Arms mean nothing, nor battles | Arms mean nothing, nor battles

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by Giacomo Cassetti (1682 - 1757)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Nil arma, nil bella

Language: Latin

Our translations: ENG

Nil arma, nil bella, 
Nil flamma furoris 
Si cor bellatoris 
Est cadens in se. 

Si pugnat sperando, 
Iam virtus pugnando 
Vigescit in spe.

Text Authorship:

by Giacomo Cassetti (1682 - 1757) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741), "Nil arma, nil bella", RV 644 (1716), first performed 1716, from oratorio Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Arms mean nothing, nor battles", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Grant Hicks [Guest Editor] , Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-05-24
Line count: 7
Word count: 23

Arms mean nothing, nor battles

Language: English after the Latin

Arms mean nothing, nor battles,
Nor the flame of fury,
If the heart of the warrior 
Is failing within him.

If he fights hopefully, 
Now valor in combat 
Burgeons with hope.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Latin to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Latin by Giacomo Cassetti (1682 - 1757)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-20
Line count: 7
Word count: 31