John Mason Neale's Good King Wenceslas (1853)[20]

Good King Wenceslas looked out On the feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about Deep and crisp and even Brightly shone the moon that night Though the frost was cruel When a poor man came in sight Gath'ring winter fuel "Hither, page, and stand by me If thou know'st it, telling Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?" "Sire, he lives a good league hence Underneath the mountain Right against the forest fence By Saint Agnes' fountain." "Bring me flesh and bring me wine Bring me pine logs hither Thou and I will see him dine When we bear them thither." Page and monarch forth they went Forth they went together Through the rude wind's wild lament And the bitter weather "Sire, the night is darker now And the wind blows stronger Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer." "Mark my footsteps, my good page Tread thou in them boldly Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy blood less coldly." In his master's steps he trod Where the snow lay dinted Heat was in the very sod Which the Saint had printed Therefore, Christian men, be sure Wealth or rank possessing Ye who now will bless the poor Shall yourselves find blessing

Tempus adest floridum (Piae Cantiones)[20 Tempus adest floridum, surgent namque flores Vernales in omnibus, imitantur mores Hoc quod frigus laeserat, reparant calores Cernimus hoc fieri, per multos labors Sunt prata plena floribus, iucunda aspectu Ubi iuvat cernere, herbas cum delectu Gramina et plantae hyeme quiescunt Vernali in tempore virent et accrescunt Haec vobis pulchre monstrant Deum creatorem Quem quoque nos credimus omnium factorem O tempus ergo hilare, quo laetari libet Renovato nam mundo, nos novari decet Terra ornatur floribus et multo decore Nos honestis moribus et vero amore Gaudeamus igitur tempore iucundo Laude musque Dominum pectoris ex fundo English translation by Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)[20] Spring has now unwrapped the flowers, day is fast reviving, Life in all her growing powers towards the light is striving: Gone the iron touch of cold, winter time and frost time, Seedlings, working through the mould, now make up for lost time. Herb and plant that, winter long, slumbered at their leisure, Now bestirring, green and strong, find in growth their pleasure; All the world with beauty fills, gold the green enhancing, Flowers make glee among the hills, set the meadows dancing Through each wonder of fair days God Himself expresses; Beauty follows all His ways, as the world He blesses: So, as He renews the earth, Artist without rival, In His grace of glad new birth we must seek revival. Earth puts on her dress of glee; flowers and grasses hide her; We go forth in charitybrothers all beside her; For, as man this glory sees in thawakening season, Reason learns the hearts decrees, hearts are led by reason

Carmina Burana 142 (ca. 1230)

Tempus adest floridum, surgunt namque flores

vernales; mox in omnibus immutantur mores. hoc, quod frigus leserat, reparant calores;
1.

cernimus hoc fieri per multos colores. Stant prata plena floribus, in quibus nos ludamus! virgines cum clericis simul procedamus, per amorem Veneris ludum faciamus,

2.

ceteris virginibus ut hoc referamus! O dilecta domina, cur sic alienaris? an nescis, o carissima, quod sic adamaris? si tu esses Helena, vellem esse Paris! tamen potest fieri noster amor talis. Carmina Burana 142a

Ih solde eines morgenes gan

eine wise breite; do sah ih eine maget stan, div grzte mih bereite. si sprah: liebe, war wend ir? durfent ir geleite? gegen den fzen neig ih ir,
3.

gnade ih ir des seite.

Carmina Burana 76

Dum caupona verterem vino debachatus,

secus templum Veneris eram hospitatus. solus ibam, prospere vestibus ornatus,
1.

plenum ferens loculum ad sinistrum latus. Almi templi ianua servabatur plene; ingredi non poteram, ut optavi bene. intus erat sonitus dulcis cantilene;

2.

estimabam, plurime quod essent Sirene. Cum custode ianue parum requievi; erat virgo nobilis, pulchra, statu brevi. secum dans colloquia in sermone levi

3.

tandem desiderium intrandi explevi. In ingressu ianue sedens invitatus ab hac pulchra virgine sum interrogatus: unde es, o iuvenis, hucce applicatus?

4.

cui dixi: domina, vestri comitatus. Que est causa, dicito, huc tui adventus? qualis ad hec litora appulit te ventus? duxit te necessitas et tua iuventus?

5. 6.

dixi: necessario venio detentus. Intus et exterius asto vulneratus

a sagitta Veneris; ex quo fui natus, telum fero pectore nondum medicatus. cursu veni tacito, quo sim liberatus. Incessanter rogo te, virgo tu beata, ut hec verba Veneri nunties legata. ipsa, mota precibus, fortiter rogata,
7.

nuntiavit Veneri verba destinata: Secretorum omnium salus o divina, que es dulcis prepotens amoris regina, egrum quendam iuvenem tua medicina

8.

procurare studeas, obsecro, festina! Iussu sacre Veneris ductus in conclavi, cernens eius speciem fortiter expavi. flexis tandem genibus ipsam salutavi,

9.

salve, dicens, inclita Venus, quam optavi! Quis es, inquit, iuvenis, qui tam bene faris? quid venisti, dicito! quomodo vocaris? es tu forte iuvenis ille dictus Paris?

10.

ista de quo retulit, cur sic infirmaris? Venus clementissima, felix creatura, cerno, quod preterita noscis et futura. ipse sum miserrimus, res iam peritura,

11.

quem sanare poteris tua levi cura.

Bene, inquit, veneris, noster o dilecte iuvenis! Aptissime sodes nostre secte. si tu das denarios monete electe,
12.

dabitur consilium salutis perfecte. Ecce, dixi, loculus extat nummis plenus. totum quippe tribuam tibi, sacra Venus. si tu das consilium, ut sat sim serenus,

13.

tuum in perpetuum venerabor genus. Ambo iunctis manibus ivimus mature, ubi stabant plurime belle creature. omnes erant similes, unius nature

14.

et unius habitus atque vestiture. Nobis propinquantibus omnes surrexere. quas ut salutavimus, responsum dedere: bene vos veneritis! velitis sedere!

15.

Venus inquit: aliud volumus explere. Innuens his omnibus iubet ire cito. pariter remansimus in loco munito solis quiescentibus; strato redimito

16.

plura pertractavimus sermone polito. Exuit se vestibus genitrix Amoris, carnes ut ostenderet nivei decoris.

17.

sternens eam lectulo fere decem horis

mitigavi rabiem febrici doloris. Postmodum transivimus ire balneatum in hortanum balneum Iovi consecratum. huius aqua balnei me sensi purgatum
18.

omnibus languoribus beneque piatum. Ultra modum debilis, balneo afflictus, fame validissima steteram astrictus. versus contra Venerem quasi derelictus,

19.

dixi vellem edere, siquis inest victus! Perdices et anseres ducte sunt coquine, plura volatilia, grues et galline; pro placentis ductus est modius farine.

20.

preparatis omnibus pransus sum festine. 21 Tribus, reor, mensibus secum sum moratus, plenum ferens loculum fui vir ornatus; recedens a Venere sum nunc allevatus

21.

nummis atque vestibus; sum sic pauperatus. 22 Terreat vos, iuvenes, istud quod auditis! dum sagittam Veneris penes vos sentitis, mei este memores! vos, quocumque itis,

22.

liberi poteritis esse, si velitis.