Carmina Burana 34: a protest song.

The Carmina Burana contains quite a lot of poems critical of the Church. Though the Reformation was still some centuries away, there were already voices protesting against the opulence and the lascivious way of life of many of the clergy, Often these songs make fun of the clergy and depict them as eating, drinking and gambling all the time, but this poem is more serious and is reminiscent of the protest of Old Testament prophets against injustice. It could therefore well be that the author is indeed Philippus Cancellarius (ca. 1170 – 1236), a French theologian and chancellor of Notre Dame de Paris, as the internet edition of the Carmina Burana at the Bibliotheca Augustana states, though in my paper edition it is anonymous.

Could it be that Pope Francis has this song in mind, now he is reforming the Vatican and tackling corruption?

Carmina Burana 34.

1.

              

Deduc, Sion, uberrimas

velut torrentem lacrimas!

nam qui pro tuis patribus

nati sunt tibi filii,

quorum dedisti manibus

tui sceptrum imperii,

fures et furum socii

turbato rerum ordine

abutuntur regimine

pastoralis officii.

Sion: the Church

deduco deduxi deductum: to draw out

uberrimas lacrimas: very abundant tears

pro tuis patribus: as a replacement for the founders (patres) of your Church

fur furis (m.): thief

turbato rerum ordine: the order of things being disturbed

abutor abusus sum (+ abl.): to abuse

regimen -iminis (n.): power

2.

              

Ad corpus infirmitas

capitis descendit,

singulosque gravitas

artus apprehendit,

refrigescit karitas,

nec iam se extendit

ad amorem proximi;

nam videmus opprimi

pupilum a potente,

nec est qui salvum faciat

vel qui iustum eripiat

ab impio premente.

Infirmitas capitis: the weakness of the head refers to the corruption of the higher clergy which is penetrating the whole body of the Church.

singulos artus: each limb

apprehende –hendi -hensum: to seize

refrigesco: to become cold

ad amorem proximi: cf. Math 22.39 ` Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’

opprimo oppressi oppressum: press down, overwhelm

pupillus: orphan

qui salvum faciat: who rescues him (the orphan)

eripio eripui ereptum: to snatch, take away

ab impio premente: from the impious oppressor

3.

              

Vide, Deus ultionum,

vide, videns omnia,

quod spelunca vispillonum

facta est Ecclesia,

quod in templum Salomonis

venit princeps Babylonis

et excelsum sibi thronum

posuit in medio!

sed arrepto gladio

scelus hoc ulciscere!

veni, iudex gentium,

cathedras vendentium

columbas evertere!

ultio ultionis (f.) revenge

spelunca: cave

vispillo –onis (m.): (nocturnal ) robber (from classical vespillo: a corpse-bearer who carried out the bodies of the poor at night.)

princeps Babylonis: the Devil

arrepto gladio: with drawn sword

scelus sceleris (n.): shameful deed

ulciscor  ultus sum: take vengeance on, punish

cathedras vendentium columbas evertere! Turn over the seats of the pigeon sellers! (it refers to Matth 22.12: And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, Doves were sacrificial animals for the poor.)

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

This video contains a (sort of) translation in the description:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD-Fcuyu-Lo

And here is a rendition with Timna Brauer and the Isreali-Palestinian choir Voices for Peace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSkizd3oPU8