Otfrid's Preface
to his
Gospel Harmony
A.D. 870

Hujus enim linguae barbaries ut est inculta et indisciplinabilis atque insueta capi regulari freno grammaticae artis, sic etiam in multis dictis scriptio est propter litterarum aut congeriem aut incognitam sonoritatem difficilis.

For just as the chaotic wording ("barbarism": a technical term) of this language is uncultivated and undisciplined and unaccustomed to being held in by the curbing rein of the art of grammar, so also, in many expressions, spelling is difficult because of the piling up of letters [e.g. vvv] or their unfamiliar sound.

Nam interdum tria u u u, ut puto, quaerit in sono, priores duo consonantes, ut mihi videtur, tertium vocali sono manente.

For sometimes, it requires three U U U, in my opinion, in its phonetics, the first two being consonants, so it seems to me, the third remaining a vowel sound [i.e., /wu/].

Interdum vero nec a, nec e, nec i, nec u vocalium sonos praecavere potui:

Sometimes again I have been unable to avoid the sounds of the vowels A, E, I or U;

ibi y Graecum mihi videbatur ascribi.

Although in such cases [i.e., umlauts /ö/, /ü/] the Greek Y seemed to me to be appropriate.

Et etiam hoc elementum lingua haec horrescit interdum, nulli se characteri aliquotiens in quodam sono nisi difficile, jungens.

And even this element this language sometimes spurns, joining itself to no character at all in any sound except with difficulty.

k et z saepius haec lingua extra usum latinitatis utitur, quae grammatici inter litteras dicunt esse superfluas.

This language quite frequently uses K and Z to an extent exceeding their usage in good Latin; the grammarians say that they are superfluous among the letters.

Ob "stridorem" autem interdum "dentium," ut puto, in hac lingua z utuntur, k autem ob faucium sonoritatem.

They use Z in this language because, in my opinion, it sounds now and then like the "gnashing of teeth" (cf. Vulgate; Martianus), and K because of its throaty sound.

Patitur quoque metaplasmi figuram nimium (non tamen assidue), quam doctores grammaticae artis vocant synalipham (et hoc nisi legentes praevideant, rationis dicta deformius sonant), litteras interdum scriptione servantes, interdum vero Hebraicae linguae more vitantes, quibus ipsas litteras ratione synaliphae "in lineis," ut quidam dicunt, penitus amittere et transilire moris habetur.

Quite often, though not always, it permits excessive use of that figure of metaplasm [cf. Donatus] which those learned in the grammatical arts call synaloephe [he means ellipsis, but we, too, are careless with such terms] (and unless the readers [listeners] pay attention to this, the words of a sentence sound wrong) in spelling, now preserving the letters, now dropping them as in the Hebrew language, among whom it is the custom to drop and omit completely the [vowel] letters themselves "in written text," as they say.

- Non quo series scriptionis hujus metrica sit subtilitate constricta, sed schema homoeoteleuton assidue quaerit.

- Not that the flow of this writing is condensed by metrical subtlety; rather, it always calls for the device of end-rhyme ["homeoteleuton"].

Aptam enim in hac lectione et priori decentem et consimilem quaerunt verba in fine sonoritatem.

For the verbal units demand, at their end, a suitable sonority both proper for and similar to the beginning.

Et non tantum per hanc inter duas vocales, sed etiam inter alias litteras saepissime patitur collisionem synaliphae;

And because of this it quite often permits the collision of synaloephe not only between two vowels, but also between other letters;

et hoc nisi fiat, extensio saepius litterarum inepte sonat dicta verborum.

and unless this is done, drawing out the sounds often makes the verbal expressions sound awkward.

Quod in communi quoque nostra locutione, si sollerter intendimus, nos agere nimium invenimus.

We will find that we too do this excessively in our ordinary speech, if we but listen carefully.

Quaerit enim linguae hujus ornatus et a legentibus synaliphae lenem et collisionem lubricam praecavere et a dictantibus homoeoteleuton (id est consimilem verborum terminationem) observare.

For the poetics of this language requires from the readers that they avoid a soft and slippery collision of synaloephe and that authors observe end-rhyme ["homoeoteleuton"], that is, the like ending of words.

Sensus enim hic interdum ultra duo vel tres versus vei etiam quattuor in lectione debet esse suspensus, ut legentibus quod lectio signat apertior fiat.

The sense, then, must occasionally be suspended here for more than two or three verses or even four in reading, so that is made clearer to the readers what the reading means.

Hic saepius i et o ceteraeque similiter cum illo vocales simul inveniuntur inscriptae, interdum in sono divisae vocales manentes, interdum conjunctae (priore transeunte in consonantium potestatem).

Here often "I" and "O" and other vowels like them are found written together, in sound sometimes remaining as distinct vowels, sometimes united, with the first changing into the role of a consonant [i.e., as the semi-vowel /j/].

Duo etiam negativi, dum in Latinitate rationis dicta confirmant, in hujus linguae usu paene assidue negant;

Also, two negatives, in proper Latin, make an idea's wording affirmative, but in this language, almost always negative.

et quamvis hos interdum praecavere valerem, ob usum tamen cotidianum, ut morum se locutio praebuit, dictare curavi.

And though now and again I might have avoided this, yet because of daily usage, I took care to write as the rule of custom has it.

Hujus enim linguae proprietas nec numerum nec genera me conservare sinebat.

For the particular nature of this language permitted me to preserve neither number nor gender.

Interdum enim masculinum latinae linguae in hac feminino protuli, et cetera genera necessarie simili modo permiscui;

For sometimes I have rendered a masculine in the Latin language by a feminine, and I have mixed the other genders as needed in a similar way.

numerum pluralem singulari, singularem plurali variavi,

I have switched the plural with the singular, the singular with the plural,

et, tali modo, in barbarismum et soloecismum saepius coactus incidi.

and, thus forced, have often fallen into strange wording ["barbarism"] and bad syntax ["solecism"; see Donatus, Barbarismus].

Horum supra scriptorum omnium vitiorum exempla de hoc libro Theotisce ponerem, nisi irrisionem legentium devitarem;

I could set down from this book examples in German of all the above written vices, if I did not want to avoid the laughter of the readers;

nam dum agrestis linguae inculta verba inseruntur latinitatis planities, cachinnum legentibus praebent.

for when the uncultivated words of a rustic language are placed in the smoothness of Latin, they give rise to laughter among the readers.

Lingua enim haec velut agrestis habetur, dum a propriis nec scriptura nec arte aliqua ullis est temporibus expolita;

This language, you see, is considered to be rustic, because it has never been polished by its own speakers in writing nor by any art at any time.

quippe qui nec historias suorum antecessorum, ut multae gentes ceterae, commendant memoriae, nec eorum gesta vel vitam ornant dignitatis amore.

Indeed, they do not commit to memory the stories of their forbears, as many other peoples do, nor do they embellish their deeds or life out of love of their worth.

Quod si raro contigit, aliarum gentium lingua, id est Latinorum vel Graecorum, potius explanant.

On the other hand, even when, rarely, this does happen, they expound rather in the language of other peoples, that is, Latin or Greek.

Cavent aliarum et deformitatem non verecundant suarum.

They guard against errors in the others, but are not ashamed of them in their own.

Stupent in aliis vel litterula parva artem transgredi, et paene propria lingua vitium generant per singula verba.

They find it shocking to transgress grammatical rule in the others even by a little letter, and in their own language they make errors almost in every word.

Res mira, tam magnos viros, prudentiae deditos, cautela praecipuos, agilitate suffultos, sapientia latos, sanctitate praeclaros cuncta haec in alienae linguae gloriam transferre et usum scripturae in propria lingua non habere.

A remarkable thing: that such great men, given to good judgment, outstanding in carefulness, supported by quick wit, known for wisdom, famous for sanctity, should translate all these things into the glory of a foreign language and not have the custom of writing in their own tongue.

Est tamen conveniens, ut qualicumque modo, sive corrupta seu lingua integrae artis, humanum genus auctorem omnium laudet, qui plectrum eis dederat linguae, verbum in eis suae laudis sonare; qui non verborum adulationem politorum, sed quaerit in nobis pium cogitationis affectum operumque pio labore congeriem, non labrorum inanem servitiem.

It is fitting, however, that in whatever way, be it in corrupt language or that of perfect grammar, that mankind praise the author of all things, Who gave them the instrument of the tongue (Alcuin & Pippin) to sound the word of His praise among themselves, Who seeks in us not the worship of polished words but the pious mood of thought, and the accumulation of works in pious labor, not useless lip-service.

Hunc igitur librum vestrae sagaci prudentiae probandum curavi transmittere et quia a Rhabano venerandae memoriae, digno vestrae sedis quondam praesule, educata parum mea parvitas est, praesulatus vestrae dignitati sapientiaeque in vobis pari commendare curavi.

This book, therefore, I have taken care to transmit to your wise judgment for approval -- because my humble self was educated by Raven [the Moor] of blessed memory, formerly the worthy Bishop of your see -- I have taken care to commend it to the dignity of Your Excellency and to the equal wisdom in you.

Qui si Sanctitatis Vestrae placet spiritibus, et non dejiciendum judicaverit, uti licenter fidelibus vestra auctoritas concedat;

If it pleases the vision of Your Holiness, and should he not judge it to be to be rejected, may your authority grant that it be used freely by the faithful;

sin vero minus aptus parque meae neglegentiae paret, eadem veneranda sanctaque contemnet auctoritas.

but, if indeed it appears less fitting and is commensurate with my carelessness, may that same venerable and holy authority spurn it.

Utriusque enim facti causam arbitrio vestro decernendam mea parva commendat humilitas.

My humble little person, indeed, recommends that the judgment of either action be left up to your will.

Trinitas Summa Unitasque Perfecta cunctorum vos utilitati multa tempora incolumem rectaque vita manentem conservare dignetur. Amen.

May the Supreme Trinity and the Perfect Unity of all things deign to keep you for a long time in an office of value, remaining in upright life. Amen.