Liber IV (MMXXIV-MMXXV)
Carmina Tempestiva
Capitula
III.I Nix
III.II Janus
III.III Parentalia
III.I Nix
III.II Janus
III.III Parentalia
III.I Nix
Original Latin
Scansion
[Nīx brĕ][vīssĭ][mā cŏlăt āl][bă brūmā]
[grāmĭ][na āmnēs][que ālgĭfĭca ās][trălūcōs;]
[Nōx ă][lēscă][tūr glăcĭā][tă sūprā]
[sōlstĭtĭālēs]
Literal Translation
Let the white snow on the shortest midwinter cultivate chilling wildgrasses and starlit rivers; May the frozen night be increased beyond the longest days.
Poetic Translation
Let snow white on midwinter so brief
hold starlit rivers and chilled green leaf;
may this iced night grow a long, long way
beyond summer’s longest day.
*Nota Bene: This poem was originally crafted for Lupercal's 2024 Advent Poetry Collection, which can be found on their Patreon.
- Nix brevissima colat alba bruma
- gramina amnesque algifica astralucos;
- Nox alescatur glaciata supra
- solstitiales.
Scansion
[Nīx brĕ][vīssĭ][mā cŏlăt āl][bă brūmā]
[grāmĭ][na āmnēs][que ālgĭfĭca ās][trălūcōs;]
[Nōx ă][lēscă][tūr glăcĭā][tă sūprā]
[sōlstĭtĭālēs]
Literal Translation
Let the white snow on the shortest midwinter cultivate chilling wildgrasses and starlit rivers; May the frozen night be increased beyond the longest days.
Poetic Translation
Let snow white on midwinter so brief
hold starlit rivers and chilled green leaf;
may this iced night grow a long, long way
beyond summer’s longest day.
*Nota Bene: This poem was originally crafted for Lupercal's 2024 Advent Poetry Collection, which can be found on their Patreon.
*You can also hear this recording (and more recordings by and of women latinists) at the Women Latinists Soundcloud.
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III.II Janus
Original Latin
1. Janus ablatis veniens recensis
2. annuos dies hodie novos dat;
3. luxque solis adnumerat novatas
4. luminis horas.
5. Serius pervent an hora mane
6. compitaliae parat arulas ter
7. nominat Lunas Trivias Dianas
8. paula viatrix.
9. Maximae Deae tolerent beatas
10. luculentas laetitias sed umquam
11. si calescet tristitia amovebit
12. Janus abiens.
Scansion
1. [Jānŭs] [āblā][tīs vĕnĭēns] [rĕcēnsīs]
2. [ānnŭ][ōs dĭ][ēs hŏdĭē] [nŏvōs dāt;]
3. [lūxquĕ] [sōlĭs] [ādnŭmĕrāt] [nŏvātās]
4. [lūmĭnĭs] [hōrās.]
5. [Sērĭ][ūs pēr][vēnĭt ăn hō][ră mānē]
6. [cōmpĭ][tālĭ][āē părăt ā][rŭlās tēr]
7. [nōmĭ][nāt Lū][nās Trĭvĭās] [Dĭānās]
8. [pāūlă vĭ][ātrīx.]
9. [Māxĭ][māē Dĕ][āē tŏlĕrēnt] [bĕātās]
10. [lūcŭ][lēntās] [lāētĭtĭās] [sĕd ūmquām]
11. [sī că][lēscēt] [trīstĭtĭa ā][mŏvēbīt]
12. [Jānŭs ă][bīēns.]
Literal Translation
1. Janus, coming after the recent days have been withdrawn
2. gives new annual days today;
3. and the light of the sun adds up the new-made
4. hours of the day.
5. Whether the hour has come too late, or early,
6. she prepares the little altars of the crossroads thrice.
7. Shae names the Lunas, the Trivias, the Dianas,
8. the little traveler.
9. May these greatest goddesses uplift blessed
10. bright delights, but if ever sorrow
11. inflames, Janus will take it away
12. while leaving.
Poetic Translation
1. After taking away the prior count,
2. Janus gives a year’s days, today arrived,
3. and the splendor of the sun adds the amount
4. of hours of light, renewed.
5. Whether this little Hour came late, or early,
6. She prepares at the crossroads, altars small:
7. Lunas, Trivias, Dianas; one-two-three
8. this journeywoman names them all.
9. Oh Greatest Goddesses, delight hold high,
10. blessed and shining, but if ever sorrow
11. does inflame, Janus will take it bye,
12. when he is on his way to go.
1. Janus ablatis veniens recensis
2. annuos dies hodie novos dat;
3. luxque solis adnumerat novatas
4. luminis horas.
5. Serius pervent an hora mane
6. compitaliae parat arulas ter
7. nominat Lunas Trivias Dianas
8. paula viatrix.
9. Maximae Deae tolerent beatas
10. luculentas laetitias sed umquam
11. si calescet tristitia amovebit
12. Janus abiens.
Scansion
1. [Jānŭs] [āblā][tīs vĕnĭēns] [rĕcēnsīs]
2. [ānnŭ][ōs dĭ][ēs hŏdĭē] [nŏvōs dāt;]
3. [lūxquĕ] [sōlĭs] [ādnŭmĕrāt] [nŏvātās]
4. [lūmĭnĭs] [hōrās.]
5. [Sērĭ][ūs pēr][vēnĭt ăn hō][ră mānē]
6. [cōmpĭ][tālĭ][āē părăt ā][rŭlās tēr]
7. [nōmĭ][nāt Lū][nās Trĭvĭās] [Dĭānās]
8. [pāūlă vĭ][ātrīx.]
9. [Māxĭ][māē Dĕ][āē tŏlĕrēnt] [bĕātās]
10. [lūcŭ][lēntās] [lāētĭtĭās] [sĕd ūmquām]
11. [sī că][lēscēt] [trīstĭtĭa ā][mŏvēbīt]
12. [Jānŭs ă][bīēns.]
Literal Translation
1. Janus, coming after the recent days have been withdrawn
2. gives new annual days today;
3. and the light of the sun adds up the new-made
4. hours of the day.
5. Whether the hour has come too late, or early,
6. she prepares the little altars of the crossroads thrice.
7. Shae names the Lunas, the Trivias, the Dianas,
8. the little traveler.
9. May these greatest goddesses uplift blessed
10. bright delights, but if ever sorrow
11. inflames, Janus will take it away
12. while leaving.
Poetic Translation
1. After taking away the prior count,
2. Janus gives a year’s days, today arrived,
3. and the splendor of the sun adds the amount
4. of hours of light, renewed.
5. Whether this little Hour came late, or early,
6. She prepares at the crossroads, altars small:
7. Lunas, Trivias, Dianas; one-two-three
8. this journeywoman names them all.
9. Oh Greatest Goddesses, delight hold high,
10. blessed and shining, but if ever sorrow
11. does inflame, Janus will take it bye,
12. when he is on his way to go.
III.III Parentalia
Original Latin
Scansion
Translation (I attempted to balance literality and readability in this one)
- Dona Parentalia adporto fabellam anicillae
- mores antiquos atque parentium alo
- posteritates prudentes monitus Laris arcas.
- Manes purgentur crimine fraudifero
- ne malitates radicentur perniciales
- virgis progenitis omnibus in foliis.
- Corruptae pare permutentur materiae re
- sic adulescentes incolumes adeant.
- argentosis dulcis adegit linea cistis
- auriferae nitidos prodit anus calamos,
- quae praedixerat illum non liquidas bibturum
- notum toxici ibi sic bene separat ars
- callens doctos indoctis ab et antidota aegris.
- Ne careat more doti ideas leve do:
- Sola lupo laceratur crudele agna nece illo
- grex vere ruit in carnificem omnipotens.
Scansion
- [Dōnă Pă][rēntălĭ][a ādpōr][tō fā][bēllam ănĭ][cīllāē]
- [mōrēs] [āntī][quōs] || [ātquĕ pă][rēntĭum ă][lō]
- [pōstĕrĭ][tātēs] [prūdēn][tēs mŏnĭ][tūs Lărĭs] [ārcās.]
- [Mānēs] [pūrgēn][tūr] || [crīmĭnĕ] [frāūdĭfĕ][rō]
- [nē mălĭ][tātēs] [rādī][cēntūr] [pērnĭcĭ][ālēs]
- [vīrgīs] [prōgĕnĭ][tīs] || [ōmnĭbŭs] [īn fŏlĭ][īs.]
- [Cōrrūp][tāē părĕ] [pērmū][tēntūr] [mātĕrĭ][āē rē]
- [sīc ădŭ][lēscēn][tēs] || [īncŏlŭ][mēs ădĕ][ānt.]
- [ārgēn][tōsīs] [dūlcĭs ă][dēgīt] [līnĕă] [cīstīs]
- [āūrĭfĕ][rāē nĭtĭ][dōs] || [prōdĭt ă][nūs călă][mōs,]
- [quāē prāē][dīxĕrăt] [īllūm] [nōn lĭquĭ][dās bĭbĭ][tūrūm]
- [nōtūm] [tōxĭci ĭ][bī] || [sīc bĕnĕ] [sēpărăt] [ārs]
- [cāllēns] [dōctōs] [īndōc][tīs ăb ĕt] [āntĭdŏ][ta āēgrīs.]
- [Nē cărĕ][āt mō][rē] || [dōti ĭdĕ][ās lĕvĕ] [dō:]
- [Sōlă lŭ][pō lăcĕ][rātūr] [crūdē][le āgnă nĕ][ce īllō]
- [grēx vē][rē rŭĭt] [īn] || [cārnĭfĭ][cem ōmnĭpŏ][tēns.]
Translation (I attempted to balance literality and readability in this one)
- I bring Parentalia gifts, a little fable of a little old biddy
- and antique morals, and I nourish the treasure chest of parents,
- generations wise of the warning of their guardian.
- May the malignant dead be purged from deceitful crime
- lest pernicious malice take root
- in just-born twigs, in every leaf.
- Let corrupt materials be changed-out with an equal matter;
- thus may youths approach unharmed.
- A sweet line drives them to chests full of silver
- and produces the shining pens of a gold-bearing grandmother,
- who had foresaid that the one aware of a toxin would not
- drink the liquid in that spot; thus does clever art well separate
- the educated from the unlearned and the antidote from the illness.
- Lest it lack a moral, I am lightly giving archetypes to the endowment:
- Alone, a lamb is lacerated by that wolf in bloodthirsty slaughter;
- Truly all-powerful the herd that attacks the murderer.