Carmina Burana 75: enjoy youth as long as you can!

I found this song in a book with Mediaeval Latin texts. It has been set on music by the American composer David Comte (born 1955) and by Tóth Péter (no information found, but my Hungarian is non-existent). At the age I have now reached, I must have been a very old man in the eyes of the anonymous poet, full of diseases and only intended on serious things. Fortunately times have changed! Still, I wish I had read this poem 35 years ago….

Carmina Burana 75

1.

Omittamus studia,

dulce est desipere,

et carpamus dulcia

iuventutis tenere!

res est apta senectuti

seriis intendere,

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Refl.

              

Velox etas preterit

studio detenta,

lascivire suggerit

tenera iuventa.

2.

Ver etatis labitur,

hiems nostra properat,

vita damnum patitur,

cura carnem macerat.

sanguis aret, hebet pectus,

minuuntur gaudia,

nos deterret iam senectus

morborum familia.         

Velox etas preterit etc.

3.

Imitemur superos!

digna est sententia,

et amoris teneros

iam venantur retia.

voto nostro serviamus!

mos est iste numinum.

ad plateas descendamus

et choreas virginum!

Velox etas preterit etc.

 4.         

Ibi, que fit facilis,

est videndi copia,

ibi fulget mobilis

membrorum lascivia.

dum puelle se movendo

gestibus lasciviunt,

asto videns, et videndo

me michi subripiunt.       

Velox etas preterit etc.

desipio: to act foolishly

tenere = tenerae

tener: soft, tender

res est apta: it is fitting for

seria: serious things

velox: swift, rapid

etas preterit = aetas praeterit

aetas aetatis (m): time, age, lifespan

praeter –eo: to pass by

lascivio: to frolic

suggero: to suggest

ver veris (n): spring

labor lapsus sum: perish

damnum: injury

patior: to suffer

areo: to be dry

hebeo: to be dull

minuo: to diminish

morborum familia: apposition to senectus

morbus: disease

Imitemur superos! An allusion to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where the gods are passing their time with love affairs. This is also the mos numinum – the habit of the gods

et amoris teneros / iam venantur retia: and the nets of Amor are already hunting after the youthful.

platea: a broad way

choreas: both dance and song

Ibi, que fit facilis, / est videndi copia =  there (at the plateas and choreas), where it easily happens, is an abundance to see,. (In Mediaeval Latin que is used for quod, quae, quam and quo)

lascivia: playfulness, frolicsomeness, jollity

asto videns, et videndo / me michi subripiunt: I stand watching (them), and by watching they (the girls) steal me away from me (i.e. I am completely enchanted by them and lose my senses)

Translation and adaptation by Hellen Waddell:

LET'S away with study,

Folly's sweet.

Treasure all the pleasure

Of our youth :

Time enough for age

To think on Truth.

So short a day,

And life so quickly hasting

And in study wasting

Youth that would be gay !

'Tis our spring that slipping,

Winter draweth near,

Life itself we're losing,

And this sorry cheer

Dries the blood and chills the heart,

Shrivels all delight.

Age and all its crowd of ills

Terrifies our sight.

So short a day,

And life so quickly hasting,

And in study wasting

Youth that would be gay !

Let us as the gods do,

‘Tis the wiser part:

Leisure and love's pleasure

Seek the young in heart

Follow the old fashion,

Down into the street !

Down among the maidens,

And the dancing feet!

So short a day,

And life so quickly hasting,

And in study wasting

Youth that would be gay !

There for the seeing

Is all loveliness,

White limbs moving

Light in wantonness.

Gay go the dancers,

I stand and see,

Gaze, till their glances

Steal myself from me.

So short a day,

And life so quickly hasting,

And in study wasting

Youth that would be gay !

A musical setting by David Conte (It follows a slightly different text.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQxQ9D5Tug0       

And a setting by Peter Toth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KDZw17SN