Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Level 4; listening; Nūntiī Latīnī [6]

Ōrdō Global Forest Watch annuam dē statū silvārum tropicālium relātiōnem nūper dīvulgāvit. Annō proximō ārea silvārum maior quam Belgium dispāruit. Silvae maximam partem dēlentur, ut alimenta, sīcut carō bovīna, oleum palmārum, socolāta prōdūcantur. Investīgātōrēs praecipuē propter silvās pluviālēs sollicitī sunt. Plūrimae silvae nātūrālēs caesae sunt in Brasīliā. In ultimīs silvīs Brasiliēnsibus vīvunt aborīginēs, quī numquam cum hominibus occidentālibus cōnsuētūdinēs habuērunt et silvīs dēlētīs habitātiōnēs perdunt. Magnus est interitus silvārum etiam in Columbiā, Boliviā, Āfricā occidentālī. In Ghanā et Lītore Eburneō etiam propter aurifodīnās et cultūram cacaōnis silvae caeduntur.

[i] What annual report did the organisation recently publish?

[ii] How is the previous year’s disappearance of forest emphasised?

[iii] What three specific foodstuffs are being produced? (3)

[iv] What specific type of forest worries researchers?

[v] Where are most forests being cut down?

[vi]

[a] Who lives in these forests?

[b] With whom have they never had contact?

[c] What are they losing?

[vii] Which region of Africa is affected?

[viii]

[a] Apart from Ghana, which other African country is mentioned?

[b] What two reasons are causing the loss of forest in these countries? (2)

____________________

[i] the state of tropical forests

[ii] an area larger than Belgium

[iii] beef (1); palm oil (1); chocolate

[iv] rainforests

[v] Brazil

[vi]

[a] aborigines (indigenous peoples)

[b] Westerners

[c] their homes

[vii] West Africa

[viii]

[a] Ivory Coast

[b] gold mining (1); cocoa cultivation (1)

The organisation Global Forest Watch recently published its annual report on the state of tropical forests. In the previous year (2018), an area of forest larger than Belgium disappeared. Forests are largely being destroyed so that food products such as beef, palm oil, and chocolate can be produced.

Researchers are especially concerned about the rainforests. The greatest number of natural forests have been cut down in Brazil. In the remaining forests of Brazil live indigenous peoples who have never had contact with Westerners, and, as the forests are destroyed, they lose their homes.

There is also extensive destruction of forests in Colombia, Bolivia, and West Africa. In Ghana and the Ivory Coast, forests are also being cut down because of gold mining and the cultivation of cocoa.

Level 3+ (review); correlatives [4] making comparisons (1) tam … quam; tot … quot …

Many correlatives make some form of comparison; note the use of ‘as’ in the second part of the correlative in all the basic translations.

[viii] (nōn) tam … quam … | (not) as / so … as …

Tam saepe orābat quam poterat.

  • He spoke as often as he could.

Sīmia nōn est tam perīculōsa quam serpēns.

  • A monkey is not as dangerous as a snake.

Sed omnia praeclāra tam difficilia, quam rāra sunt (Spinoza)

  • But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.

quid est orātōrī tam necessārium quam vox? (Cicero)

  • What is so necessary for a public speaker as his voice?

nec tamen tam laeta erant in iīs litterīs, quam ad mē Philotimus scrīpserat (Cicero)

  • but in this letter things were not as grand as Philotimus had written to me.

… sed nōn tam magnō, quam tibi fortasse videor (Cicero)

  • … but not so much as I perhaps seem to you.

A Mediaeval toast from around 1250:

Tam prō pāpā quam prō rēge / Bibunt omnēs sine lēge

  • To the Pope as to the King / they all drink without restraint

[ix] tot … quot … | as many … as …

< tot (so many) + quot (how many)

quot:  how many?

quot librī? | how many books?

tot: so many

Quid faciant paucī contrā tot mīlia fortēs? (Ovid) | What can a few brave men do against so many thousands (of soldiers)?

From Adler’s Practical Grammar of the Latin Language:

tot hominēs quot līberī | as many men as children

A: Suntne tibi tot scyphī quot pocula? | Have you as many (wine-) glasses as goblets?

B: Habeō tot ex ūnīs quot ex alterīs. | I have as many of one as (I have) of the other.

A: Habēsne tot pileōs quot togās? | Have you as many hats as coats?

B: Tot illōrum habeō quot hārum. | I have as many of those as of these.

Note: totidem … quot … | just as many … as …

Sunt mihi totidem hōrum quot illōrum. | I have just as many of these as of those.

From the authors:

vidē, quot cyathōs bibimus. / tot quot digitī tibi sunt in manū (Plautus)

  • Look how many cups we have drunk. / As many as the fingers you have on your hand.

quid enim hoc miserius, quam eum, quī tot annōs, quot habet, dēsignātus cōnsul fuerit, fieri consulem non posse (Cicero)

  • For what could be more miserable than for someone, who has been a consul-designate for as many years as he has lived, not to be able to become a consul?

The construction may be reversed:

quot hominēs tot sententiae (Terence)

  • There are as many opinions as there are people.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Level 4: literature; the Middle Ages; Tempus transit gelidum [2]

 A real challenge – but a rewarding one – is translating a song. Not only do you need to keep as close as possible to the original meaning, but also convey the rhymes, and the rhythms of stressed and unstressed syllables. Moreover, the “voice” of a Mediaeval writer should be respected. I have moved from the first post [step #1 translation] which gave a literal rendering, and notes to accompany the Latin original, to [step #2 translation] my own singable version. I’ve thrown in a few archaisms e.g. ‘a-going’, ’meetly’ (suitably; properly), ‘thou art (surrounded)’ together with a common habit in English poetry of losing syllables e.g. ‘am’rous’, ‘flow’ry’ and ‘pow’r’.

[V1]

tém-pŭs trán-sĭt gé-lĭ-dúm │Ícy̆ cóld’s ă-góĭng bý,
mún-dŭs ré-nŏ-vá-tŭr │ Ánd thĕ wórld’s rĕnéwed nŏw;
vérquĕ rédĭt flórĭdúm, │ Flów’ry̆ spríng ĭs grówĭng nígh,
fórmă rébŭs dátŭr. │ Év’ry̆thíng’s ĭn víew nŏw.

ávĭs módŭlátŭr, │ Bírdsŏng ís ă-sóundĭng,
módŭláns lĕtátŭr │ Jóyfŭllý rĕsóundĭng;

ávĭs módŭlátŭr, │ Bírdsŏng ís ă-sóundĭng,
módŭláns lĕtátŭr │ Jóyfŭllý rĕsóundĭng;

lŭcídĭór│ Ănd cléarĕr gróws,
ĕt lénĭór │ Ănd sóftĕr blóws,
ăér iăm sérĕnátŭr; │ Ă sóothĭng áir sŭrróundĭng.

iăm flórĕá, │ Nŏw blóssŏms spróut,
iăm fróndĕá, │ Ănd léaves sprĕad óut;
sĭlvá cŏmís dĕnsátŭr. │ Ĭn gréen thĕ wóod’s ăbóundĭng.

[V2]

Ludunt super gramina │ Gracefully upon the grass,
virgines decore, │ Maids are playing neatly;
quarum nova carmina │ From their lips, new songs shall pass,
dulci sonant ore. │ Sounding oh so sweetly.

annuunt favore │ Birds, they nod assent, and
volucres canore, │ Song is kindly sent, and
favet et odore │ Floral-tinted Earth brings
tellus picta flore. │ Fragrant favoured greetings.

cor igitur │ Thus thou, the heart,
et cingitur │ Surrounded art,
et tangitur amore, │ And touched by love discreetly.

Virginibus │With maidens fair,
et avibus │ Birds in the air,
strepentibus sonore. │Together singing meetly.

[V3]

Tendit modo retia │ Now his nets he starts to spread;
Puer pharetratus; │ Boy, a quiver wearing,
Cui deorum curia │ Godly court lies overhead,
Prebet famulatus; │ Servitude declaring.

Cuius dominatus │ And his realm, a-snaring,
Nimium est latus; │ Is too much for bearing;
Per hunc triumphatus │ By the boy defeated,
Sum et sauciatus; │ And with wounds I’m greeted.

Pugnaveram, │ For I had fought,
Et fueram │ At first I’d thought
In primis reluctatus; │ There might be naught between us;

Sed iterum │ Yet now, once more,
Per puerum │ I’m thrown before,
Sum Veneri prostratus. │ The am’rous pow’r o' Venus.






Level 4: literature; the Middle Ages; Tempus transit gelidum [1]

The first song in the album entitled Carmina Burana: The Original Ones | Medieval Dances and Songs

Carmina Veris et Amoris: Songs of Spring and Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq0nloMq6Nw&t=460s

Tempus transit gelidum (from the Codex Buranus c. 11th – 12th century)

Many Mediaeval songs are ‘wistfully’ performed – this one isn’t!

[i] The usual suspects turn up in the Mediaeval Latin pronunciation:

(1) ae > e

CL: laetatur; ML: letatur

(2)

c + e / i: as /ch/ (although there can be variants of that e.g. /s/ or /ts/)

lucidior: CL [lukidior]; ML [luchidior]

c + a / o / u retain hard /k/

carmina [karmina]; comis [komis]; cor [kor]; decore [dekore]

(3) g + e / i pronounced as a soft /g/ not hard

gelidum: CL [gelidum]; ML [jelidum]

igitur: CL [igitur]; ML  [ijitur]

cingitur: CL [kingitur]; ML [chinjitur]

(4) gn as /ny/ or Spanish ñ

pugnaveram [punyaveram]

(5) v as /v/ and not as CL /u/

renovatur: CL [renouatur]; ML [renovatur]

[ii] Differences in Classical Latin long and short vowels – together with Classical stress rules – are thrown out in the rhythmic “Spring” cleaning!

[iii] Interestingly: the song is for a female performer despite which her experiences with the boys are in masculine form!

fueram reluctatus │ I had been reluctant

sum Veneri prostratus │ I have been prostrated to Venus

[V1]

tém-pŭs trán-sĭt gé-lĭ-dúmThe ice-cold season / time is passing

mún-dŭs ré-nŏ-vá-tŭr the world is (being) renewed

vérquĕ rédĭt flórĭdúm, and the flowering spring returns,

fórmă rébŭs dátŭr. form is given to things.

ávĭs módŭlátŭr,The bird sings, [modulor, -āri (1/deponent): sing; play a tune]

módŭláns ¦ lĕtátŭr while singing ¦ it rejoices. [CL: laetor, -ārī (1/deponent):  rejoice; could also translate as a passive i.e. it is gladdened / made joyful]

ávĭs módŭlátŭr, The bird sings,

módŭláns ¦ lĕtátŭrwhile singing ¦ it rejoices.

lŭcídĭór Clearer

ĕt lénĭórand softer,

ăér iăm sérĕnátŭr;the air is made calm;

iăm flórĕá, now flowering,

iăm fróndĕá, now leafy / covered with leaves,

sĭlvá cŏmís dĕnsátŭr.the wood is made thick with foliage.

[V2]

Ludunt super gramina /  virgines decore, │ Upon the grass the maidens play elegantly

quarum nova carmina │ whose new songs

dulci sonant ore. │ sound from a sweet mouth.

annuunt favore volucres canore, │ The birds with good will and (with) singing nod approval [annuō / adnuō, -ere (3): nod assent / approval / consent]

favet et odore / tellus picta flore. │ and by its scent the Earth painted with flower(s) is favourable / looks kindly (on them).

cor igitur │ the heart, therefore,

et cingitur │ is both surrounded

et tangitur amore, │ and (is) touched by love

virginibus with maidens

et avibus │ and (with) birds

strepentibus sonore. │ humming with sound.

[V3]

Tendit modo retia │ Now he spreads the / (his) nets

puer pharetratus; │ the boy wearing a quiver [pharetra, -ae (1/f): quiver]

cui deorum curia │ to whom the court of the gods

prebet famulatus, │ offers servitude

cuius dominatus │ whose rule / absolute power

nimium est latus, │ is too much to bear [literally: is borne too much]

per hunc triumphatus / sum et sauciatus: │ through him I am conquered and injured

pugnaveram │ I had fought [pluperfect]

et fueram │ and I had been [pluperfect]

in primis reluctatus, │ at first reluctant [fueram reluctatus < reluctor, -āre (1/deponent): resist; I had resisted / fight back]

sed iterum │ but again

per puerum │ by the boy

sum Veneri prostratus. │ I have been prostrated to Venus [prōsternō, -ere, -strāvī, -strātus (3): overthrow; knock down]

Images: the original text (starting from the bottom of the first page)




Level 4: listening; Nūntiī Latīnī [5]

Numerus rhīnocerōtum in mundō inter centum quīndecim et centum trīgintā mīlia esse cēnsētur. Populātiōnī imminent vēnātōrēs clandestīnī, habitātiōnēs rārēscentēs, inquinātiō morbīque. Ante duōs annōs plūs ducentī rhīnocerōtēs in Namibīā anthrace periērunt. In viridāriō natiōnālī Aethiopiae mēnse Aprīlī duodētrīgintā rhīnocerōtēs dē causā adhūc ignōtā mortuī repertī sunt.

[i] The total number of rhinoceros is estimated to be between:

A: 1,500 – 3,000

B: 105,000  - 113,000

C: 115,000 – 130,000

D: 30,000 – 50,000

[ii] In which order are the following causes of death referred to?

disease _____

loss of habitat _____

poaching _____

pollution _____

[iii]

[a] How many rhinoceros died from anthrax?

[b] When did these deaths occur?

[iv]

[a] How many rhinoceros died from unknown causes?

[b] Where did these deaths take place? (2)

[c] When did they take place?

____________________

[i] C

[ii]

disease: 4

loss of habitat: 2

poaching: 1

pollution: 3

[iii]

[a] more than 200

[b] two years ago

[iv]

[a] 28

[b] Ethiopia (1); national park (1)

[c] April

____________________

The number of rhinoceroses in the world is estimated to be between 115,000 and 130,000. The population is threatened by poachers, shrinking habitats, pollution, and disease.

Two years ago, more than 200 rhinoceroses in Namibia died from anthrax. In April, in a national park in Ethiopia, 28 rhinoceroses were found dead from a cause still unknown.

Level 3+ (review); correlatives [3] nōn sōlum / tantum / modo … sed etiam …; modo … modo; sīve … sīve …

[v] nōn sōlum / tantum / modo  … sed etiam … | not only … but also …

sed alone may occur as the second part

nōn sōlum rogō, sed etiam suādeō (Cicero)

  • I do not only ask, but also urge (you)

quās ego nōn sōlum tulī, sed etiam ōrnāvī (Cicero)

  • I have not only endured but also enhanced them

quī nōn tantum bellum ipsum …, sed etiam tālem adventum eius fēlīcem fuisse laetābantur (Bellum Alexandrinum)

  • And they were not only rejoicing in the war itself … but also that his arrival had been so fortunate.

Dīlēxī tum tē nōn tantum ut vulgus amīcam, / sed pater ut gnātōs dīligit et generōs (Catullus)

  • I loved you then not only / not so much as the common man does his girlfriend, / but as a father loves his children and sons-in-law.

cui quidem ego nōn modo servāvī, sed etiam aedificāvī locum (Cicero)

  • I have not only kept a place for him but also built one. 

Quae aestimātiō nōn modo vehementer ab optimō quōque, sed etiam ā plēbe reprēnditur (Cicero)

  • This estimate was violently decried not only by all the conservative party, but also by the people. 

[vi] modo … modo … | now … now …; at one moment …. at another (moment) …

This correlative conveys variation of activity, something that is not in a sequence, but random or continually changes; translations vary but convey the sense:

modo suscēnset, modo grātiās agit (Cicero)

  • sometimes he is angry, sometimes he thanks (me)

varia audīmus, modo esse in Tīburtī …, modo cum Lepidīs accessisse ad urbem (Cicero)

  • We [ = I] hear various reports: at one time that he is at Tibur … at another that he has come to the city with the Lepidi.

[vii] sīve … sīve … or: seu ... seu ... | whether … or …

Sed, sīve Rōmae es sīve in Ēpīrō, … (Cicero)

  • But whether you are at Rome or in Epirus …

Sīve enim bellum in Ītaliā futūrum est, sīve classibus ūtētur, … (Cicero)

  • For whether there is going to be a war in Italy, or whether he will employ his fleet …

The correlative may simply translate as eitheror

Nōs autem audierāmus eum prōfectum sīve ad Pompēium sīve in Hispāniam (Cicero)

  • But we [ = I] had heard that he had gone either to Pompey or to Spain.

Here Cicero presents a series of random alternatives:

Nunc haec sīve īrācundiā sīve dolōre sīve metū permōtus gravius scrīpsī (Cicero)

  • Now, moved by passion, whether wrath or sorrow or fear, I have written more seriously


Sunday, July 19, 2026

Level 4; literature; Mediaeval; tempus est iocundum (Codex Buranus c1230) [2] translation; notes

repost from: https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/040724-tempus-est-iocundum-2.html

This is a ‘gentler’ version of the same song but still has that Mediaeval colour.

Note: for those who have been following the posts and / or the alternative site, every feature of Latin has been discussed before, and so this is a tremendous example of all the jigsaw pieces coming together.

Each verse is only a couple of lines. I’ll begin with verse #1 [V1] and the refrain

[V1] Tempus est iocundum, ō virginēs, modo congaudēte vōs iuvenēs │ The time is pleasing, you virgins, just rejoice, you young men

congaudeō, congaudēre [2]: (Late Latin) rejoice; here it’s in the imperative / command form (talking to more than one person) i.e. gaudēte

  • iocundus, -a, -um (Late Latin): joyful (CL: iūcundus)
  • iuvenis, -is [3/m]: young man
  • tempus, temporis [3/n]: time
  • virgō, virginis [3/f]: girl; maiden; virgin

Chorus: it has a very good example of different noun and adjective types working together

Ō, ō, tōtus flōreō! │Oh, oh, I am blossoming!

iam amōre virginālī tōtus ārdeō, novus, novus amor est, quō pereō. │ I’m totally burning with first love, it’s a new, new love from which I’m dying

  • ārdeō, ārdēre [2]: burn
  • flōreō, flōrēre [2]: bloom; blossom; flower
  • tōtus, -a, -um: completely; the grammar FBI will say that it should be tōta because a girl is singing! It didn’t seem to bother them in 1230.
  • pereō, perīre: die; perish; it’s come up before: eō, īre (go) can have prefixes to change its meaning
  • amōre pereō: the ablative expresses the cause; I am burning with [because of] love

But, here’s the grammar point to note

  • amor, amōris [3/m]: love; a third declension noun
  • novus, -a, -um: new; a 1st/ 2nd declension adjective
  • virginālis, -e: maidenly (or ‘first’ in the sense of your ‘first love’); a 3rd declension adjective

[i] iam amōre [3rd declension noun] virginālī [3rd declension adjective] tōtus ārdeō

  • I am completely burning with first love

[ii] novus, novus [1st/ 2nd declension adjective] amor [3rd declension noun] est, quō pereō

  • It is a new, new love from which I’m dying.

The adjective and the noun agree in gender, number and case but they retain their own endings.

Here are the rest of the verses:

[V2] Cantat philomena sīc dulciter, et modulāns audītur; intus caleō │The nightingale sings so sweetly, and it is heard singing, and I am hot inside

  • caleō, calēre [2]: to be hot (check the posts on weather!)
  • cantō, cantāre [1]: sing
  • dulcis, -e [3]: sweet; and there is an example of how Latin forms some adverbs: dulciter: sweelty
  • intus: (adverb) within; inside
  • modulāns, modulantis [3]: (here) singing

Note: passive

  • audit: he / she / it hears
  • audītur: he / she / it is heard

[V3] Flōs est puellārum, quam dīligō, et rosa rosārum, quam sepe videō; │ She is the flower of the girls whom I love, and the rose of the roses whom I often see

  • dīligō, dīligere [3]: love
  • flōs, flōris [3/m]: flower
  • sepe = saepe (often); Mediaeval spelling shift from /ae/ > /e/ to reflect pronunciation change
  • videō, vidēre [2]: see

[V4] Mea mē cōnfortat prōmissiō, mea mē dēportat negātiō. │ My promise strengthens me, my refusal carries me away

[V5] Mea mēcum lūdit virginitās, mea mē dētrūdit simplicitās. │My virginity plays with me, my innocence pushes me down

Note: in some versions the ‘mea’ becomes ‘tua’ i.e. your promise strengthens me etc. I’m following the exact lyrics from the Youtube version.

  • cōnfortō, cōnfortō [1]: strengthen
  • dēportō, dēportāre [1]: carry off
  • dētrūdō, dētrūdere [3]: push down
  • lūdo, lūdere [3]: play
  • mē¦cum: with me

Four 3rd declension nouns that always have the same type of stem change: -iō, -tās

  • negatiō, negātiōnis [3/f]: refusal
  • prōmissiō, prōmissiōnis [3/f]: promise
  • simplicitās, simplicitātis [3/f]: innocence; simplicity
  • virginitās, virginitātis [3/f]: maidenhood; virginity

[V6] Sile, philomēna, prō tempore, surge cantilēna dē pectore. │Be silent, nightingale, for a while, rise up, song, from (my) breast

  • sileō, silēre [2]: be silent; imperative / command talking to one person i.e. sile
  • surgō, surgere [3]: arise; imperative / command talking to one person i.e. surge
  • cantilēna, -ae [1/f]: (old) song
  • pectus, pectoris [3/m]: breast

[V7] Tempore brūmālī vir patiēns, animō vernālī lascīviēns. │In the winter time a man (is) patient, frisky with the breath of spring

  • animus, -ī [2/m]: soul; ‘life force’, but ‘the breath / spirit of spring’ is quite neat
  • vir, -ī [2/m]: man

2 adjectives to describe seasons

  • brūmālis, -is [3]: winter; wintry; ablative of time when: tempore brūmālī (in the winter time)
  • vernālis, -e [3]: spring

Note the regular stem changes of these types ending in -ns

patiēns, patientis [3]: patient

lascīviēns, lascīvientis [3]: frolicking; “frisky”

[V8] Venī, domicella, cum gaudiō, venī, venī, pulchra, iam pereō. │Come, maiden, with joy, come, come, beautiful (girl), I’m dying now

  • domicella, -ae [1/f]: (Mediaeval) young lady; maiden
  • gaudium, -ī [2/n]: joy
  • preposition cum + ablative
  • pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum: beautiful
  • veniō, venīre [4]: come; imperative / command form talking to one person i.e. venī