Alcuin: lament for a nightingale.

One of the foremost scholars during the Carolinian Renaissance was Alcuin of York (735 – 804), probably the greatest intellectual of his time.  Apart from his theological works, he has also left a number of poems, of which this poem about a nightingale (luscinia) is particularly charming. One can imagine Alcuin sitting in his monastic cell enjoying the song a nightingale and suddenly that uplifting voice during a period of distress has gone. Was it written after the Vikings had ransacked Lindisfarne in 793?  

Alcuin: De Luscinia (meter: elegiac couplet)

QUAE te dextra mihi rapuit, luscinia, ruscis,

illa meae fuerat invida laetitiae.

tu mea dulcisonis implesti pectora musis,

atque animum moestum carmine mellifluo.

qua propter veniant volucrum simul undique coetus

carmine te mecum plangere Pierio.

spreta colore tamen fueras non spreta canendo.

lata sub angusto gutture vox sonuit,

dulce melos iterans vario modulamine Musae,

atque creatorem semper in ore canens.

noctibus in furvis nusquam cessavit ab odis,

vox veneranda sacris, o decus atque decor,

quid mirum, cherubim, seraphim si voce tonantem

perpetua laudent, dum tua sic potuit?

quae dextra: which right (hand), or simply `which hand’

rapio rapui raptum (-ere): to take away, seize

ruscum: butcher'sbroom Ruscus aculeatus

invidus: envying, jealous making

dulcisonus: sweet-sounding

implesti = implevisti

moestus = maestus: sad

mellifluus: sweet-flowing

qua propter: for which reason

volucer volucris (f.): bird

undique: from all sides

coetus –us (m.): gathering

plango planxi planctum: (-ere) to bewail

pierius: belonging to mount Pieria (in Macedonia), where the Muses live

sperno sprevi spretum (-ere): to despise, contemn (the ablatives are ablatives of description)

latus: wide, extending (with vox)

sub angusto gutture: under the disguise of a narrow throat

melos (n.): song (Greek loanword occurring only in nom. and dat. sg.)

itero (-are); to repeat

modulamen –inis: melody

os oris (n.): mouth

furvus: dark, gloomy

nusquam: on no occasion, never

oda: song

sacer sacri/ae: holy, sacred (i.e. a voice to be revered by the saints)

decus (decoris) and decor (decoris) are the same: elegance, glory etc.

quid mirum: what wonder/ miracle

cherubim and seraphim are classes of archangels. The plural is Hebrew and these words are not declined.

tono (-are): resound

dum tua (vox) sic potuit: I.e. while your voice was able to praise with such a small throat

Translation by Helen Waddell

ALCUIN

Written for his lost nightingale

WHOEVER stole you from that bush of broom,

I think he envied me my happiness,

O little nightingale, for many a time

You lightened my sad heart from its distress,

And flooded my whole soul with melody.

And I would have the other birds all come,

And sing along with me thy threnody.

So brown and dim that little body was.

But none could scorn thy singing. In that throat

That tiny throat, what depth of harmony,

And all night long ringing thy changing note.

What marvel if the cherubim in heaven

Continually do praise Him, when to thee,

O small and happy, such a grace was given?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcuin

From the Aberdeen Bestiary folio 52 verso (13^th century)

The epitaph of Alcuin.

Alcuin (735-804) was one of the towering figures of the Carolingian Renaissance: theologian, philosopher, poet, educator and industrious writer.  He must have been very good company: learned, witty and loving good wine. Unlike the Englishmen from his days up till now and for centuries to come donec angelica tuba personet, he disliked beer.  I like both and I wish I could share a good bottle of wine with him!

He died at Tours and was buried there with an epitaph on his stone written by himself.  The stone itself does not exist anymore, but the poem does.

Metrum: elegiac couplets

Hic, rogo, pauxillum veniens subsiste, viator.

  et mea scrutare pectore dicta tuo,

ut tua deque meis agnoscas fata figuris:

  vertitur o species, ut mea, sicque tua.

quod nunc es fueram, famosus in orbe, viator,

  et quod nunc ego sum, tuque futurus eris.

delicias mundi casso sectabar amore,

  nunc cinis et pulvis, vermibus atque cibus.

quapropter potius animam curare memento,

  quam carnem, quoniam haec manet, illa perit.

cur tibi rura paras? quam parvo cernis in antro

  me tenet hic requies: sic tua parva fiet.

cur Tyrio corpus inhias vestirier ostro

  quod mox esuriens pulvere vermis edet?

ut flores pereunt vento veniente minaci,

  sic tua namque, caro, gloria tota perit.

tu mihi redde vicem, lector, rogo, carminis huius

  et dic: 'da veniam, Christe, tuo famulo.'

obsecro, nulla manus violet pia iura sepulcri,

  personet angelica donec ab arce tuba:

'qui iaces in tumulo, terrae de pulvere surge,

  magnus adest iudex milibus innumeris.'

Alchuine nomen erat sophiam mihi semper amanti,

  pro quo funde preces mente, legens titulum.

Hic requiescit beatae memoriae domnus Alchuinus abba, qui obiit in pace XIV. Kal. Iunias. Quando legeritis, o vos omnes, orate pro eo et dicite, 'Requiem aeternam donet ei dominus.' Amen.

pauxillum: for a moment

scruto: scrutinize

agnosco agnoti agnitum: to recognize

vertitur o species, ut mea, sicque tua = o, ut mea  species (versa est), sicque tua vertitur 

verto verti versum: to change

species species (f.): appearance

cassus: empty

sector sectatus sum: to follow eagerly

deliciae deliciarum: allurement, pleasure

cinis cinis  (m.): ashes

pulvis  pulveris (m.): dust

quapropter: therefore

quoniam: because

rus ruris (n.): estate

cerno crevi certum: to see, perceive

antrum: cave

requies (f.): resting place

inhio: be eager for (litt. to open the mouth)

tyrio ostro: with Tyrian purple

vestirier: an early Latin passive infinitive of vestio `to cover with a garment’

esurio: being hungry

(in) pulvere

edo edi esum: to eat

vermis vermis (m.): worm

minax minacis: threatening

reddo vicem (+ gen.): to give something in return

famulus: servant

angelica tuba:  Revelation 11:15 et septimus angelus tuba cecinit et factae sunt voces magnae in caelo dicentes factum est regnum huius mundi Domini nostri et Christi eius et regnabit in saecula saeculorum

Alchuine nomen erat sophiam mihi semper amanti = mihi - sophiam semper amanti - nomen `Alchuine’ erat

fundo fudi fusum: to pour out

(in) mente, i.e.quietly

titulus: inscription

Translation by Luitpold Wallach (1959)

Here, I beg thee, pause for a while, traveler,

And ponder my words in thy heart,

That thou mayest understand thy fate in my shadow:

The form of thy body will be changed as was mine.

What thou art now, famous in the world, I have been, traveler,

And what I now am, thou wilt be in the future.

I was wont to seek the joys of the world in vain desire:

Now I am ashes and dust, and food for worms.

Remember therefore to take better care of thy soul

Than of thy body, because that survives, and this perishes.

Why dost thou look for possessions? Thou see'st in what a little cavern

This tomb folds me: Thine will be equally small.

Why are thou eager to deck in Tyrian purple thy body

Which soon in the dust the hungry worm will devour?

As flowers perish when comes the menacing wind,

So also thy flesh and all thy glory perish.

Give me, I beg thee, O reader, a return for this poem,

And pray: "Grant, O Christ, forgiveness to thy servant."

I implore thee, let no hand profane the holy rights of this tomb,

Until the angelic trumpet announces from Heaven high:

"Thou who liest in the tomb, rise from the dust of the earth,

The Mighty Judge appears to countless thousands."

My name was Alchuine, and wisdom was always dear to me.

Pour out prayers for me when thou quietly readest this inscription

Alcuin, Vita Willibrordi: Date et dabitur vobis.

I live in the Dutch province of Groningen, neighbouring the province of Friesland. The Frisians have their own language within the Germanic languages. In some respects it resembles English in phonology and Anglo-Saxon in vocabulary: no wonder, as the Frisians belong to the Germanic tribes invading England.  Some thousand years ago the area under their control was much larger, including northern and mid Netherlands and Ostfriesland in Northern Germany. Attempts to Christianize those stubborn heathens were not that successful, but that did not deter missionaries from trying. One of them was Willibrord (c. 658 – 7 November 739), who at the request of the Frankish king Pepin tried to bring the Frisians over to Christianity. Success was limited, but Willibrord was able to found an episcopate at the Dutch city of Utrecht. Due to his incessant attempts to bring the light in this part of my country, he got the name `Apostle to the Frisians’.

Willibrord founded the abbey of Echternach (Luxembourg) and often returned to that place. Up to this day a dancing procession is held every year at Whit Tuesday (the Tuesday in the week of Pentecost) in honour of Willibrord.

After his death he was highly venerated and Alcuin  (735 - 804) put his deeds to immortality by writing the Vita Willibrordi. As it befits the life of a man who was soon to become a saint, this Vita contains many miracles. In this miracle Willibrord sees a group of beggars and he and his men drink wine together with these beggars. When Willibrord and his men leave, they find out that the jug from which they have drunk together with the beggars is full again. Wish I could perform such a miracle! Next week I have my birthday, but I am afraid one bottle of wine is not enough….

Alcuinus, Vita Willibrordi, c.17:

Iterum sanctus Dei sacerdos in quodam loco iter agens, vidit mendicantes inopes duodecim, pariter postulantes sibi aliquid a praetereuntibus solatii. Quos,  ut fuit mitissimus, benigno aspexit animo, unique ex suis mandavit specialem suam flasconem sumere, ac pauperibus miscere Christi. Ex qua omnes illi duodecim usque ad sacietatem bibebant, et mirum in modum, illis abeuntibus ex optimo vino fiasco, de qua tanti bibebant homines, inventa est plena ut ante. Hoc conperto benedicebant omnes dominum nostrum, dicentes: Vere impletum est in nobis, quod in euangelio Deus Christus dixit : " Date et dabitur vobis."

iterum:  and again, also (an adverb often used in vitae to introduce a new anecdote. It does not mean that Willibrord visited that place for a second time!)

sanctus Dei sacerdos: i.e. Willibrord

iter ago: to make one’s way to

mendico: to beg

inops inopis: poor

pariter: together

postulo: to ask

praetereo: to pass by

aliquid solatii: some alms

ut fuit mitissimus: as he was very mild

ex suis: from his: (i.e Willibrords) men

mando: to order

flasco flasconis (f.): jug, pitcher (A late-Latin loanword from Germanic, c.f. German Flasche)

sumo sumpsi sumptum: to take

pauperibus Christi

misceo miscue mixtum: to mix (wine was normally mixed with water, so: to fill (with water and wine)

ad sacietatem = ad satietatem: till being sated

et mirum in modum, illis abeuntibus ex optimo vino fiasco, de qua tanti bibebant homines, inventa est plena ut ante = in mirum modum, illis abeuntibus (abl. abs. Willibrord and his men), flasco, de qua bibebant tanti homines ex optimo vino, inventa est plena ut ante.

conperio conperi conpertum: to find out

Date et dabitur vobis:  Luke 6,38

About Willibrord, but the German wiki is mor informative:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willibrord

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_procession_of_Echternach

Statue of Willibrord at Utrecht.