by
Marcellus Empiricus (flourished 4th or 5th century)
Incantatio
Language: Latin
Nec mula parit,
nec lapis lanam fert,
nec huic morbo caput crescat,
aut, si creverit, tabescat.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 4
Word count: 16
Incantation
Language: English after the Latin
The mule does not give birth,
nor does a stone bear wool,
nor should this malady come to a head,
but, if it does, let it dwindle away.
Note for line 3, "head": i.e., the final stage of a boil or abscess.
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 Marcellus Empiricus (flourished 4th or 5th century), from De medicamentis 8,191.
This text was added to the website: 2026-09-25
Line count: 4
Word count: 28
