO VIRILI PARTE
SIC TORQUENDUS OSSIS SICUT TORQUENDUS SANGUINEI
SICUT TORQUENDUS ARTICULI
OS OSSI, SANGUINEUS SANGUINEO
ARTICULUS ARTICULO, VELUT GLUTEN SINT
Old High German:
Eiris sazun idisi
sazun hera duoder.
suma hapt heptidun,
suma heri lezidun,
suma clubodun
umbi cuoniouuidi:
insprinc haptbandun,
inuar uigandun.
Modern English:
Once sat women,
They sat here, then there.
Some fastened bonds,
Some impeded an army,
Some unraveled fetters:
Escape the bonds,
flee the enemy!
Lingua Latina:
OLIM SEDEBANT DEAE
SEDEBANT PASSIM
ALIA VINCULA LIGABANT
ALIA EXERCITUM IMPEDEBANT
ALIA CATENAS RETEXTEBANT
EVADITE VINCULA
FUGITE HOSTEM!
Healing Incantation
Old High German:
Phol ende uuodan uuorun zi holza.
du uuart demo balderes uolon sin uuoz birenkit.
thu biguol en sinthgunt, sunna era suister;
thu biguol en friia, uolla era suister;
thu biguol en uuodan, so he uuola conda:
sose benrenki, sose bluotrenki,
sose lidirenki:
ben zi bena, bluot zi bluoda,
lid zi geliden, sose gelimida sin.
Modern English:
Phol and Wodan were riding to the woods,
and the foot of Balder's foal was sprained
So Sinthgunt, Sunna's sister, conjured it.
and Frija, Volla's sister, conjured it.
and Wodan conjured it, as well he could:
Like bone-sprain, so blood-sprain,
so joint-sprain:
Bone to bone, blood to blood,
joints to joints, so may they be glued.
Lingua Latina
POL ATQUE VOTAN EQUITABANT AD SILVAM
ET PES EQUULEI BALDRI INTORQUEREBATUR
ITA BEABAT EUM SINTGUNT, SOROR SUNNAE,
ITA BEABAT EUM FREIA, SOROR VOLLAE
ET SIC BEABAT EUM VOTAN, PRO VIRILI PARTE
SIC TORQUENDUS OSSIS SICUT TORQUENDUS SANGUINEI
SICUT TORQUENDUS ARTICULI
OS OSSI, SANGUINEUS SANGUINEO
ARTICULUS ARTICULO, VELUT GLUTEN SINT
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
More Beowulf - The Fight With Grendel
Mighty and canny,
Hygelac's kinsman was keenly watching
for the first move the monster would make.
Nor did the creature keep him waiting
but struck suddenly and started in;
he grabbed and mauled a man on his bench,
bit into his bone-lappings, bolted down his blood
and gorged on his in lumps, leaving the body
utterly lifeless, eaten up
hand and foot. Venturing closer,
his talon was raised to attack Beowulf
where he lay on the bed, he was bearing in
with open claw when the alert hero's
comeback and armlock forestalled him utterly
The captain of evil discovered himself
in a handgrip harder than anything
he had ever encountered in any man
on the face of the earth. Every bone in his body
quailed and recoiled, but he could not escape.
He was desperate to flee to his den and hide
with the devil's litter, for in all his days
he had never been clamped or cornered like this.
Then Hygelac's trusty retainer recalled
his bedtime speech, sprang to his feet
and got a firm hold. Fingers were bursting,
the monster back-tracking, the man overpowering.
MAGNUS POTENSQUE
CONSANGUINEUS HYGELACII ERAT ACITER VIDENS
MOTUI PRIMO A BESTIA MONSTRUOSA FACTUS
BELUA FERA NON LICUIT MANERE EUM
SED FERIBAT STATIM ET MOVUIT IN EXEDRAM
CEPIT ET CONTUDIT VIRUM IN TRICLINIO SUO
MORDUIT IN OSSES, DEVORAVIT SANGUINEM EIUS
ET SE INGURGITAVIT IN EO IN PARTIBUS, RELINQUENS CORPOREM
SINE VITA, ESUM FUNDITUM AB MANU USQUE AD PEDEM.
AUDENS PROPIOR, ELEVAVIT UNGUEM EIUS CAEDERE BEOWULF
UT IACEBAT IN LECTO; APPROPINQUAVIT APERTO UNGUE
SED RESPONSUM ET COMPREHENSIO ALACRIS VIRI EUM FUNDITE OCCUPAVERUNT.
MAGISTER MALI SE INVENIT IN COMPREHENSIONE DURISSIMO MANUS
ASPERIOR QUAM ILLA ALICUIUS QUI IN ORBE TERRAE CONVENERAT.
OMNES OSSES IN CORPORE EIUS PAVEBANT ET TREMEBANT,
SED NO POTUIT SE EXPEDITUM FACERE. SPERAVIT MAXIME
FUGERE AD LATIBULUM EIUS CELARE CUM FETU DIABOLI,
NAM IN OMNIBUS DIEBUS EIUS
NUMQUAM IN HOC MODO PREMEBATUR ET COMPRIMEBATUR.
TUM DIGNUS SATELLES HYGELACI ORATIO EIUS VESPERI RECORDATUS EST
ET EXORTUS EST UT STARET, ET ADRIPIT FIRME
DIGITI DIRUMPENS, MONSTRUOSUS SE RECIPENS, VIR OPPRIMENS.
Hygelac's kinsman was keenly watching
for the first move the monster would make.
Nor did the creature keep him waiting
but struck suddenly and started in;
he grabbed and mauled a man on his bench,
bit into his bone-lappings, bolted down his blood
and gorged on his in lumps, leaving the body
utterly lifeless, eaten up
hand and foot. Venturing closer,
his talon was raised to attack Beowulf
where he lay on the bed, he was bearing in
with open claw when the alert hero's
comeback and armlock forestalled him utterly
The captain of evil discovered himself
in a handgrip harder than anything
he had ever encountered in any man
on the face of the earth. Every bone in his body
quailed and recoiled, but he could not escape.
He was desperate to flee to his den and hide
with the devil's litter, for in all his days
he had never been clamped or cornered like this.
Then Hygelac's trusty retainer recalled
his bedtime speech, sprang to his feet
and got a firm hold. Fingers were bursting,
the monster back-tracking, the man overpowering.
MAGNUS POTENSQUE
CONSANGUINEUS HYGELACII ERAT ACITER VIDENS
MOTUI PRIMO A BESTIA MONSTRUOSA FACTUS
BELUA FERA NON LICUIT MANERE EUM
SED FERIBAT STATIM ET MOVUIT IN EXEDRAM
CEPIT ET CONTUDIT VIRUM IN TRICLINIO SUO
MORDUIT IN OSSES, DEVORAVIT SANGUINEM EIUS
ET SE INGURGITAVIT IN EO IN PARTIBUS, RELINQUENS CORPOREM
SINE VITA, ESUM FUNDITUM AB MANU USQUE AD PEDEM.
AUDENS PROPIOR, ELEVAVIT UNGUEM EIUS CAEDERE BEOWULF
UT IACEBAT IN LECTO; APPROPINQUAVIT APERTO UNGUE
SED RESPONSUM ET COMPREHENSIO ALACRIS VIRI EUM FUNDITE OCCUPAVERUNT.
MAGISTER MALI SE INVENIT IN COMPREHENSIONE DURISSIMO MANUS
ASPERIOR QUAM ILLA ALICUIUS QUI IN ORBE TERRAE CONVENERAT.
OMNES OSSES IN CORPORE EIUS PAVEBANT ET TREMEBANT,
SED NO POTUIT SE EXPEDITUM FACERE. SPERAVIT MAXIME
FUGERE AD LATIBULUM EIUS CELARE CUM FETU DIABOLI,
NAM IN OMNIBUS DIEBUS EIUS
NUMQUAM IN HOC MODO PREMEBATUR ET COMPRIMEBATUR.
TUM DIGNUS SATELLES HYGELACI ORATIO EIUS VESPERI RECORDATUS EST
ET EXORTUS EST UT STARET, ET ADRIPIT FIRME
DIGITI DIRUMPENS, MONSTRUOSUS SE RECIPENS, VIR OPPRIMENS.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
More Beowulf
Then from the moor-lands, from below the foggy mountains,
God-cursed Grendel came near. The deadly foe thought
to seize some man in the high hall.
So he walked, among the clouds, until he fully saw the mead hall
the golden house of men, glittering of gold.
He had sought the house of Hrothgar before, this was not the first time.
But in all the days of his life, before and since,
never had he met among hall-thanes stronger warriors.
TUM IN TERRIS PALUSTRIBUS, SUB MONTIBUS NEBULOSIS,
GRENDEL PERDITUS A DEO ADVENIT.
HOSTIS FUNESTUS COGITABAT
ALIQUEM IN EXEDRA ALTA CAPERE.
SIC AMBULABAT INTER NUBES, DUM
VIDEAT PLENE EXEDRAM MULSI
DOMUM AUREAM VIRORUM, AURI NITENTEM.
PETIVERAT ANTE DOMUM ROTHGARI,
HIC NON PRIMUM TEMPUS ERAT.
SED IN OMNES DIES VITAE EIUS, ANTEA POSTEAQUE,
NON CONVENIT VIROS FORTIORES INTER DOMINOS EXEDRI.
God-cursed Grendel came near. The deadly foe thought
to seize some man in the high hall.
So he walked, among the clouds, until he fully saw the mead hall
the golden house of men, glittering of gold.
He had sought the house of Hrothgar before, this was not the first time.
But in all the days of his life, before and since,
never had he met among hall-thanes stronger warriors.
TUM IN TERRIS PALUSTRIBUS, SUB MONTIBUS NEBULOSIS,
GRENDEL PERDITUS A DEO ADVENIT.
HOSTIS FUNESTUS COGITABAT
ALIQUEM IN EXEDRA ALTA CAPERE.
SIC AMBULABAT INTER NUBES, DUM
VIDEAT PLENE EXEDRAM MULSI
DOMUM AUREAM VIRORUM, AURI NITENTEM.
PETIVERAT ANTE DOMUM ROTHGARI,
HIC NON PRIMUM TEMPUS ERAT.
SED IN OMNES DIES VITAE EIUS, ANTEA POSTEAQUE,
NON CONVENIT VIROS FORTIORES INTER DOMINOS EXEDRI.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Heorot Attacked -- Heorot Expugnatus Est
Heorot Attacked
Then a powerful demon, a prowler in the dark,
nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him
to hear the din of the loud banquet
every day in the hall, the harp being struck
and the clear song of a skilled poet
telling with master of man's beginnings,
how the Almighty had made the earth
a gleaming plain girdled with waters;
in His splendor He set the sun and the moon
to be earth's lamplight, lanterns for men
and filled the broad lap of the world
with branches and leaves; and quickened life
in ever other thing that moved.
So times were pleasant for the people there
until finally one, a fiend out of hell,
began to work his evil in the world.
Grendel was the name of this grim demon
haunting the marches, marauding round the heath
and the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time
in misery among the banished monsters,
Cain's clan.
TUM DAEMON POTENS, PRAEDATOR IN NOCTE,
ALEBAT DURAM INVIDIAM.
PERTURBABAT EUM AUDIRE CLAMOR
SONORI CONVIVII, COTIDIE IN EXEDRA
LYRA TACTA, ET CARMINA CLARA
POETAE DEXTERII QUI FABULAM
INCIPIONIS HOMINIS, MODI
CUIUS DOMINUS FECERAT MUNDUM
CIRCUMFLUUM CUM AQUIS;
IN SPLENDORE EIUS SOLEM ET LUNAM
ESSE LUX MUNDI POSUIT, FACES
PRO VIRIS, ET LATUM SINUS MUNDI
CUM RAMIS FOLIISQUE
EXPLUIT; ET VITA RERUM MOTORUM
MATURAVIT.
ITA TEMPORA BONA ERANT IBI
POPULO, ANTEA TANDEM IS,
TERROR EX INFERNO, INCEPIT
FACERE EIUS MALOS IN MUNDI.
GRENDEL ERAT NOMEN DAEMONIS HORRIDI
FREQUENTER GRADIEBATUR ATQUE
INVADEBAT CIRCUM REGIONEM ASPERAM
ET LUCUM DESERTUM; HABITAVERAT
PRO DIU IN MISERIA INTER
MONSTRA PULSA, GENTIS
CAINII.
Then a powerful demon, a prowler in the dark,
nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him
to hear the din of the loud banquet
every day in the hall, the harp being struck
and the clear song of a skilled poet
telling with master of man's beginnings,
how the Almighty had made the earth
a gleaming plain girdled with waters;
in His splendor He set the sun and the moon
to be earth's lamplight, lanterns for men
and filled the broad lap of the world
with branches and leaves; and quickened life
in ever other thing that moved.
So times were pleasant for the people there
until finally one, a fiend out of hell,
began to work his evil in the world.
Grendel was the name of this grim demon
haunting the marches, marauding round the heath
and the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time
in misery among the banished monsters,
Cain's clan.
TUM DAEMON POTENS, PRAEDATOR IN NOCTE,
ALEBAT DURAM INVIDIAM.
PERTURBABAT EUM AUDIRE CLAMOR
SONORI CONVIVII, COTIDIE IN EXEDRA
LYRA TACTA, ET CARMINA CLARA
POETAE DEXTERII QUI FABULAM
INCIPIONIS HOMINIS, MODI
CUIUS DOMINUS FECERAT MUNDUM
CIRCUMFLUUM CUM AQUIS;
IN SPLENDORE EIUS SOLEM ET LUNAM
ESSE LUX MUNDI POSUIT, FACES
PRO VIRIS, ET LATUM SINUS MUNDI
CUM RAMIS FOLIISQUE
EXPLUIT; ET VITA RERUM MOTORUM
MATURAVIT.
ITA TEMPORA BONA ERANT IBI
POPULO, ANTEA TANDEM IS,
TERROR EX INFERNO, INCEPIT
FACERE EIUS MALOS IN MUNDI.
GRENDEL ERAT NOMEN DAEMONIS HORRIDI
FREQUENTER GRADIEBATUR ATQUE
INVADEBAT CIRCUM REGIONEM ASPERAM
ET LUCUM DESERTUM; HABITAVERAT
PRO DIU IN MISERIA INTER
MONSTRA PULSA, GENTIS
CAINII.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Song of Roland, opening lines
For seven years together, the Emperor Charlemagne
Our Lord and King, had sojourned within the land of
Spain.
From the upland to the sea-coast he had conquered all the
land
Nor was there any castle before him left to stand.
There was not town nor bulwark unbroken by his might,
Save only Saragossa that standeth on the height.
King Marsile held that city, in whom no grace was found
To love his God. He worshipped Apollo and Mahound,
and he could not shun the evil fortune that beleaguered him
around.
PRO SEPTEM ANNIS IMPERATOR CAROLUS MAGNUS
DOMINUS ET REX, DEINCEPS COMMORABATUR INTRA TERRAM HISPANIAM.
AB MONTANIS USQUE AD LITORAM MARIS VINXIT OMNEM TERRAE.
NEQUE ERAT ULLUM CASTELLUM STATUM ANTE EUM
NEQUE ERAT OPPIDUM NEQUE PROPUGNACULUM INFRACTUS A POTESTATE EIUS
PRAETER SARAGOSSAM SOLAM QUAM IN EXCELSO STAT
REX MARSILIUS ILLEM URBEM TENEBAT, IN QUO GRATIA AMARE DEUS
NON INVENIEBATUR. COLEBAT APOLLONEM ET MAHOUNDIUM,
ET NON POTERAT VITARE MALAM FORTUNAM QUAM CIRCUMSEDEBAT EUM
Our Lord and King, had sojourned within the land of
Spain.
From the upland to the sea-coast he had conquered all the
land
Nor was there any castle before him left to stand.
There was not town nor bulwark unbroken by his might,
Save only Saragossa that standeth on the height.
King Marsile held that city, in whom no grace was found
To love his God. He worshipped Apollo and Mahound,
and he could not shun the evil fortune that beleaguered him
around.
PRO SEPTEM ANNIS IMPERATOR CAROLUS MAGNUS
DOMINUS ET REX, DEINCEPS COMMORABATUR INTRA TERRAM HISPANIAM.
AB MONTANIS USQUE AD LITORAM MARIS VINXIT OMNEM TERRAE.
NEQUE ERAT ULLUM CASTELLUM STATUM ANTE EUM
NEQUE ERAT OPPIDUM NEQUE PROPUGNACULUM INFRACTUS A POTESTATE EIUS
PRAETER SARAGOSSAM SOLAM QUAM IN EXCELSO STAT
REX MARSILIUS ILLEM URBEM TENEBAT, IN QUO GRATIA AMARE DEUS
NON INVENIEBATUR. COLEBAT APOLLONEM ET MAHOUNDIUM,
ET NON POTERAT VITARE MALAM FORTUNAM QUAM CIRCUMSEDEBAT EUM
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