Full Description
Combining faithfulness to the Latin with sensitivity to Prudentius' poetic qualities, Nicholas Richardson offers a precise yet creative verse translation of a major work by one of the most important Christian Latin poets of late antiquity. Prudentius' Hymns for Hours and Seasons also provides readers with a wealth of supporting material which sets the life and output of this poet in its historical, religious and literary context, outlines manuscript and editorial details, discusses metrics and Latinity, and also gives a sense of the individual hymns of the Cathemerinon.
Richardson's fresh translation allows readers unfamiliar with Latin to understand and interpret the poems, as well as offering those who know Latin a translation that keeps very close to the original text. Detailed notes at the end of the book illuminate both the literary and the religious aspects of each hymn. This commentary, along with the introduction and translated text, provides students and scholars alike with a comprehensive volume on one of the key works of later Latin poetry.
Contents
Introduction
I. Life of Prudentius
II. Poetic works
III. Liber Cathemerinon
IV. Historical context
V. Literary context
VI. Were these hymns intended to be sung?
VII. Language and style
VIII. Metre and prosody
IX. Reception and influence
X. Manuscripts and text
XI. The translation and notes
The Hymns
1. At Cock- Crow
2. Morning Hymn
3. Before a Meal
4. After a Meal
5. At the Lighting of the Lamp
6. Before Sleep
7. For those who Fast
8. After Fasting
9. For Every Hour
10. For the Burial of the Dead
11. For Christmas
12.For Epiphany
