Roger Brock Didos lament Classical Latin poetry in

Roger Brock Dido’s lament: Classical Latin poetry in Renaissance music

Dulces exuviae, dum fata deusque sinebant, Accipite hanc animam, meque his exsolvite curis. Vixi et quem dederat cursum Fortuna peregi, Et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit imago. O relics of him, things dear to me while fate, while heaven allowed, Receive this life of mine, release me from my troubles! I have lived, I have run to the finish the course which fortune gave me, And now, a queenly shade, I shall pass to the world below.

But Dido, trembling, distraught by the terrible thing she was doing, Her bloodshot eyes all restless, with hectic blotches upon Her quivering cheeks, yet pale with the shade of advancing death, Ran to the innermost court of the palace, climbed the lofty Pyre, frantic at heart, and drew Aeneas’ sword – Her present to him, procured once At trepida et coeptis immanibus effera Dido, Sanguineam volvens aciem, maculisque trementis for a far different purpose. Interfusa genas et pallida morte futura, Then, after eyeing the clothes he Interiora domus inrumpit limina, et altos had left behind, the memoried Conscendit furibunda rogos, ensemque recludit Dardanium, non hos quaesitum munus in usus. Bed, pausing to weep and brood on Hic, postquam Iliacas vestis notumque cubile him for a little, Conspexit, paulum lacrimis et mente morata She lay down on the bed and spoke Incubuit toro dixitque novissima verba: Dulces exuviae… her very last words: O relics of him…

Dulces exuviae, dum fata deusque sinebant, Accipite hanc animam, meque his exsolvite curis. Vixi et quem dederat cursum Fortuna peregi, Et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit imago Urbem praeclaram statui, mea moenia vidi, Ulta virum poenas inimico a fratre recepi: Felix, heu nimium felix, si litora tantum Numquam Dardaniae tetigissent nostra carinae. O relics of him, things dear to me while fate, while heaven allowed, Receive this life of mine, release me from my troubles! I have lived, I have run to the finish the course which fortune gave me, And now, a queenly shade, I shall pass to the world below. I built a famous city, saw my own place established, Avenged a husband, exacted a price for a brother’s enmity. Happy I would have been, ah beyond words happy, If only the Trojan ships had never come to my shore!

O socii, neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum O passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem Vos et Scyllaeum rabiem penitusque sonantis Accestis scopulos, vos et Cyclopia saxa Experti: revocate animos maestumque timorem Mittite; forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum Tendimus in Latium, sedes ubi fata quietas Ostendunt: illic fas regna resurgere Troiae. Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis. Comrades, we’re well acquainted with evils, then and now. Worse than this you have suffered. God will end all this too. You who have risked the mad bitch Scylla, risked the cliffs So cavernously resounding, and the stony land of the Cyclops, Take heart again, oh, put your dismal fears away! One day – who knows? – even these will be grand things to look back on. Through chance and change, through hosts of dangers, our road still Leads on to Latium: there, destiny offers a home And peace; there duty tells us to build the second Troy. Hold on, and find salvation in the hope of better things!

The singers were: Nicki Sapiro Soprano Arwen Pearson Alto Stephen Muir Tenor Bryan White Baritone Roger Brock Bass Thanks to Katherine for Power. Point help!