Epilogue (complete)
Latin text: Lanfranchi, Opera (Turin 1898) (Latin text: Lanfranchi, Turin 1898 (public domain), via the Internet Archive OCR).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1
1.1Lanfranchi 1:lines 1–34
Immolat Deo Patri Pius, fidelis, innocens, pudicus Dona conscientiae, Quibus beata mens abundat intus ; Alter et pecuniam Recidit, unde victitent egeni Nos citos iambicos Sacramus et rotatiles trochaeos, Sanctitatis indigi, Nec ad levamen pauperum potentes: Adprobat tamen Deus Pedestre carmen, et benignus audit. Multa divitis domo Sita est per omnes angulos supellex: Fulget aureus scyphus, Nec aere defit expolita pelvis ; Est et olla fictilis, Gravisque et ampla argentea est paropsis. Sunt eburna quaepiam; Nonnulla quercu sunt cavata et ulmo. Omne vas fit utile, Quod est ad usum congruens herilem ; Instruunt enim domum Ut empta magno, sic parata ligno. Me paterno in atrio, Ut obsoletum vasculum, caducis Christus aptat usibus , Sinitque parte in anguli manere. Munus ecce fictile Imus intra regiam salutis ; Attamen vel infimam Deo obsequelam praestitisse prodest. Quidquid illud accidet, Iuvabit ore personasse Christum.
To God the Father the devout, the faithful, the innocent, the chaste man offers the gifts of conscience, with which the blessed mind abounds within; another cuts off part of his money, on which the needy may live. We consecrate swift iambics and rolling trochees, lacking holiness, and not able to relieve the poor: yet God approves the pedestrian song, and kindly hears. In a rich man’s house much furniture is set in every corner: a golden cup shines, nor is a polished bronze basin lacking; there is also an earthen pot, and a heavy and broad silver dish. Some are of ivory; some hollowed from oak and elm. Every vessel is useful that is fitted for the master’s use; for they furnish the house, some bought at great price, some made of wood. Me, in the Father’s hall, like a worn-out little vessel, Christ fits for perishable uses, and allows me to stay in a corner. See, an earthen gift, I go into the palace of salvation; yet it profits to have rendered even the lowest service to God. Whatever may befall, it will help to have sounded Christ with my mouth.
2 Tim 2:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:21 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Others offer God a pure conscience or alms; the poet, lacking both, offers his verses, trusting that in God’s house even an earthen vessel has its use and that it will profit him to have praised Christ.
- Epilogue to the collected poems. 2 Tim 2:20–21. Checked afterwards against FOTC 52 (private check).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slips; OCR slips; stray mark removed): D«na conscientiae → Dona conscientiae; Sacrarous et rotatiles trochaeos,, → Sacramus et rotatiles trochaeos,; Ailprobat → Adprobat; Inimus intra regiam salutis ; . → Imus intra regiam salutis ;.
Cite (SBL): Prudentius, Epil. 1.1 (Lanfranchi 1:lines 1–34; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/prudentius-epilogus/1-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/prudentius-epilogus/1-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Lanfranchi's edition (Turin, 1898; OCR, corrections logged). No public-domain English was used; FOTC 43 is not available, so each batch was re-read against the Latin.