Armed with torches and snakes | Armed with torches and snakes

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by Giacomo Cassetti (1682 - 1757)

Translation © by Laura Stanfield Prichard

Armatae face et anguibus

Language: Latin

Our translations: ENG

Armatae face et anguibus 
A caeco regno squallido 
Furoris sociae barbari
Furiae venite ad nos. 

Morte, flagello, stragibus 
Vindictam tanti funeris 
Irata nostra pectora 
Duces docete vos.

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), "Armatae face et anguibus", 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 (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , "Armed with torches and snakes", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-05-24
Line count: 8
Word count: 27

Armed with torches and snakes

Language: English after the Latin

Armed with torches and snakes 
From a blind, squalid kingdom 
Barbarians allied with madness
Fury, come to us.

With death, scourge, and slaughter 
Vengeance for such a great death 
Our angry hearts 
Leaders, teach yourselves.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Latin to English copyright © 2026 by Laura Stanfield Prichard, (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: 2026-05-06
Line count: 8
Word count: 35