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Name: Peter Abelard Date: 1079 – 1142 CE Region: [modern France] Citation: Planctus 6: Planctus David Super Saul et
Jonathan 45-48; 53-56;
61-64; 69-92 [Lamentation on the Death of King Saul and
Jonathan] |
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Jonathan, more
than a brother to me, Who shared my
soul, What sins,
what crimes have destroyed my flesh! ... Oh God, the
earth is drenched In the
slaughter of kings! Oh my
Jonathan, why did an impious hand slay you? ... Now, my
Jonathan, I’ll mourn you
over everyone else I’ve lost, All of my joys Will forever
be mixed with tears ... Oh God! What
terrible advice did I follow That I didn’t
join you in battle To protect
you? Or I could
have died happily Slain by your
side, Since it would
be an act of love— Nothing greater
exists than this. And it is
literal death To outlive you And keep on living With only half
a soul. I should have
been there At the moment
of crisis To prove myself
Sharing in
your victory Or supporting
you in your downfall, So I could rescue you from danger Or I could die
with you, sacrificing the
life you saved so many times and giving my
life for yours, so death can join us instead of separate
us. |
Plus fratre
mihi Jonatha, in una mecum
anima, quae peccata,
quae scelera, nos ciderunt
viscera! ... Vae, vae tibi
madida tellus caede
regia! quare te, mi
Jonatha, manus stravit
impia? ... Tu mihi nunc
Jonatha, Flendus super
omnia, inter cuncta
gaudia perpes erit
lacrima. ... Heu! Cur
consilio acquievi
pessimo, ut tibi
praesidio non essem in
praelio? Vel confossus pariter morier
feliciter quum, quod
amor faciat, maius hoc non
habeat. et me post te
vivere mori sit
assidue, nec ad vitam
anima satis est
dimidia. vicem
amicitiae vel unam me
reddere, oportebat
tempore summae tunc
angustiae; triumphi
participem vel ruinae
comitem, ut te vel
eriperem vel tecum
occumberem vitam pro te
finiens quam salvasti
totiens ut et mors nos
iungeret magis quam
disiungeret. |
