Barth: Calvaria

This is a poem intended for my anthology of Latin Aesopic poetry. I'm accumulating the materials for the anthology in a Google Docs folder, including a document for this poem where you will find vocabulary and notes. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! You can use the "comment" feature in the Google Doc, which I will be updating with revisions. Today's poem is by Caspar von Barth (1587-1658).

Calvaria

In triviis quondam, Calvaria glabra jacebat,

Reliquiae humani capitis cui Fata supremum

Invidere decus. Puer hanc petulante lapillo

Insultans petit, et convicia plurima jactat.

At lapis, impulsu teretis rejectus ab Ossis,

Insiluit faciem fugientis, et aspera rupit

Vulnere letali confinia frontis et auris.

The use of the phrase a teretis ossis with the passive participle rejectus makes the skull a character in the story: the skull throws back the stone! The boy's face is also described as if we are seeing it from the point of view of the skull: the skull is smooth, but the boy's face is all bumpy by comparison.

Here is the poem written out in English prose order to help in reading:

quondam

in triviis 

glabra calvaria iacebat,

relliquiae humani capitis, 

cui fata invidere 

supremum decus. 

Puer, insultans,

petit hanc 

petulante lapillo, 

et iactat plurima convicia.

at lapis,

reiectus ab teretis ossis,

impulsu 

insiluit faciem (pueri) fugientis, 

et rupit

aspera confinia frontis et auris

letali vulnere.

And here's the meter marked:

In trivi·is quon·dam Cal·varia · glabra ia·cebat

Relliqui·~ huma·ni capi·tis, cui · fata su·premum

Invi·dere de·cus. Puer · hanc petu·lante la·pillo

Insul·tans petit, · et con·vicia · plurima · iactat.

At lapis · impul·su tere·tis re·iectus ab · ossis

Insilu·it faci·em fugi·entis, et · aspera · rupit

Vulnere · leta·li con·finia · frontis et · auris.

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Meanwhile, for more, here are the other hexameter poems I've posted so far here at the blog. :-)