| Dic, Christi veritas, |
Tell me, truth of Christ; |
Say, holy verity, |
| dic, cara raritas, |
tell me, beloved rarity; |
Say, loving rarity, |
| dic, rara Caritas: |
tell me, rare love: |
Say, rarest charity, |
| ubi nunc habitas? |
Where do you live now? |
Where do you care to be? |
| aut in Valle Visionis? |
In theﾂValley of Visions? |
In the Vision Valley narrow? |
| aut in throno Pharaonis? |
Or onﾂPharaoh・E・Es throne? |
On the throne of Egypt's Pharoah? |
| aut in alto cum Nerone? |
Or on high withﾂNero? |
Ruling high above with Nero? |
| aut in antro cum Theone? |
Or in a cave withﾂTheonas? |
With wise Theon, hermits' hero? |
| vel in fiscella scirpea |
Or in anﾂark of bulrushes, |
Or in an ark in rushes tall, |
| cum Moyse plorante? |
crying with Moses? |
With Moses loudly crying? |
| vel in domo Romulea |
Or rather, in the House ofﾂRomulus |
Or there in Rome's most sacred hall, |
| cum Bulla fulminante? |
fulminating withﾂBulls? |
Its Bulls like lightning flying? |
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|
| Respondit Caritas: |
Love responded: |
Says Love with clarity: |
| ﾂｫhomo, quid dubitas? |
・E・EMan, why do you doubt? |
"Why, man, despair of me? |
| quid me sollicitas? |
What are you asking me? |
Why do you query me? |
| non sum, quo mussitas, |
I am, as you grumble, |
I am not where you see, |
| nec in euro nec in austro, |
not in the east nor in the south, |
Not in south or east arisen, |
| nec in foro nec in claustro, |
nor in the market nor in prison, |
Not in marketplace or prison, |
| nec in bysso vel cuculla, |
nor in fine linen or the cowl, |
Not in silks and not in tatters, |
| nec in bello nec in bulla: |
nor in war nor in Bulls: |
Not in war or Papal matters: |
| de Iericho sum veniens, |
I come from Jericho; |
For I am come from Jericho, |
| ploro cum sauciato, |
I cry with the injured, |
With him in torture twisting, |
| quem duplex Levi transiens |
the man whom two Levites passed・E・E |
Beside whose bed two Levites go |
| non astitit grabato.ﾂｻ |
I stood by his bed.・E・E |
And pass without assisting." |
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| O vox prophetica, |
O prophetic voice, |
The prophet's voice, it came; |
| o Nathan, predica: |
OﾂNathan, prophesy: |
O Nathan, you proclaim: |
| culpa Davitica |
Theﾂfault of David |
Grievous is David's blame, |
| patet non modica! |
is clearly not small! |
And he shall suffer shame! |
| Dicit Nathan: ﾂｫnon clamaboﾂｻ, |
Nathan says, ・E・EI do not cry・E・E, |
Nathan says, "No tears I borrow." |
| ﾂｫnequeﾂｻ David ﾂｫplanctum daboﾂｻ, |
・E・ENeither,・E・EﾂDavidﾂsays, ・E・Edo I mourn・E・E. |
"Nor," says David, "do I sorrow." |
| cum sit Christi rupta vestis, |
With Christ・E・Es torn clothing, |
Clothing rent, to all who listen, |
| contra Christum Christus testis. |
Christ testifies against the Christians. |
Christ bear witness 'gainst the Christians. |
| Ve, ve vobis, hypocrite, |
Hail, hail to you, hypocrite, |
O hypocrite, O soul untrue, |
| qui culicem colatis! |
who serves a gnat! |
The Lord of Flies your idol: |
| Que Cesaris sunt, reddite, |
What is Caesar・E・Es, render unto him, |
To Caesar give with Caesar's due; |
| ut Christo serviatis! |
that you may serve Christ! |
Give Christ what he's entitled! |
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|
| Bulla fulminante |
Fulminating withﾂBulls, |
Papal Bulls go flying, |
| sub iudice tonante, |
the judge thunders; |
The judge with thunder vying, |
| reo appellante, |
the accused appeals; |
Folk for grace applying, |
| sententia gravante. |
the decision is grave. |
But judges all denying. |
| Veritas supprimitur, |
Truth is suppressed, |
Truth is hidden and controlled; |
| distrahitur |
distracted, |
It goes untold, |
| et venditur |
and sold. |
Is priced and sold, |
| Iustitia prostante; |
Justice protests: |
And like a whore they're buying |
| itur et recurritur |
It goes and it goes again |
Stone-cold Justice there with gold. |
| ad Curiam, nec ante |
to Court; even before |
With crooked courts complying, |
| quid consequitur, |
the result is found, |
Swindlers will remold |
| quam exuitur quadrante. |
more than a quarter are cheated. |
Each coin we hold by lying. |
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| Pape ianitores |
The Papal gatekeepers, |
Those who guard Rome's entry |
| Cerbero surdiores. |
likeﾂCerberus, are deaf. |
Are deaf as Hades' sentry, |
| In spe vana plores, |
In vain hope lamenting, |
And in vain lament we. |
| nam etiamsi fores |
these doors |
For Orpheus bold, when he |
| Orphﾃｫus, quem audiit |
even toﾂOrpheus, who was heard |
Pluto's kingdom entered, |
| Pluto deus |
by the godﾂPluto |
No door so clamored |
| Tartareus, |
inﾂTartarus, |
To enamor, |
| non ideo perores, |
would not for this reason open, |
Adorned with gems aplenty. |
| malleus argenteus |
unless a silver hammer |
A hammer, silver slammer, |
| ni feriat ad fores, |
strikes at the door |
Is knocking, firm and steady. |
| ubi Protﾃｫus |
whereﾂProteus |
Where in his glamor |
| variat mille colores. |
changes with a thousand colors. |
Proteus' masks are so many. |
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| Si queris prebendas, |
If you wish to be allowed to live, |
To live life as normal, |
| vitam frustra commendas; |
I recommend a vain life. |
I bid you be resourceful: |
| mores non pretendas, |
Do not pretend to be moral; |
Act like you're immoral; |
| ne iudicem offendas! |
do not offend the judge! |
With judges have no quarrel. |
| frustra tuis litteris |
Without yourﾂknowledge |
Don't in vain yourself array |
| inniteris; |
to lean upon, |
With wisdom's way; |
| moraberis |
delay |
Accept delay, |
| per plurimas kalendas ・E・E |
for the first days of many months; |
And do not be remorseful. |
| tandem exspectaveris |
in the end expect |
For your lifetime, wait and pray; |
| a ceteris ferendas, |
from others a vote |
Submit; obey all mortals. |
| paris ponderis |
of equal importance, |
Save your breath, and pay: |
| pretio nisi contendas. |
unless the price changes. |
Struggle for no morsel. |
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|
| Iupiter, dum orat |
Jupiter, when prays |
Sure is Jove's stagnation: |
| Danen, frustra laborat; |
theﾂDanube, labors in vain, |
Vain is all supplication; |
| sed eam deflorat, |
but he deflowers, |
But gold builds creation |
| auro dum se colorat: |
while gold gives color: |
Or brings us ruination: |
| Auro nil potentius, |
Nothing is more powerful than gold, |
Save for gold, all earth will rust; |
| nil gratius, |
nothing is greater; |
In gold we trust, |
| nec Tullius |
not evenﾂTullius |
As Tullius |
| facundius perorat. |
can argue against that. |
At length discussed with great sophistication. |
| Sed hos urit acrius, |
But they burn more fiercely |
But more fiercely they combust |
| quos amplius honorat; |
who are more honored; |
Which more upthrust the station. |
| nichil iustius, |
nothing is more just: |
The end is just: |
| calidum Crassus dum vorat! |
Crassusﾂconsumedﾂby the fire! |
Crassus in harsh conflagration! |
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| Philip the Chancellor |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |