Archpoet
12th century poet
The Archpoet (c. 1130 – c. 1165), or Archipoeta (in Latin and German), is the name given to the author of some ten known poems from medieval Latin literature, the most famous of these being his "Confession" found within the Carmina Burana. Along with Hugh Primas of Orléans, he is often cited as the best exemplar of Goliardic poetry and one of the stellar poets of the Latin Middle Ages.
Quotes
edit"Confession"
editTranslations are from Helen Waddell, Mediaeval Latin Lyrics, 1933 [1929].
- Estuans intrinsecus
ira vehementi
in amaritudine
loquar meę menti:
factus de materia
levis elementi
similes sum folio
de quo ludunt venti.- Seething over inwardly
With fierce indignation,
In my bitterness of soul,
Hear my declaration.
I am of one element,
Levity my matter,
Like enough a withered leaf
For the winds to scatter. - Line 1
- Seething over inwardly
- Feror ego veluti
sine nauta navis,
ut per vias aeris
vaga fertur avis,
non me tenent vincula,
non me tenet clavis,
Quęro mihi similes,
et adiungor pravis.- Hither, thither, masterless
Ship upon the sea,
Wandering through the ways of air,
Go the birds like me.
Bound am I by ne’er a bond,
Prisoner to no key,
Questing go I for my kind,
Find depravity. - Line 17
- Hither, thither, masterless
- Quicquid Venus imperat
Labor est suavis,
quę nunquam in cordibus
habitat ignavis.- Whatsoever Venus bids
Is a joy excelling,
Never in an evil heart
Did she make her dwelling. - Line 29
- Whatsoever Venus bids
- Mortuus in anima
curam gero cutis.- Since the soul in me is dead,
Better save the skin. - Line 39
- Since the soul in me is dead,
- Meum est propositum
in taberna mori,
ut sint vina proxima
morientis ori.- For on this my heart is set:
When the hour is nigh me,
Let me in the tavern die,
With a tankard by me. - Line 89
- For on this my heart is set:
External links
edit- J. A. Symonds' complete English translation of "The Confession of Golias" at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
- Helen Waddell's complete English translation of "His Confession" at TheHyperTexts.
- F. J. E. Raby's complete English translation of "Aestuans intrinsecus" posted on the FETUSVENERIS blog.