Sunday 20 July 2014

Carmina Burana 85: but she is not there...


Looking through my edition of the Carmina Burana, I noticed this little song. Thanks to youtube I also found a performance by the ever industrious Spanish musician Jordi Savall and his ensemble.  Though it is a song for springtime, I don’t see a problem in posting this in the midst of summer.
Our poet sees two sisters in the springtime under a tree. The trees are blossoming and the birds are singing and crowd of girls are singing. Only one person is not there: the sweetheart of the poet… Let’s hope she has joined him soon!


Carmina Burana 85

(ca. 1150)

1.
              
Veris dulcis in tempore
florenti stat sub arbore
Iuliana cum sorore.
Dulcis amor!
Refl.      Qui te caret hoc tempore,
fit vilior.
              
 2.
              
Ecce florescunt arbores,
lascive canunt volucres;
inde tepescunt virgines.
Dulcis amor!
Refl.      Qui te caret hoc tempore,
fit vilior.
              
 3.
              
Ecce florescunt lilia,
et virginum dant agmina
summo deorum carmina.
Dulcis amor!
Refl.      Qui te caret hoc tempore,
fit vilior.
              
4.
              
Si tenerem, quam cupio,
in nemore sub folio,
oscularer cum gaudio.
Dulcis amor!
Refl.      Qui te caret hoc tempore,
fit vilior.
              
Iuliana:  a non-classical name
te: Amor
careo carui (+abl.): to be deprived of, lack
fit vilior: becomes quite worthless (Note that this refrain has an extra dimension in view of the last stanza: the poets’ love isn’t there!)
lascive: jubilantly
inde: hence
tepesco: to become warm
dant carmina = canunt
agmen agminis (n.): crowd, flock
summo deorum: Amor
si = si quidem: if only I could etc.
tener teneris:  soft, tender, sweetheart
nemus nemoris (n.): wood
folium: leaf
cupio cupivi cupitum: to desire
osculor osculatus sum: to kiss

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