Si vis celsi iura tonantis
Pura sollers cernere mente,
Aspice summi culmina caeli.
Illic iusto foedere rerum
Veterem servant sidera pacem.
Non sol rutilo concitus igne
Gelidum Phoebes impedit axem
Nec quae summo vertice mundi
Flectit rapidos Ursa meatus,
Numquam occiduo lota profundo
Cetera cernens sidera mergi
Cupit oceano tingere flammas.
Semper vicibus temporis aequis
Vesper seras nuntiat umbras
Revehitque diem Lucifer almum.
Sic aeternos reficit cursus
Alternus amor, sic astrigeris
Bellum discors exulat oris.
 ... 

Note: the text above is taken from lines 1-18 of the original text.

Note: Boethius wrote his De consolatione philosophiae (On the Consolation of Philosophy) while in prison awaiting execution by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great. It is a dialog in alternating prose and verse between Boethius and a personification of Philosophy; this is the sixth verse passage of Book IV, and is spoken by Philosophy.

Composition:

Set to music by Hans Henkemans (1913 - 1995), "Alternus amor", 1968, copyright © 1968, lines 1-18 [ mixed chorus and orchestra ], from Tre aspetti d'amore, no. 3, Amsterdam: Donemus

Text Authorship:

• by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c480 - 524), no title, appears in De consolatione philosophiae, no. 6

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

• ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Grant Hicks [Guest Editor] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-04-12
Line count: 48
Word count: 210