Pharsalia Book 1: Lines 1-7

Since I’ve finished The Apology of the Augsburg Confession: A Latin Reader, I’m moving on to my next long range project: a translation of Lucan’s Pharsalia! As I finish sections of translating, I’ll post them as manageable bites for readers to enjoy.

Book I Lines 1-7 

Bella per Emathios plus quam ciuilia campos

iusque datum[1] sceleri canimus[2], populumque potentem

in sua uictrici conuersum[3] uiscera dextra

cognatasque acies, et rupto foedere[4] regni

certatum totis concussi[5] uiribus orbis                 

in commune nefas, infestisque obuia signis signa, pares aquilas et pila minantia[6] pilis.


[1] A perfect passive participle

[2] The main verb, which although plural is used singularly, here is deferred, undoubtedly as a nod to the epic tradition and Vergil, and it governs this entire passage by taking the following direct objects: bella, ius, populum, acies, certatum, signa, aquilas and pila

[3] A perfect passive participle

[4] Rupto foedere: an ablative absolute

[5] A perfect passive participle

[6] A present active participle

I sing of wars more than civil through the Emathian plains and of the permission given to the wicked, and of a powerful people turned into its own vitals by its own conquering right hand and of its armies of kin and of the struggle of a kingdom, once a pact had been broken, shaken by all the powers of the world in a mutual violation of the divine law, and of battle standards hostile to hostile standards, and of rival eagles and javelins making threats to javelins.

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The Latin Vocabulary of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession Now Available!

Alongside the The Apology of the Augsburg Confession: A Latin Reader, I’ve also published the Latin Vocabulary of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession. Check it out here, pick up a copy!


The Apology of the Augsburg Confession: A Latin Reader Now Available!

After what seems like forever, I’ve finally finished the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: A Latin Reader, and it is now available. Check it out on Amazon and buy a copy to enjoy the Latin prose of Philip Melancthon!


Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: (Art. XI) De Poenitentia (xviii)

Check out the eighteenth part of Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: On Confession. As always you’ll find the Latin text with notes, a listing of the Latin words which have not appeared in the previous sections.

Atque hic sciendum est,[1] quod haec fides debeat sentire, quod[2] gratis nobis ignoscat Deus propter Christum, propter suam promissionem, non propter nostra opera, contritionem, confessionem aut satisfactiones. Nam si fides nitatur his operibus, statim fit incerta, quia conscientia pavida videt[3] haec opera indigna esse. Ideo praeclare ait Ambrosius de poenitentia: Ergo et agendam[4] poenitentiam et tribuendam[5] veniam credere nos convenit,[6] ut[7] veniam tamen tamquam ex fide speremus, tamquam ex syngrapha fides impetrat. Item: Fides est, quae peccata nostra cooperit. Exstant itaque sententiae apud patres non solum de contritione et operibus, sed etiam de fide. Verum adversarii, quum neque naturam poenitentiae intelligant, neque sermonem patrum, excerpunt dicta de parte poenitentiae, videlicet de operibus; alibi dicta de fide, quum non intelligant, praetereunt.

Vocabulary
Cooperio, ire, cooperui, coopertus- to cover completely, cover up; overwhelm, bury deepSyngrapha, ae, f.- written contract of payment

[1] The passive periphrastic

[2] A quod substantive clause

[3] Introduces an indirect statement

[4] A gerundive

[5] A gerundive

[6] Introduces an indirect statement

[7] Introduces a purpose clause

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Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: (Art. XI) De Poenitentia (xvii)

Check out the seventeenth part of Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: On Confession. As always you’ll find the Latin text with notes, a listing of the Latin words which have not appeared in the previous sections, and an English translation.

Nunc libenter omnibus bonis viris permittimus iudicium de hoc loco poenitentiae, nihil[1] enim habet obscuri, ut pronuntient, utri[2] magis pia et salubria conscientiis docuerint, nos an adversarii. Profecto non delectant nos hae dissensiones in ecclesia, quare nisi magnas et necessarias causas haberemus dissentiendi[3] ab adversariis, summa voluntate taceremus. Nunc quum ipsi manifestam veritatem damnent, non est integrum nobis deserere causam, non nostram, sed Christi et ecclesiae.

Diximus, quas[4] ob causas posuerimus has duas partes poenitentiae, contritionem et fidem. Idque hoc fecimus libentius, quia circumferuntur multa dicta de poenitentia, quae truncata[5] citantur ex patribus, quae ad obscurandam[6] fidem detorserunt adversarii. Talia sunt: Poenitentia est mala praeterita[7] plangere, et plangenda[8] iterum non committere. Item: Poenitentia est quaedam dolentis[9] vindicta, puniens[10] in se, quod dolet[11] se commisisse. In his dictis nulla fit mentio fidei. Ac ne[12] in scholis quidem, quum interpretantur, aliquid de fide additur. Quare nos eam, ut[13] magis conspici doctrina fidei posset, inter partes poenitentiae numeravimus. Nam illa dicta, quae contritionem aut bona opera requirunt et nullam fidei iustificantis mentionem faciunt, periculosa esse res ipsa ostendit. Et merito desiderari prudentia in istis potest, qui centones illos sententiarum et decretorum congesserunt. Nam quum patres alias de alia parte poenitentiae loquantur, non tantum de una parte, sed de utraque, hoc est, de contritione et fide, excerpere et coniungere sententias profuisset.

Nam Tertullianus egregie de fide loquitur, amplificans[14] iusiurandum illud apud prophetam, Ezech. 33, 11: Vivo ego, dicit Dominus nolo mortem peccatoris, sed ut[15] convertatur et vivat. Quia enim iurat[16] Deus nolle se mortem peccatoris, ostendit[17] requiri fidem, ut[18] iuranti[19] credamus, et certo statuamus[20] eum nobis ignoscere. Magna debet esse auctoritas apud nos promissionum divinarum per sese. At haec promissio etiam iureiurando confirmata est. Quare si quis[21] non statuit sibi ignosci, is negat[22] Deum verum iurasse,[23] qua blasphemia atrocior nulla excogitari potest. Sic enim ait Tertullianus: Invitat praemio ad salutem, iurans[24] etiam. Vivodicens[25] cupit sibi credi. O beatos, quorum causa iurat Deus! O miserrimos, si nec iuranti[26] Domino credimus!

Vocabulary
Atrox, atrocis- fierce, savage; severeMiser, misera, miserum- poor, miserable, wretched, unhappy
Cento, centonis, m.- patchwork quilt; ragsPermittō, ere permisī, permissus- to permit, allow
Circumfero, circumferre, circumtuli, circumlatus- to pass in a circle; publicizePlango, ere, planxi, planctus- to strike, beat; bewail; lament for, mourn
Committō, ere, commīsī, commissus- to commit, entrustPrudentia, ae, f.- wisdom, prudence; discretion
Egregie (adv.)- excellently, remarkablyPunio, ire, ivi, itus- to punish
Iurō, āre, āvī, ātus- to swear, take an oathTaceo, ere, tacui, tacitus- to be silent; leave unmentioned
Iusiurandum, i, n.- oathVindicta, ae, f.- vengeance

[1] Nihil obscure: nothing obscure

[2] Introduces an indirect question: which of these…

[3] A gerund in the genitive

[4] A relative conjunction: for these reasons…

[5] A perfect passive participle

[6] Ad with the gerundive to indicate purpose

[7] A perfect passive participle

[8] A gerundive used substantively as a direct object

[9] A present active participle used substantively

[10] A present active participle

[11] Introduces an indirect statement

[12] Ne…quidem: not even

[13] Introduces a purpose clause

[14] A present active participle

[15] Introduces an indirect command

[16] Introduces an indirect statement

[17] Introduces an indirect statement

[18] Introduces a purpose clause

[19] A present active participle used substantively as the direct object of credamus

[20] Introduces an indirect statement

[21] Si (ali)quis

[22] Introduces an indirect statement

[23] Iura(vi)sse

[24] A present active participle

[25] A present active participle

[26] A present active participle

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Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: (Art. XI) De Poenitentia (xvi)

Check out the sixteenth part of Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: On Confession. As always you’ll find the Latin text with notes, a listing of the Latin words which have not appeared in the previous sections.

Verum adversarii fingunt[1] nos esse palmites non Christi, sed Mosis. Prius enim volunt lege iustificari, dilectionem nostram et opera offerre Deo, quam reconcilientur Deo per Christum, quam sint palmites Christi. Paulus contra contendit[2] legem non posse fieri sine Christo. Ideo promissio prius accipienda est,[3] ut[4] fide reconciliemur Deo propter Christum, quam legem facimus.

Haec satis perspicua esse piis conscientiis existimamus.[5] Et hinc intelligent, cur[6] supra professi simus,[7] iustificari homines fide, non dilectione, quia oportet[8] nos opponere irae Dei non nostram dilectionem aut opera, aut confidere nostra dilectione ac operibus, sed Christum mediatorem. Et prius oportet apprehendere promissionem remissionis peccatorum, quam legem facimus.

Postremo, quando erit pacata conscientia, si ideo accipimus remissionem peccatorum, quia nos diligimus aut legem facimus? Semper enim accusabit nos lex, quia nunquam legi Dei satisfacimus. Sicut inquit Paulus Rom. 4, 15: Lex iram operatur. Chrysostomus quaerit de poenitentia, unde[9] certi reddamur[10] peccata nobis remissa esse. Quaerunt et in sententiis eadem de re adversarii. Hoc non potest explicari, non possunt conscientiae reddi tranquillae, nisi sciant[11] mandatum Dei esse et ipsum evangelium, ut[12] certo statuant[13] propter Christum gratis remitti peccata, nec dubitent[14] sibi remitti. Si quis[15] dubitat, is, ut Iohannes ait 1 Ep. 5, 10, accusat promissionem divinam mendacii. Hanc certitudinem fidei nos docemus[16] requiri in evangelio. Adversarii relinquunt conscientias incertas et ambigentes.[17]

Nihil autem agunt conscientiae ex fide, quum perpetuo dubitant, utrum[18] habeant remissionem. Quomodo possunt in hac dubitatione invocare Deum, quomodo possunt statuere, quod[19] exaudiantur? Ita tota vita est sine Deo et sine vero cultu Dei. Hoc est, quod Paulus inquit Rom. 14, 23: peccatum esse,[20] quidquid non fit ex fide. Et quia in hac dubitatione perpetuo versantur, nunquam experiuntur, quid[21] sit fides. Ita fit, ut[22] ad extremum ruant in desperationem. Talis est doctrina adversariorum, doctrina legis, abrogatio evangelii, doctrina desperationis.

Vocabulary
Ambigo, ere- to hesitate, be in doubt; dispute, argueContra (adv.)- on the contrary
Certitudo, certitudinis, f.- certainty, certitude; assurance

[1] Introduces an indirect statement

[2] Introduces an indirect statement

[3] The passive periphrastic

[4] Introduces a purpose clause

[5] Introduces an indirect statement

[6] Introduces an indirect question

[7] Introduces an indirect statement

[8] Introduces an indirect statement

[9] Introduces an indirect question

[10] Introduces an indirect statement

[11] Introduces an indirect statement

[12] Introduces a purpose clause

[13] Introduces an indirect statement

[14] Introduces an indirect statement where peccata is the implied accusative subject

[15] Si (ali)quis

[16] Introduces an indirect statement

[17] A present active participle

[18] Introduces an indirect question

[19] A quod substantive clause

[20] Whatever does not happen from faith is sin

[21] Introduces an indirect question

[22] Introduces a result clause

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