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Nicolaus Pergamenus. "Concerning Fire and Water." Global Medieval Sourcebook.Based on the edition by Johann Georg Theodor Grässe .
De igne et aqua | Concerning Fire and Water
Source Information
De igne et aqua | Concerning Fire and Water
by Nicolaus Pergamenus
Text Source:
Nicolas de Bergame [Nicolaus Pergamenus], Dialogus creaturarum, moralisatus, jucundus, fabulis plenus, Goudae, 1481
Transcribed in Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, Die beiden ältesten lateinischen fabelbücher des mittelalters Tübingen: Litterarischer verein in Stuttgart, 1880, pp. 147-8.
Responsibility Statement:
- Based on the edition by Johann Georg Theodor Grässe
- Translation by Astrid Khoo
- Encoded in TEI P5 XML by Irene Han
Editorial Principles:
Transcriptions and translations are encoded in XML conforming to TEI (P5) guidelines. The original-language text is contained within <lem> tags and translations within <rdg> tags.
Texts are translated into modern American English with maximum fidelity to the original text, except where it would impair comprehension or good style. Archaisms are preserved where they do not conflict with the aesthetic of the original text. Scribal errors and creative translation choices are marked and discussed in the critical notes.
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Published by Global Medieval Sourcebook.
The Global Medieval Sourcebook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
De igne et aqua, dial. 9. Concerning Fire and Water, the ninth dialogue
Ignis est lenis, purus, subtilis, mobilis, lucidus et calidus, et quia est tam pretiosus, in se sublimari cœpit dicens: ego in terra omnibns prævaleo et cuncta consumo, sed si in aquis prævalerem , superlatus omnibus existerem. Fire is light, pure, fine, mobile, bright, and hot. He began to exalt himself because he was so valuable. “I prevail over all on earth; I eat up all on earth. If I were to prevail against Water, I would be revered beyond all things.” Pro tanto ad se clamavit aquam dicens: soror carissima, elementum Dei es tu velut ego, quapropter, si tibi commoratus fuero et tecum connexus, non solum magnus sed magnificentior et excellentior apparebo. For this reason, he called Water to himself and said, “Dearest sister, you are an element of God like me. If I were to stay with you and be joined to you I would seem not only great but even more magnificent and excellent. Unde obsecro te, permitte me tecum morari et in te gloriari. I beg you, let me stay with you and revel in you.” Aqua vero simulare se ingeniose cœpit dicens: desiderio desideravi hoc pascha tecum manducare, accede ad me secure et te pro viribus meliorabo. Water began to pretend shrewdly and said, “I too wanted to feast with you this Easter. Do not worry; come over to me and I will improve you to the best of my ability.”
c
Ignis quoque hoc audiens jucundari cœpit et amicabiliter ad aquam intravit, aqua vero, dum ignem in se haberet, assistentibus sibi dixit: iste inimicus et contrarius est generis mei; hic me sæpe consumpsit et ad nihilum redegit, modo me vindicare possum et ipsum exstinguere, si volo, sed juxta verbum apostoli nolo reddere malum pro malo, ne seculum privetur tanto bono, tamen volo ipsum aliquantulum humiliare. Hearing these words, Fire began to rejoice and entered Water in a friendly manner. Once Water held Fire in herself, she said to those around her, “This is my enemy and the opposite of my nature. He has often devoured me and turned me back to nothing. I could claim revenge and extinguish him if I wanted to. However, in accordance with the command of the Apostle, I refuse to exchange wrong for wrong, lest the world be robbed of such a great good. Nevertheless I wish to humiliate him a little.” Et hæc dicens parum collegit se et in ignem mingere cœpit. Et ob hoc orare aquam ignis cœpit, ue ipsum exstiugueret. Speaking thus, she collected herself somewhat and began to urinate onto Fire, who started to beg Water not to extinguish him. Aqua vero miserta est ei nec eum ex toto exstinxit, sed ad terram ipsum deduxit dicens: Deo daraus dulcera sonum reddendo pro malo bonum. Indeed, Water took pity on him and did not extinguish him entirely, but led him back to dry land, Critical note:
A more literal translation could be ‘Come over securely to me’, but I have opted to translate ‘secure’ using the imperative “Do not worry.”
c
saying, “We offer up a sweet song to God by exchanging what’s bad for what is good.” Critical note:
I have added the adjective ‘dry’ because of the English idiom ‘to dry land’.
c
Sed multi hodie per contrarium reddunt pro malo malum, cum volunt vindictam assumere nolentes offensas dimittere. On the contrary, however, many people today fight wrongs with wrongs. Indeed, they want to take vengeance and refuse to forget any offense. Propter quod Hieronimus dicit: quoniam Deus donavit in Christo peccata nostra, sie et uos dimittamus his, qui in nobis peccant, et Dei imitatio injuriam nobis faetam frangit et revocat. On this matter, Hieronimus says, “Just as God forgave our sins in Christ, so we must forgive those that sin against us; our imitation of God breaks and revokes any injury that we have suffered.” Sicut legitur in historiis Alexandri, quod, cum quidam eum graviter offendisset, nolebat ei dimittere, Aristoteles autem hoc cognoscens perrexit ad eum et ait: volo, domine, quod hodie sis victoriosus ultra quod fuisti. It is written in the histories of Alexander that when someone once offended him badly, he was not willing to forgive them. However, Aristotle took notice and went over to Alexander. “I want, lord, for you to be even more victorious today than you have ever been before.” Quo respondente ait: bene volo. “I desire this too,” said Alexander. Cui ille: tu, rex, superasti omnia regna mundi, sed hodie tu superatus es, quia, si te permittis superari, victus es; si tu quoque vincis temetipsum, victoriosus eris, quia, qui semetipsum vincit, contra omnia fortis est, ut dicit philosophus. In response, Aristotle said, “King, you have overcome all the kingdoms of the world, but today you have been overcome. After all, if you allow yourself to be overcome [by vindictiveness], then you are conquered. However, if you conquer yourself, you shall be all the more victorious, since whoever conquers himself is mighty against all. So sayeth the philosopher.” Ad hæc verba vindictam remisit Alexander et placatus est. Hearing these words, Alexander forgave the offense and regained his calm. Propter quod dicitur Prov. XVI: melius est patiens viro forti et qui dominatur animo suo expugnatore urbium. In the same vein, consider Proverbs XVI: “A patient man is better than a strong man, and he who is lord of his soul is better than a conqueror of cities.” Critical note:
The Latin saying rhymes; while this cannot be fully replicated in English, I have tried to reflect this lyricism.
De igne et aqua, dial. 9. Concerning Fire and Water, the ninth dialogue
Ignis est lenis, purus, subtilis, mobilis, lucidus et calidus, et quia est tam pretiosus, in se sublimari cœpit dicens: ego in terra omnibns prævaleo et cuncta consumo, sed si in aquis prævalerem , superlatus omnibus existerem. Fire is light, pure, fine, mobile, bright, and hot. He began to exalt himself because he was so valuable. “I prevail over all on earth; I eat up all on earth. If I were to prevail against Water, I would be revered beyond all things.” Pro tanto ad se clamavit aquam dicens: soror carissima, elementum Dei es tu velut ego, quapropter, si tibi commoratus fuero et tecum connexus, non solum magnus sed magnificentior et excellentior apparebo. For this reason, he called Water to himself and said, “Dearest sister, you are an element of God like me. If I were to stay with you and be joined to you I would seem not only great but even more magnificent and excellent. Unde obsecro te, permitte me tecum morari et in te gloriari. I beg you, let me stay with you and revel in you.” Aqua vero simulare se ingeniose cœpit dicens: desiderio desideravi hoc pascha tecum manducare, accede ad me secure et te pro viribus meliorabo. Water began to pretend shrewdly and said, “I too wanted to feast with you this Easter. Do not worry; come over to me and I will improve you to the best of my ability.”
c
Ignis quoque hoc audiens jucundari cœpit et amicabiliter ad aquam intravit, aqua vero, dum ignem in se haberet, assistentibus sibi dixit: iste inimicus et contrarius est generis mei; hic me sæpe consumpsit et ad nihilum redegit, modo me vindicare possum et ipsum exstinguere, si volo, sed juxta verbum apostoli nolo reddere malum pro malo, ne seculum privetur tanto bono, tamen volo ipsum aliquantulum humiliare. Hearing these words, Fire began to rejoice and entered Water in a friendly manner. Once Water held Fire in herself, she said to those around her, “This is my enemy and the opposite of my nature. He has often devoured me and turned me back to nothing. I could claim revenge and extinguish him if I wanted to. However, in accordance with the command of the Apostle, I refuse to exchange wrong for wrong, lest the world be robbed of such a great good. Nevertheless I wish to humiliate him a little.” Et hæc dicens parum collegit se et in ignem mingere cœpit. Et ob hoc orare aquam ignis cœpit, ue ipsum exstiugueret. Speaking thus, she collected herself somewhat and began to urinate onto Fire, who started to beg Water not to extinguish him. Aqua vero miserta est ei nec eum ex toto exstinxit, sed ad terram ipsum deduxit dicens: Deo daraus dulcera sonum reddendo pro malo bonum. Indeed, Water took pity on him and did not extinguish him entirely, but led him back to dry land, Critical note:
A more literal translation could be ‘Come over securely to me’, but I have opted to translate ‘secure’ using the imperative “Do not worry.”
c
saying, “We offer up a sweet song to God by exchanging what’s bad for what is good.” Critical note:
I have added the adjective ‘dry’ because of the English idiom ‘to dry land’.
c
Sed multi hodie per contrarium reddunt pro malo malum, cum volunt vindictam assumere nolentes offensas dimittere. On the contrary, however, many people today fight wrongs with wrongs. Indeed, they want to take vengeance and refuse to forget any offense. Propter quod Hieronimus dicit: quoniam Deus donavit in Christo peccata nostra, sie et uos dimittamus his, qui in nobis peccant, et Dei imitatio injuriam nobis faetam frangit et revocat. On this matter, Hieronimus says, “Just as God forgave our sins in Christ, so we must forgive those that sin against us; our imitation of God breaks and revokes any injury that we have suffered.” Sicut legitur in historiis Alexandri, quod, cum quidam eum graviter offendisset, nolebat ei dimittere, Aristoteles autem hoc cognoscens perrexit ad eum et ait: volo, domine, quod hodie sis victoriosus ultra quod fuisti. It is written in the histories of Alexander that when someone once offended him badly, he was not willing to forgive them. However, Aristotle took notice and went over to Alexander. “I want, lord, for you to be even more victorious today than you have ever been before.” Quo respondente ait: bene volo. “I desire this too,” said Alexander. Cui ille: tu, rex, superasti omnia regna mundi, sed hodie tu superatus es, quia, si te permittis superari, victus es; si tu quoque vincis temetipsum, victoriosus eris, quia, qui semetipsum vincit, contra omnia fortis est, ut dicit philosophus. In response, Aristotle said, “King, you have overcome all the kingdoms of the world, but today you have been overcome. After all, if you allow yourself to be overcome [by vindictiveness], then you are conquered. However, if you conquer yourself, you shall be all the more victorious, since whoever conquers himself is mighty against all. So sayeth the philosopher.” Ad hæc verba vindictam remisit Alexander et placatus est. Hearing these words, Alexander forgave the offense and regained his calm. Propter quod dicitur Prov. XVI: melius est patiens viro forti et qui dominatur animo suo expugnatore urbium. In the same vein, consider Proverbs XVI: “A patient man is better than a strong man, and he who is lord of his soul is better than a conqueror of cities.” Critical note:
The Latin saying rhymes; while this cannot be fully replicated in English, I have tried to reflect this lyricism.
Critical Notes
Translation
Highlight prose section
Critical note: A more literal translation could be ‘Come over securely to me’, but I have opted to translate ‘secure’ using the imperative “Do not worry.”
Translation
Highlight prose section
Critical note: I have added the adjective ‘dry’ because of the English idiom ‘to dry land’.
Translation
Highlight prose section
Critical note: The Latin saying rhymes; while this cannot be fully replicated in English, I have tried to reflect this lyricism.
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