As often, the writer of the following poem is unknown,
but it is tempting to pick up the pieces of information given to gain some
information. The poem is written in retrospect of the youth by a man who is now
a senex, an old man. Old is a
relative concept: people nowadays of middle age, would be considered as old in
the mediaeval times. I even heard that 60 is the new 40, so some progress has
been made since those ages.
Complaining about the vicissitudes of Fortuna is a topos, but stanza 1 and 2 suggest that a
once successful man – in wealth and with ladies - has retired for whatever
reason and is now living a spiritual life. In the third stanza the poet
contemplates about the unicorn (rhinoceros,
an indeclinable word), who can only be captured by a virgin, a true virgin that
is. In the next stanza he tells that there is no need for girls to be afraid of
him, as he is now living like a unicorn, that is a living a life a chastity. The
identification of the poet with the unicorn is also interesting in the light of
the previous stanza: does he doubt the innocence of maidens going out with
young men?
The last stanza has an air of resignation: the poet
realizes that he is too old now for maidens and has to leave them for younger
men. Courting is compared with a threshing floor: the maidens are the corn (frumentum) to be picked up by young men and
the chaff (palea) is left for old
men,
Ah, time of youth for ever lost and never to return!
Carmina Burana 93a
(Note that ae
is written as e. There is no
translation on internet, but the poem is not that difficult)
Cum Fortuna voluit
me vivere beatum,
forma, bonis moribus
fecit bene gratum
et in altis sedibus
sedere laureatum.
Modo flos preteriit
mee iuventutis,
in se trahit
omnia tempus senectutis;
inde sum in
gratia novissime salutis.
Rhinoceros
virginibus se solet exhibere;
sed cuius est
virginitas intemerata vere,
suo potest
gremio hunc sola retinere.
Igitur que
iuveni virgo sociatur
et me senem
spreverit, iure defraudatur,
ut ab hac rhinoceros se capi patiatur.
In tritura virginum
debetur seniori
pro mercede palea,
frumentum iuniori;
inde senex aream
relinquo successori.
forma: abl.
`good looks’
fecit gratum:
made me popular
in altis sedibus:
in a high (social) position
laureatus:
crowned with laurels
modo: but,
then
paetereo (praeter-ire) –ii –itum: to pass away, perish
in se trahit
omnia tempus senectutis: old age is a kind black hole from which no
escape is possible: you can’t go back to your youth
inde: thence (i.e. from the time of my youth)
in gratia novissime
salutis: in the grace of the ultimate salvation. Having left the sins of
his youth behind him, the poet can now concentrate on his eternal salvation.
exhibeo exhibui exibitum:
to present, exhibit
intemeratus:
chaste, pure
gremium: lap
hunc: the
rhinoceros
iuvenis -is
(m.): young man
sociatur:
reflexive use of the passive
sperno (-ere) sprevi spretum: to despise
iure…patiatur: is
really mistaken (thinking) that she can let her self be captured by this
unicorm
tritura:
chaffing
debetur…palea:
the chaff must belong to
pro mercede: as
reward
area:
playfield
Maiden with Unicorn, tapestry, 15th century (Musée de
Cluny, Paris)
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