"All I Want for Christmas is You" in Latin

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Gregorius
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"All I Want for Christmas is You" in Latin

Post by Gregorius »

Given how difficult it is to find singers to perform my translations/adaptations and thus how long it's likely to take, I decided to get a head start on a few holiday songs so that I stand a decent chance of getting at least one recorded before the season ends. This is the first.

As usual, I concerned myself mainly with fitting the rhymes and number of syllables per line, while also preserving the original meaning as faithfully as I could. No attempt was made to adhere to classical Roman meter. I welcome any questions, suggestions, or even corrections, since this is probably not the final draft.


Hīs fēriīs nōn volō multa,
Nam rem sōlam requīrō.
Sub arbore iacent dōna,
Sed dē nullō cōgitō.

Sōlum volō tē tantum
Ut numquam sapiās quantum.
Nātāle Christī,
Volō nīl praeter tē. Adsīs!

Hīs fēriīs nōn volō multa,
Nam rem sōlam requīrō.
Sub arbore iacent dōna,
Sed dē nullō cōgitō.

Ita mī nullum tībiāle'st
Suspendendum dē focō.
Nōn mē fēlicem faciet nīl
Quod inveniam in ullō.

Sōlum volō tē tantum
Ut numquam sapiās quantum.
Nātāle Christī,
Volō nīl praeter tē. Adsīs!

Hīs fēriīs nōn volō multa.
Nē quīdem nivem quaerō.
Simpliciter hīc tē pergam
Exspectāre sub viscō.

Indicem dēsīdēriōrum
Nec mittam nec parābō.
Nē quīdem pervigilābō
Dum audiam rangiferōs.

Volō ut hāc noct' adsīs,
Mē amplexāns firmē hīc.
Nātāle Christī,
Volō nīl praeter tē. Adsīs!

Quaeque lūx nunc passim tam clārē splendet,
Et āerem rīsus puerōrum implet.
Audiō omnēs canentēs
Et campānās tinnientēs.

Sancte Nicolae, ūnicum quem dēsīderiō
Mīne trahēs tandem ergō?

Hīs fēriīs nōn volō multa,
Nam simpliciter quaerō
Vidēr' ante meam ianuam
Illum quem vērē amō.

Sōlum volō tē tantum
Ut numquam sapiās quantum.
Nātāle Christī,
Volō nīl praeter tē. Adsīs!

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