作曲:Monteverdi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPNZeT_7OR4
Monteverdi’s Beatus vir (translated by Christopher Eckart)
Fortunate[1],
fortunate is man. Fortunate, fortunate
is man.
His seed will reign on earth. He
will be blessed with glory and wealth[2].
Fortunate, fortunate is man. He
came to being[3]
compassionate and just.
Fortunate, fortunate is man.
Compassion and take their rightful place.
Their words will go down justly in eternal memory.
Ready, ready, ready are their hearts, they are firm and will not be
swayed.
They distribute freely and give from their horn of plenty.
They will be exalted in glory, they will be exalted in glory.
Fortunate, fortunate is the man who fears the lord, whose anger will
build
And roar through his teeth, then subside. Man’s desire for sin, his desire for
Sin will perish, will perish.
Fortunate is the man who fears the lord.
Glory to the Father, and glory to the Son. Glory also to the Holy Spirit, just
As there was in the beginning, glory, both now and always.
Glory, even in the ages of ages[6],
glory, even in the ages of ages.
Glory, glory, glory even in the ages of ages glory, even in the ages of
ages.
Glory, glory, glory even in the ages of ages. Amen.
Notes on the text and translation
The most noticeable aspect of a literal translation of this song is the
repetition of a large number of words and phrases. This is however, not as apparent when the
song is sung. Lyrics to any song can
seem trite or repetitive when simply read from a page, but are given context
and different emphases when sung, so their repetition can be pleasing.
The hymn is divided into four clear stanzas or verses. The first declares man’s great power and his
privileged position in God’s world. It has
a powerful positive message. The second
verse again exclaims the greatness of the human race, but elaborates and names
some of our admirable qualities (compassion, steadfastness, generosity). The point that Monteverdi (whose name is
Latin for ‘Green Mountain’) seems to be making is that in humans, God has
created the ideal beings. Monteverdi
probably believed, as many Christians still do, that God created humans in his
own image.
The third verse however, gives a less positive image of God, while still
singing the praises of humans. It is a
moralistic warning. By conveying that
the man who fears good is fortunate, Monteverdi is making an implicit
comparison to all those who do not fear God.
Surely they are less fortunate and will have to suffer god’s rage. The mention of God’s teeth in this stanza
seems strange. However, if we consider
the overall theme of the hymn to be the reflective relationship between God and
his human creations, it follows logically that God should also have physical
human characteristics.
The fourth and final verse is a traditional Psalm (hymn of praise)
ending. It does not particularly carry
on the theme of the rest of the song, but rather acts as a formulaic
closing. Glory is given to the holy
trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and we are reminded of God’s eternal
timeframe, from the beginning, on through eternity.
Footnotes reprinted
[1] ‘Beatus’ is a
widely used adjective with many meanings.
They range from ‘happy’ in classical Latin to ‘blessed’ in the Latin of Monteverdi’s
time. ‘Fortunate’ conveys both of these
ideas together.
2 ‘Divitiae’ means
riches or wealth in both the material and the spiritual senses.
3 ‘Exortum est’ =
came to being, or arose, but Monteverdi seems to mean something more like ‘was
created’.
4 ‘Jucundus’ is a
strong contrast to ‘Beatus’. It is a
much less weighty adjective. Possible
translations include ‘agreeable’ or ‘pleasant’.
5 ‘Homo’ is the
Latin word for human being or person. It
is singular in the Latin, but I have translated it and the verbs following as
plural because it is meant to convey the sense of ‘the whole human race’.
6 ‘Ages of ages’ is the traditional (and literal) church translation
of ‘saecula saeculorum’. It is a poetic
way of saying ‘forever’.
[1] ‘Beatus’ is a widely used adjective with many meanings. They range from ‘happy’ in classical Latin to
‘blessed’ in the Latin of Monteverdi’s time.
‘Fortunate’ conveys both of these ideas together.
[2] ‘Divitiae’ means riches or wealth in both the material and the
spiritual senses.
[3] ‘Exortum est’ = came to being, or arose, but Monteverdi seems to
mean something more like ‘was created’.
[4] ‘Jucundus’ is a strong contrast to ‘Beatus’. It is a much less weighty adjective. Possible translations include ‘agreeable’ or
‘pleasant’.
[5] ‘Homo’ is the Latin word for human being or person. It is singular in the Latin, but I have
translated it and the verbs following as plural because it is meant to convey
the sense of ‘the whole human race’.
[6] ‘Ages of ages’ is the traditional (and literal) church translation
of ‘saecula saeculorum’. It is a poetic
way of saying ‘forever’.
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