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Nicolaus Pergamenus. "Concerning Saturn and the Cloud." Global Medieval Sourcebook.Based on the edition by Johann Georg Theodor Grässe .
De Saturno et nube | Concerning Saturn and the Cloud
Source Information
De Saturno et nube | Concerning Saturn and the Cloud
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. 139-140
Responsibility Statement:
- Based on the edition by Johann Georg Theodor Grässe
- Translation by Astrid Khoo
- Encoded in TEI P5 XML by Irene Han and Lora Webb
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.
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De Saturno et nube, dial. 2. Concerning Saturn and the Cloud, the second dialogue
Septum sunt planetæ secundum dicta philosophorum, scilicet Saturnus, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercurius et Luna, sed distantia magna est inter planetam et planetam. According to the philosopher, there are seven planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon. However, there is a great distance from one planet to another. Quia refert magister Moyses maximus philosophus, ut habetur in Aurea Legenda, quod quilibet circulus cujuslibet planetæ habet in spissitudine viam quingentorum annorum id est tantum spatium, quantum posset aliquis ire in quingentis annis de via plana ita tamen, quod iter cujuslibet diei sit quadraginta milliaria et quodlibet milliare sit duorum millium passuum. Hence the teacher Moyses, the greatest philosopher, says in the Golden Legend that every planet’s orbit is the size of a five-hundred-year path. That is to say, there is as much space in a planet’s orbit as someone could walk in five hundred years on a level road, if he journeyed forty miles a day and every mile consisted of two thousand paces. Quadam autem vice quædam nubes magna et spissa se elevare coepit dicens: magna est excellentia mea, quia propter meam magnitudinem planetæ in mundo apparere non valent, dum in aëre me pono; sed cum sim sub ipsis et eas sic obnubilo quanto magis, si adscendero superius, offuscare et suppeditare potero, multo magis certe. Once upon a time, a great and thick Cloud began to revere herself, saying, “Truly, my excellence is great; on account of my size, the planets cannot appear in the world, so long as I interpose myself in the air. Even now, when I am beneath them, I manage to block them out. If I were to ascend higher, therefore, how much more greatly would I be able to cover them and subordinate them? Certainly I would be able to do so far more greatly." Et hoc dicens sursum tendere cœpit cumque usque ad Saturnum ascenderet et superscandere vellet, ait Saturnus: quis es tu, qui ascendere cupis, ubi nunquam ullus ascendit? Speaking thus, she began to stretch upwards. When she had risen all the way to Saturn, she tried to clamber over him. Saturn spoke: “Who are you, who desires to rise to where no one has ever risen?” Cui nubes: ego super ascendam et te præcipitabo. In response, the Cloud said, “I will rise above you and cast you down.” Hoc audiens Saturnus perturbatus ad arma cucurrit et viam ei clausit, insuper et nubem dejecit et ad nihilum redegit dicens: convenit eum recidivare, qui vult super omnes stare. Saturn was thoroughly disturbed by these words; he ran to fetch his weapons and shut off the Cloud’s path. Then he threw down the Cloud from above and reduced her to nothing, saying, “Those who desire to stand above all deserve to fall down.” Hoc enim accidit Nabugodonosor, qui super omnes reges et principes terræ scandere satagebat, ut esset rex regum et dominus dominorum terrenorum, nesciens præ superbia, quod dominetur excelsus super regnum hominum. So it was for Nebuchadnezzar, who strove to overthrow all the earth’s kings and princes, so that he might be the king of earthly kings and the lord of earthly lords, not knowing because of his haughtiness that the Exalted [God] is the king of all men. De quo dicitur Danielis IVto: quando elatum est cor Nabugodonosor et spiritus ejus confirmatus est ad superbiam, depositus est de solio suo. The fourth book of Daniel reads, “When Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was raised up and his spirit was fortified into arrogance, he was deposed from his own throne.” Unde dictum est ei: ejiciet te deus ab hominibus et tum bestiis atque feris erit habitatio tua, fœnum ut bos comedes septemque tempora mutabuntur in te. Wherefore it was said to him, “God will cast you away from men; then, you will live among beasts and wild animals. You shall eat hay like an ox. Seven seasons will pass by for you.” Sicut dicitur in Hystoriis Scholasticis: non est factus secundum mutationem corporis sed secundum mentis alienationem et ablatus est ei sensus et usus linguæ et videbatur sibi, quod esset bos sive taurus in anterioribus, in posterioribus autem leo. As it is said in the Scholastic Histories, “His body did not change, but his mind was alienated; his senses and his speech were stricken from him. It then seemed to him that he was an ox or a bull in the front, but a lion in the back.” Daniel quoque toto tempore alienationis ejus pro eo orabat, ita quod septem tempora, id est septem anni ad preces suas in septem menses mutati sunt. Throughout the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s alienation, Daniel prayed for him; as a result, the seven seasons – seven years, that is – were changed, through his prayers, into seven months. In quibus septem mensibus insaniam patiebatur per quadraginta dies, per alios vero quadraginta ad cor reversus flebat et orabat deum, ita quod ex magnis fletibus oculi ejus ut caro facti sunt. During these seven months Nebuchadnezzar suffered madness for forty days. For another forty, having returned to his senses, he wept and prayed to God. His weeping was so fervent that his eyes became similar to raw flesh.
c
Multi autem ad eum exibant et eum videbant. Many men went out to him and saw him. Completis ergo septem mensibus revocatus est, non tamen statim regnavit, sed statuti sunt pro eo septem judices et usque ad finem septem annorum pœnitentiam egit, panem et carnem non comedens et vinum non bibens. After the seven months had passed, he was recalled, although he did not immediately resume his reign. Instead, he established for himself seven judges and did continuous penance for seven years. He ate no meat and drank no wine. Critical note:
I have inserted the adjective ‘raw’ as eyes are considered flesh even without protracted weeping.
De Saturno et nube, dial. 2. Concerning Saturn and the Cloud, the second dialogue
Septum sunt planetæ secundum dicta philosophorum, scilicet Saturnus, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercurius et Luna, sed distantia magna est inter planetam et planetam. According to the philosopher, there are seven planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon. However, there is a great distance from one planet to another. Quia refert magister Moyses maximus philosophus, ut habetur in Aurea Legenda, quod quilibet circulus cujuslibet planetæ habet in spissitudine viam quingentorum annorum id est tantum spatium, quantum posset aliquis ire in quingentis annis de via plana ita tamen, quod iter cujuslibet diei sit quadraginta milliaria et quodlibet milliare sit duorum millium passuum. Hence the teacher Moyses, the greatest philosopher, says in the Golden Legend that every planet’s orbit is the size of a five-hundred-year path. That is to say, there is as much space in a planet’s orbit as someone could walk in five hundred years on a level road, if he journeyed forty miles a day and every mile consisted of two thousand paces. Quadam autem vice quædam nubes magna et spissa se elevare coepit dicens: magna est excellentia mea, quia propter meam magnitudinem planetæ in mundo apparere non valent, dum in aëre me pono; sed cum sim sub ipsis et eas sic obnubilo quanto magis, si adscendero superius, offuscare et suppeditare potero, multo magis certe. Once upon a time, a great and thick Cloud began to revere herself, saying, “Truly, my excellence is great; on account of my size, the planets cannot appear in the world, so long as I interpose myself in the air. Even now, when I am beneath them, I manage to block them out. If I were to ascend higher, therefore, how much more greatly would I be able to cover them and subordinate them? Certainly I would be able to do so far more greatly." Et hoc dicens sursum tendere cœpit cumque usque ad Saturnum ascenderet et superscandere vellet, ait Saturnus: quis es tu, qui ascendere cupis, ubi nunquam ullus ascendit? Speaking thus, she began to stretch upwards. When she had risen all the way to Saturn, she tried to clamber over him. Saturn spoke: “Who are you, who desires to rise to where no one has ever risen?” Cui nubes: ego super ascendam et te præcipitabo. In response, the Cloud said, “I will rise above you and cast you down.” Hoc audiens Saturnus perturbatus ad arma cucurrit et viam ei clausit, insuper et nubem dejecit et ad nihilum redegit dicens: convenit eum recidivare, qui vult super omnes stare. Saturn was thoroughly disturbed by these words; he ran to fetch his weapons and shut off the Cloud’s path. Then he threw down the Cloud from above and reduced her to nothing, saying, “Those who desire to stand above all deserve to fall down.” Hoc enim accidit Nabugodonosor, qui super omnes reges et principes terræ scandere satagebat, ut esset rex regum et dominus dominorum terrenorum, nesciens præ superbia, quod dominetur excelsus super regnum hominum. So it was for Nebuchadnezzar, who strove to overthrow all the earth’s kings and princes, so that he might be the king of earthly kings and the lord of earthly lords, not knowing because of his haughtiness that the Exalted [God] is the king of all men. De quo dicitur Danielis IVto: quando elatum est cor Nabugodonosor et spiritus ejus confirmatus est ad superbiam, depositus est de solio suo. The fourth book of Daniel reads, “When Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was raised up and his spirit was fortified into arrogance, he was deposed from his own throne.” Unde dictum est ei: ejiciet te deus ab hominibus et tum bestiis atque feris erit habitatio tua, fœnum ut bos comedes septemque tempora mutabuntur in te. Wherefore it was said to him, “God will cast you away from men; then, you will live among beasts and wild animals. You shall eat hay like an ox. Seven seasons will pass by for you.” Sicut dicitur in Hystoriis Scholasticis: non est factus secundum mutationem corporis sed secundum mentis alienationem et ablatus est ei sensus et usus linguæ et videbatur sibi, quod esset bos sive taurus in anterioribus, in posterioribus autem leo. As it is said in the Scholastic Histories, “His body did not change, but his mind was alienated; his senses and his speech were stricken from him. It then seemed to him that he was an ox or a bull in the front, but a lion in the back.” Daniel quoque toto tempore alienationis ejus pro eo orabat, ita quod septem tempora, id est septem anni ad preces suas in septem menses mutati sunt. Throughout the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s alienation, Daniel prayed for him; as a result, the seven seasons – seven years, that is – were changed, through his prayers, into seven months. In quibus septem mensibus insaniam patiebatur per quadraginta dies, per alios vero quadraginta ad cor reversus flebat et orabat deum, ita quod ex magnis fletibus oculi ejus ut caro facti sunt. During these seven months Nebuchadnezzar suffered madness for forty days. For another forty, having returned to his senses, he wept and prayed to God. His weeping was so fervent that his eyes became similar to raw flesh.
c
Multi autem ad eum exibant et eum videbant. Many men went out to him and saw him. Completis ergo septem mensibus revocatus est, non tamen statim regnavit, sed statuti sunt pro eo septem judices et usque ad finem septem annorum pœnitentiam egit, panem et carnem non comedens et vinum non bibens. After the seven months had passed, he was recalled, although he did not immediately resume his reign. Instead, he established for himself seven judges and did continuous penance for seven years. He ate no meat and drank no wine. Critical note:
I have inserted the adjective ‘raw’ as eyes are considered flesh even without protracted weeping.
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Critical note: I have inserted the adjective ‘raw’ as eyes are considered flesh even without protracted weeping.
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