Medieval Latin lyrics

Helen Waddell

‘Medieval Latin really does not seem so pedestrian in these light verses (the originals are given side by side with the translations), and Waddell’s genius and humour shines out even in the bibliographical notes’, Books Ireland (December 2008).

‘A new edition of Waddell’s Medieval Latin Lyrics will be welcomed by students and scholars alike. Waddell was known for her lively histories of the troubadours of medieval Europe. In this book she lets the poets speak for themselves, giving the Latin original and a facing page translation. While not always completely true to the exact meaning, Waddell captures the sense of the Latin in a way that strikes a chord of familiarity in the reader. Lyrics range in subject from religious to highly profane. They are very personal expressions of feeling about love, lechery, martyrdom, nature and the full spectrum of human experience. A biographical introduction by Scattergood describes the influences of people and events on Waddell and her interpretation of the Middle Ages’, Book News (May 2009).