10.12.17

Dormi iam, mi Jesu (from Polish)

Here is a Polish Christmas carol translated into Latin, which Aleksandra Klęczar was kind enough to send to me from Poland (she teaches in the Classics Department at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow). In her note, she explains that the translator of most of the carols which she has sent is the famous Polish classicist Ryszard Ganszyniec (1888-1958).

This carol is called Dormi iam, mi Jesu in Latin, Lulajże Jezuniu in Polish.

Dormi iam, mi Jesu

Dormi iam, mi Jesu, mea gemmula,
dormite, amata oscula mea.
Dormi iam, mi Jesu, dormi suaviter
et tu illum flentem permulce, Mater!

Comprime iam fessas fletu palpebras,
singultu collapsa labra occludas.
Dormi iam, mi Jesu, dormi suaviter
et tu illum flentem permulce, Mater!

Dormi iam, venuste noster Angele,
Dormi, permate mundi floscule!
Dormi iam, mi Jesu, dormi suaviter
et tu illum flentem permulce, Mater!

Lulajże Jezuniu

Lulajże Jezuniu, moja perełko,
Lulaj ulubione me Pieścidełko.
Lulajże, Jezuniu, lulajże lulaj!
A Ty Go, Matulu w płaczu utulaj.

Zamknijże znużone płaczem powieczki,
Utulże zemdlone łkaniem usteczki.
Lulajże, Jezuniu, lulajże lulaj!
A Ty Go, Matulu w płaczu utulaj.

Lulajże, piękniuchny nasz Aniołeczku.
Lulajże wdzięczniuchny świata Kwiateczku.
Lulajże, Jezuniu, lulajże lulaj!

A Ty Go, Matulu w płaczu utulaj.


Labels: ,

2 comments:

Amelia E. Adler said...

This is, too, a very nice carol indeed. Did you know that it was cited by Frederic Chopin in the middle part of his Scherzo for piano No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20? Love that <3

ciao,
Amy.

8:37 AM
Laura Gibbs said...

The lullaby carols are my favorites. There are not so many of them in English, but there is a very pretty one in Latin:
Dormi Jesu. One of the biggest gaps in English is that we do not have diminutive forms of words! But like Polish, Latin has beautiful diminutive forms like the words blandulus and somnulus in this carol. Lullabies need to have nice diminutives! :-)

8:42 AM

Post a Comment