Re: VMs: The "key" f116v.1-2: a Latin Prayer to Virgin Mary

["G. Damschen" <gregor.damschen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

Animated by your last comments, I try to give a more accurate reading,
translation and metre of my attempt of a solution to the key on 116v. First,
I read "multos" rather than "multas", second, I add the "M" to the verse:

f.116v.1: + árchicon óla dabás / + multós  + #e + cárcere + pórtas // + M +

f.116v.2: sis + maris + moris + vis + abta + ma+ria +

The first hexameter ends after "portas". The second begins with "M". The
writer had to change the line because the page ends after "M". Well, what
can "M" mean (apart from mille=1000)? Note that we are looking for (1) the
most common meaning which (2) fits the other words we have (esp. "maris")
and which (3) fits the metre. In Latin, "M" is a common abbreviation for
"mater", "Maria", "mulier" etc. (see e.g. Cappelli, p. 477, or every other
good Latin lexicon). "Mater . maris" fits best because these junction is
common in hymns to Virgin Mary, and it fits the hexameter:

+ árchicon óla dabás / + multós + #e + cárcere + pórtas //

+ M(áter) + sís / + marís + morís / + vis + ábta + ma+ría +

Finally, we have two hexameters, the first with a penthemimeres, the second
with a trithemimeres and a hephthemimeres. The quantities are perfect except
one: The "ma" in "maris" is short whereas it should be long. Though I am no
expert in medieval metrics (I know classical Latin better) I assume that in
medieval times there was more freedom with regard to quantities. The reading
"mavis" ("you wish rather", "you prefer"  -- from "malle", "malo", "malui")
would heal this problem because here both syllables are long. Nevertheless,
I prefer "maris" because "Mater maris" is a quite usual name for Virgin
Mary.

One little weakness of my earlier translation was that "dabas" had a double
object. Actually, the first verse contains two main clauses, the second one
only one:

f.116v.1: You, vessel, gave the Ruler, you carry many out of the prison.

f.116v.2: May you be the Mother of the sea (of man), the force of moral,
neat Mary.

M + CCCC + XXXX + V = 1445

Best
Gregor

P.S. By the way, Elmar: Of course, the humanities are not natural sciences.
However, they are sciences because they have strictness and clear rules of
falsification, and like natural sciences they exhibit parts of the world --
parts that cannot be explained by the natural sciences alone. GD 

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