Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Redemptio et Regeneratio

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 7.6. Many epigrams in this genre put the blame fully on Eve, but here Adam comes in for a good bit of blame - he gets to be the subject of his own verb (Adam nos maculavit), while Eve is just an instrument used by the devil (Satan nos emit muliere). Below is a painting by Duccio di Buoninsegna which shows Christ in the "harrowing of hell," as he treads on a demon in order to rescue Adam and Eve, along with the patriarchs, from Limbo.

Redemptio et Regeneratio
Nos Satan muliere emit, Christusque redemit.
Christus nos lavit, quos maculavit Adam.


REDEMPTION AND REGENERATION
Satan from Eve bought Man, Christ man re-bought:
Adam did death procure, the cure Christ wrought.

Here is the vocabulary:

redemptio - ransoming, redemption
et - and
regeneratio - regeneration, being born again
nos - we, us
Satan - Satan
mulier - woman
emo - buy
Christus - Christ
-que - and
redimo - buy back, redeem ransom
lavo - wash
qui - who, which, that
maculo - stain
Adam - Adam