Latin - Aldhelm - Carmen Rhythmicum

‘Rhythmic Verse’: A great storm blows the roof off the church

  1. Quid dicam de ingentibus
  2. Altithroni operibus,
  3. Quae nullus nequit numero
  4. Conputare in calculo?
  5. En, multa in miraculo
  6. Nunc apparent propatulo
  7. Clara Christi clementia
  8. Per haec facta recentia!
  9. Cum quarta gallicinia
  10. Quasi quarta vigilia
  11. Suscitarent sonantibus
  12. Somniculosos cantibus,
  13. Tum binis stantes classibus
  14. Celebramus concentibus
  15. Matutinam melodiam
  16. Ac synaxis psalmodiam:
  17. En, statim fulcra flamine
  18. Nutabant a fundamine;
  19. Tigna tota cum trabibus
  20. Tremibunda ingentibus
  21. Vacillabant ab omnibus
  22. Aulae pulsata partibus.
  23. His tantis tempestatibus
  24. Ac terrorum turbinibus
  25. Nostra pavent precordia,
  26. Tot monstrorum prodigia
  27. Quando cernebant lumina:
  28. Tectorum laquearia
  29. Horrisonis fragoribus
  30. Concuti ac creporibus.
  31. Tum tandem cursu caterva
  32. Confracta linquens limina
  33. Portum petit basilicae
  34. Populante pernicie:
  35. Sic pelluntur pericula
  36. Per matris adminicula!
  37. Quidam discrimen duobus
  38. Devitantes cum saltibus
  39. Per devexa ac lubrica
  40. Clivosi ruris latera
  41. Metuebant magnopere
  42. Casam contritam crepore.
  43. Porro cum taetrae tenebrae
  44. Preterissent et latebrae
  45. Fatescente velamine
  46. Orto iubaris lumine,
  47. Scissa caeca caligine
  48. Quasi mortis imagine,
  49. Tunc videns ab ecclesia
  50. Tigilli fusa fragmina,
  51. En, inquam, noctis horrida
  52. Nunc apparent spectacula!
  53. Ecce casae cacumina
  54. Cadebant ad fundamina,
  55. Qua solebant lautissimae
  56. Sumi dulces deliciae!

Text from: R. Ehwald (ed.), Aldhelmi Opera Omnia, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores Antiquissimi 15 (Berlin, 1919), pp. 526–8 (online)

What shall I say about the mighty 
works of the High-Throned One [i.e. God], 
which in their number nobody can 
reckon by counting? 
Lo! many are now plainly 
apparent in this miracle [which follows here], 
by Christ’s clear clemency, 
through these recent events! 
When the fourth cockcrows, 
as if it were the fourth watch of the night, 
woke up with ringing  
songs the slumbering men, 
then, standing in two ranks 
singing together, we’re celebrating 
the melody of matins 
and the psalm-singing of the Office:
behold! suddenly with a blast [of wind] the columns 
were rocking out of their foundations;
whole beams with their 
mighty timbers shaken 
were tottering, on every 
side of the church, battered. 
At these towering tempests 
and terrifying twisters 
our hearts quaked 
when our eyes saw 
so many monstrous portents: 
the panels of the roof 
with horrific-sounding crashes 
and creaks, smitten. 
Then at length in a rush the crowd,
abandoning the shattered building,
made for the door of the church, 
as disaster wrought its havoc: 
thus dangers are averted 
by Mother’s aid! [i.e. the Virgin Mary] 
Some men, the peril, with two  
leaps escaping 
across the steep and slippery
sides of the sloping terrain,
were greatly afraid 
of the church destroyed by the uproar. 
Afterwards, when the black shadows 
had passed over, as darkness’s 
veil faded away, 
at the rising of the sun’s light, 
blind blackness rent asunder, 
as if [it were] death’s likeness, 
then, seeing, from the church,
the scattered fragments of wood,
I said ‘Look’! The night’s terrible 
spectacles are now plain to see! 
See, the roof-beams of the church 
tumbled right down to the foundations, 
where once the purest sweet delights [of praise? of the Eucharist?] 
were wont to be taken up.’