Boethius, Consolatio 2. m 5: paradise lost.

With a friend I am reading the Works and Days by Hesiod. He is not the most optimistic writer and bewails that he did not live before in better times. Indeed the idea of a Golden Age is not uncommon in Antiquity and Hinduism has this idea too. In Jewish and Christian mythology there is the story of Paradise, but here we have only two people living. The idea of progress also existed in Antiquity – think of Protagoras and his idea of social evolution – but a decline is more common. And how many elderly people today are not complaining that in their youth everything was better? A few years to go and I too belong to them.

The theme of a Golden Age has also been treated by Roman writer like Horace, Virgil, Ovid and Tibullus and when Boethius was writing his Consolatio in prison, he  uses the material of these poets for his poem about the earlier stage of civilization. Such deliberations are a kind of yearning for better places and times. We can compare the exaltation of `primitive’ cultures by Rousseau in the late 18^th century. According to Boethius we should be glad with what nature gives us and live a life of innocence. A stoic theme rather than Christian and maybe more expressing his deepest feelings than his outward Christian beliefs. 

Boethius, Consolatio book 2, poem 5.

Meter: anapest dimeter:  u u – u u – u u – u (the first two double shorts can be replaced by a single long syllable.)

Felix nimium prior aetas,

contenta fidelibus arvis

nec inerti perdita luxu,

facili quae sera solebat

ieiunia solvere glande. 5

Non Bacchica munera norant

liquido confundere melle,

nec lucida vellera Serum

Tyrio miscere veneno.

Somnos dabat herba salubres, 10

potum quoque lubricus amnis,

umbras altissima pinus.

Nondum maris alta secabat

nec mercibus undique lectis

nova litora viderat hospes. 15

Tunc classica saeva tacebant

odiis neque fusus acerbis

cruor horrida tinxerat arva.

Quid enim furor hosticus ulla

vellet prior arma movere, 20

cum vulnera saeva viderent

nec praemia sanguinis ulla ?

Utinam modo nostra redirent

in mores tempora priscos.

Sed saevior ignibus Aetnae 25

fervens amor ardet habendi.

Heu primus quis fuit ille,

auri qui pondera tecti

gemmasque latere volentes

pretiosa pericula fodit ? 30

fidelibus arvis: with trustworthy  fields

iners inertis: making lazy

sera ieiunia:  late hunger

facili glande: easy to get nut

Bachica munera: wine

norant = noverant

liquido confundere melle: wine mixed with honey is called mulsun

vellus velleris (n.): wool. In the plural anything woven and here it means silk

Seres Serum: Western Chinese tribe known from the trade in silk

Tyrio veneno: Tyrian juice = purple

herba: grass
potus potus (m.): drink

lubricus: easily streaming

pinus (f.): pine-tree

maris alta secabat: it cleaved the height of the sea

mercibus lectis: for excellent commodities

hospes: as guest

classicum: war trumpet

acerbus: sharp, violent

fusus cruor: shed blood

tingo tinxi tinctum: to moisten

arva: a variant reading is arma and is probably to be preferred

hosticus: hostile

nec praemia sanguinis ulla: and not any gain in (the shedding) of blood

utinam modo: `I wish that but’

priscus: of former times

saevus: fierce

amor habendi: the love for possession

pondus ponderis (n.): weight

tectus: covered, hidden

gemmasque latere volentes: and gems wanting  to be hidden

pretiosa pericula: apposition `as dangerous riches’

fodio fodi fossum: to dig out, delve

W.V. Cooper : J.M. Dent and Company London 1902

THE FORMER AGE.

    Too blest the former age, their life

      Who in the fields contented led,

    And still, by luxury unspoiled,

      On frugal acorns sparely fed.

    No skill was theirs the luscious grape

      With honey's sweetness to confuse;

    Nor China's soft and sheeny silks

      T' empurple with brave Tyrian hues.

    The grass their wholesome couch, their drink

      The stream, their roof the pine's tall shade;

    Not theirs to cleave the deep, nor seek

      In strange far lands the spoils of trade.

    The trump of war was heard not yet,

      Nor soiled the fields by bloodshed's stain;

    For why should war's fierce madness arm

      When strife brought wound, but brought not gain?

    Ah! would our hearts might still return

      To following in those ancient ways.

    Alas! the greed of getting glows

      More fierce than Etna's fiery blaze.

    Woe, woe for him, whoe'er it was,

      Who first gold's hidden store revealed,

    And--perilous treasure-trove--dug out

      The gems that fain would be concealed!

Prudentius: a career switch.

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (348  Saragossa - between 405 and 413 (?) is with St Ambrose the most important poet from early Christianity. Very little is known about him and what is known is taken from the praefatio of his Cathimeron. This is a collection of hymns for use at certain hours of the days or for some special days like 25 December or Three Kings. He is in his 57^th year when he wrote the praefatio and is looking back at his life. In the praefatio he tells us of his life before he converted to Christianity (lines 1-27) and his decision to spend his remaining years with writing Christian poetry (28-45). In some respects it is reminiscent of the Confessiones by St Augustine: the old life is depicted in bleak terms. There is nothing to suggest that his life was different from other Roman juveniles and his career was very successful. The date of his conversion and the circumstances are unknown. Given the quality of his poetry he must have written poems before. I too am now in my 57^th year and maybe I should also think about a new career. Fortunately I recently read that 60 is the new 40, so I have many years ahead of me before I have to take that decision!

I give the first 27 lines of the poem: a complete text and a translation are here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14959/14959-h/14959-h.htm#f00_24

Praefatio to the Cathimeron lines 1-27.

Meter: first two Glyconic, third Lesser Asclepiad

- - - u u - u u

- - - u u - / - u u – u –

- - - u u - / - u u - / - u u – u -

Per quinquennia iam decem,

  ni fallor, fuimus ; septimus insuper

  annum cardo rotat, dum fruimur sole volubili.

Instat terminus, et diem

  vicinum senio iam Deus adplicat.  

  Quid nos utile tanti spatio temporis egimus ?

Aetas prima crepantibus

  flevit sub ferulis. mox docuit toga

  infectum vitiis falsa loqui, non sine crimine.

Tum lasciva protervitas

  et luxus petulans (heu pudet ac piget !)

  foedavit iuvenem nequitiae sordibus ac luto.

Exin iurgia turbidos

  armarunt animos, et male pertinax

  vincendi studium subiacuit casibus asperis.

Bis legum moderamine

  frenos nobilium reximus urbium,

  ius civile bonis reddidimus, terruimus reos.

Tandem militiae gradu

  evectum pietas principis extulit,

  adsumptum propius stare iubens ordine proximo.

Haec dum vita volans agit,

  inrepsit subito canities seni,

  oblitum veteris me Saliae consulis arguens,

Sub quo prima dies mihi

  quam multas hiemes volverit, et rosas

  pratis post glaciem reddiderit, nix capitis probat.

quinquennium: period of five years

cardo cardinis (f.): hinge (i.e. the year turns around a pole)

volubilis: revolving

instat terminus: the end is near

vicinum senio: as a neighbour to old age

crepantibus sub ferulis: under cracking/ sounding rods

toga: the toga virilis, taken at the age of 16

(me) infectum: me corrupted with (inficio)

protervitas –atis (f.): boldness

foedo: to deform

nequitiae sordibus ac luto: by the dirt and mud of wickedness

exin: then

iurgia: legal disputes (Prudentius was a lawyer)

pertinax: stubborn

subiaceo (+ dat.): to lie near, couple (a legal term, meaning losing a case)

legum moderamine frenos reximus: I held the reigns in the office of laws  (probably as prefect)

nobelium urbium: it is not known what cities)

reus: both `accused’ and `guilty’

militiae gradu: at that period not necessarily a military rank. It could also be a high civil rank

(me) evectum: promoted me

pietas principis: the favour of the Emperor

 adsumptum…proximo: having accepted that rank ordering me to stand very near in the nearest rank (i.e. very close to the Emperor)

inrepo inrepsi inreptum: to creep

canietes –es (f.) greyness

oblitum veteris me Saliae consulis arguens = arguens me oblitum veteris Saliae consulis

proving me to have forgotten (obliviscor + gen.) the old consulship of Saliae (in 348, the year of his birth, so Prudentius is forgetting his childhood)

sub quo: under Salia

prima dies: birth day

pratum: meadow

nix capitis: the snow of my head `my white head’

Carmina Burana 41: a still valid poem.

The Middle Ages covers a period of some 800-1000 years depending where one reckons it to start and end. It is far from a monolithic block in which nothing seems to happen till – mirabile visu – out of nothing the Renaissance appears. In fact, a lot happened in the Middle Ages and major social shifts took place, universities were founded and thanks to the horrible Crusades, eastern commodities became known to the West. The Roman Church also underwent change. Critics raised their voices against the life of luxury, simony and corruption and one of them is Walter of Chatillon (fl. 1170), French theologian and writer. He is famous for his Alexandreis, a poem about the life of Alexander the Great, but he also wrote other poems like the Propter Sion non tacebo. It is a bitter and satirical poem against that major source of corruption: the pope and the curie at Rome. Walter of Chatillon had his fair share of being maltreated by the rich, so he had every reason to be cynical. It was written during the period at which various councils elected different popes. Nautical metaphors are widely used in this poem and there are many quotes from scripture - I have not indicated all of them – which with great skill are moulded into the meter of the Stabat mater Dolorosa. It needs only little imagination to see how this poem is still applicable to many governments. The root of all evil is money, yes, but that is often driven by corruption. May be some politicians should meditate on this poem…

It has come down to us in various manuscripts under which the Carmina Burana. The poem is fairly long, but the Latin is not that difficult and often hilarious.

(ps, what was a neat layout in word, has become ugly in Blogger.)

Carmina Burana 41

1

Propter Sion non tacebo,                (Jes. 62.)

sed ruinas Rome flebo,

quousque iustitia                                             till

rursus nobis oriatur

et ut lampas accendatur

iustus in ecclesia.

2.

Sedet vilis et in luto                          poor, cheap; mud

princeps facta sub tribute                princeps = Rome; subjected under tribute

quod solebam dicere:

Romam esse derelictam,                  forsaken

desolatam et afflictam,

expertus sum opere.                         I know by experience (Walter had visited Rome)

3.

Vidi, vidi caput mundi,

instar maris et profundi                   like (+ gen.): deep

vorax guttur Siculi.                            voracious throat of Sicily (= Street of Messina)

ibi mundi bithalassus,                      (dangerous)place where to seas meet (Greek)

ibi sorbet aurum Crassus                 drinks; famous rich man in Antiquity

et argentum seculi.

4.

Ibi latrat Scylla rapax                        barks, rages; greedy

et Charybdis auri capax                    containing (+ gen.)

potius quam navium;

ibi cursus galearum                          galleys

et conflictus piratarum,

id est cardinalium.                            curie

5.

Syrtes insunt huic profundo            dangerous sandbanks (Aeneid 1,110 ff)

et Sirenes, toti mundo

minantes naufragium.                      threatening; shipwreck

os humanum foris patet,                 from the outside

in occulto cordis latet

deforme demonium.

6.

Habes iuxta rationem

bithalassum per Franconem;          Franco, papal chamberlain (1174-1178)

quod ne credas frivolum:

ibi duplex mare fervet,                     rages

a quo non est qui reservet

sibi valens obolum.                           worth a penny

7.

Ibi fluctus colliduntur,

ibi panni submerguntur,                  clothes

byssus, ostrum, purpure;                cotton ; ostrum = purple

ibi mundus deglutitur,                     is swallowed

immo totus sepelitur                       is burried

in Franconis gutture.                        throat

 8.

Franco nulli miseretur,

nullum sexum reveretur,                 respects

nulli parcit sanguini.                         spares (+ dat.)

omnes illi dona ferunt;

illuc enim ascenderunt                     (Psalm 121,4)

tribus, tribus Domini.

 9.

Canes Scylle possunt dici

veritatis inimici,

advocati Curie,                                  lay `protectors’ of monasteries making a rich

qui latrando falsa fingunt,                 living  of their protection

mergunt simul et confringunt         they submerge and break

carinam pecunie.                               ship

10.

Iste probat se legistam,                    he asserts to be a lawyer

ille vero decretistam,                        judge

inducens Gelasium;                          bringing pope Gelasius II (402-496) to court

ad probandum questionem             for settling the question

hic intendit actionem                       a third takes action

regundorum finium.                         for settling boundaries (i.e.questioning the

                                                            competence of those bringing forward a trial.)

11.

Nunc rem sermo prosequatur:       comes back to the matter

hic Charybdis debacchatur,             is feasting

id est cancellaria,                                             the curie 

ubi nemo gratus gratis                     no one is accepted for free

neque datur absque datis

Gratiani gratia.                                  Founder of the canon law

 12.

Plumbum, quod hic informatur,     the lead of the papal seal

super aurum dominatur

et massam argenteam;

equitatis phantasia                           the fancy of justice (aequitas)

sedet teste Zacharia                         (Zacarias 5,7 ff. )

super bullam plumbeam.

13.

Qui sunt Syrtes vel Sirenes?

qui sermone blando lenes                              smoothly with flattering speech

attrahunt byzantium;                       byzantine gold

spem pretendunt lenitatis,              hope of leniency

sed procella parcitatis                      with a storm of greed

supinant marsupium.                       they turn empty the purse (of another)

14.

Dulci cantu blandiuntur

ut Sirenes, et loquuntur

primo quedam dulcia:

«Frare, ben je te cognosco,              Brother, I know you well

certe nichil a te posco,                     demand

nam tu es de Francia.

15.

Terra vestra bene cepit                    has made a good start (with standing behind pope

et benigne nos excepit                     Alexander III)

in portu concilii.                                Either the council of Tours (1163) or Montpellier (1162)

nostri estis, nostri! cuius?

sacrosancte sedis huius                  

speciales filii.

16.

Nos peccata relaxamus

et laxatos collocamus                       sit on

sedibus ethereis.

nos habemus Petri leges

ad ligandos omnes reges  (              Psalm 149,8) check, control

in manicis ferreis.»                           fetters

17.

Ita dicunt cardinales,

ita solent di carnales                        human gods

in primis allicere.                               At first they draw (people) to them

sic instillant fel draconis,                 poison of a dragon

et in fine lectionis                             reading of the mass

cogunt bursam vomere.                   wallet

18.

Cardinales, ut predixi,

novo iure Crucifixi

vendunt patrimonium.                     sell the privileges of the Church

Petrus foris, intus Nero,

intus lupi, foris vero

sicut agni ovium.

19.

Tales regunt Petri navem,

tales habent eius clavem,

ligandi potentiam.                            collecting power

hi nos docent, sed indocti,

hi nos docent, et nox nocti

indicat scientiam.

20.

In galea sedet una                             galea= navis Petri transformed into a pirate ship

mundi lues inportuna,                      plague ; distressing

camelos deglutiens.                          eating camels (Matth. 23,24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat,

involuta canopeo                                             and swallow a camel.)  musquito-curtain

cuncta vorat sicut leo

rapiens et rugiens.                            dragging and roaring

21.

Hic piratis principatur,                     rules

Spurius qui nuncupatur,                 counter pope Callixtius III? who is called

sedens in insidiis,

ventre grosso, lata cute,                  with big belly thick skin

grande monstrum nec virtute

redemptum a vitiis.

 22.

Maris huius non est dea

Thetis, mater Achillea,

de qua sepe legimus,                        saepe

immo mater sterlingorum,                             of pound sterlings

sancta soror loculorum,                   the holy sister of monasteries

quam nos Bursam dicimus.

23.

Hec dum pregnat, ductor ratis        when she (the purse) is pregnant (=full); steersman

epulatur cum piratis                         dines

et amicos reperit;                                            finds

nam si Bursa detumescit,                becomes empty

surgunt venti, mare crescit,

et carina deperit.                               the ship sinks     

24.

Tunc occurrunt cautes rati,              rocks appear for the raft

donec omnes sint privati

tam nummis quam vestibus.

tunc securus fit viator,                     traveller

quia nudus, et cantator                    singer    

it coram latronibus.                          In front of the robbers

25.

Qui sunt cautes? ianitores,              door-keepers

per quos, licet seviores                    more fierce than

tigribus et beluis,                                             monsters

intrat saccus ere plenus,                  a purse full of money

pauper autem et egenus                  needy

tollitur a ianuis.

26.

Quod si verum placet scribi,

duo tantum portus ibi,

due tantum insule,

ad quas licet applicari                       to go to

et iacturam reparari                         repair the damage

confracte navicule.                            of the small ship

27.

Petrus enim Papiensis,                     cardinal of Pope Alexander III

qui electus est Meldensis,                              as bishop of Meaux

portus recte dicitur.

nam cum mare fluctus tollit,

ipse solus mare mollit,                     softens

et ad ipsum fugitur.

28.

Est et ibi maior portus,

fetus ager, florens ortus,                  fertile

pietatis balsamum:

Alexander ille meus,                         Pope Aexander III, who had to flee to France

meus, inquam, cui det Deus

paradisi thalamum.                          treasure

29.

Ille fovet litteratos,

cunctos malis incurvatos,                all who bend to evil

si posset, erigeret.

verus esset cultor Dei,

nisi latus Elisei                                   (2 Kings 5,20 ff) Giezi was the servant of Elisa and was asking

Giezi corrumperet.                            money for the healings Elisa did for free. (latus = side, flank)

30.

Sed ne rursus in hoc mari

me contingat naufragari,

dictis finem faciam,

quia, dum securus eo,

ne submergar, ori meo

posui custodiam.