Carl Orff: Circa Mea Pectora

Circa Mea Pectora (“In My Heart”) is a dramatic love song in Latin and Middle High German, and the singing is put in the mouth of a man whose intentions are made to seem clearly not honorable. It is relatable to the drama of an unworthy candidate’s ambitious and selfish intentions in their aspirations to unveil the mysteries of spiritual nature.

Circa mea pectora 
multa sunt suspiria 
de tua pulchritudine, 
quae me laedunt misere. 
Manda liet, manda liet, 
min geselle 
chumet niet. 

Tui lucent oculi 
sicut solis radii, 
sicut splendor fulguris 
lucem donat tenebris. 
Manda liet, manda liet, 
min geselle 
chumet niet. 

Vellet Deus, 
vellent dii, 
quod mente proposui, 
ut eius virginea 
reserassem vincula. 
Manda liet, 
manda liet, 
min geselle 
chumet niet. 

In my heart
there are many sighs
for your beauty,
which wound me sorely.
Ah!

Mandaliet (Send a message),
mandaliet (Send a message),
my beloved
does not come.

Your eyes shine
like the rays of the sun,
like the flashing of lightening
which brightens the darkness.
Ah!

Mandaliet (Send a message),
mandaliet (Send a message),
my beloved
does not come.

May God grant, may the gods grant
what I have in mind:
that I may loose
the chains of her virginity.
Ah!

Mandaliet (Send a message),
mandaliet (Send a message)
my beloved
does not come.

Francesco Guarino San Giorgio (1645-50-ca.), Napoli Palazzo.

1–2 minutes

Modified Date of Article:

Author Name:

🏷️

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dominique Johnson is a writer and author of The American Minervan created years ago and changed from its first iteration as Circle of Asia (11 years ago), because of its initial Eurasian focus. The change indicated increasing concern for the future of their own home country. He has spent many years academically researching the deeper philosophical classical sources of Theosophy, Eclecticism and American Republicanism to push beyond current civilizational limitations. He has spent his life since a youth dedicated to understanding what he sees as the “inner meanings” and instruction in classical literature, martial philosophies, world mythology and folklore for understanding both the nature of life and dealing with the challenges of life.




Leave a comment

Discover more from The American Minervan

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading