Laud VII (Mancini)

Hear a dispute between the soul and the body;
too hard of a battle until the end.

The soul says to the body: "Let us do penance,
so we can flee that grave judgment
and gain the glory that is such a great pleasure;
let us bear every burden with utmost love."

The body says: "The things you say upset me;
I was raised in delights, I could not stand it;
my brain is weak, I would be driven mad first;
flee these thoughts, never talk to me about them."

SOUL: "Filthy, wicked body, lusty and greedy,
I always find you deaf to my means of salvation;
bear the scourging of this knotted rope,
learn this tune, for you will have to dance to it."

BODY: "Help, help, the soul has me dead;
bruised and bloodied, wrongly disciplined
O impious cruel one, what did you make of me?
I will never cease my lament, never know happiness."

S. "I would rather have not such a brief death;
I have decided to give you an experience:
I will take away all the delights of your five senses
and I will not grant you any pleasure."

B. "If you take delight away from my senses,
I will be swollen and woeful, full of regrets;
I will deprive your thoughts of gladness;
you'd better repent now of trying such a thing."

S. "Take off your shirt and put on this cilice
(penance forbids you from every delight)
as a reward don this fine cloth
I have thought of dressing you in pig skin."

B. "You brought this painful garment out of hell,
the devil weaved it from hedgehog quills;
every bristle bites me like a stinging wasp,
I can't find comfort, in this hardship."

S. "Here is your bed, lie on this wicker lattice;
look at the pillow, it's a handful of hay;
wrap yourself in your cloak, accustom yourself like a donkey!
Consider this a pleasure compared to what I would inflict you."

B. "Look at my soft bed, bereft of feathers!
I see round stones taken from a ditch;
wherever I turn I break my ribs on them,
I'm completely broken, I cannot rest there."

S. "Body, wake up, rise, the bells are ringing matins;
get up, enough sleep! To the Divine Office!
I'll give you a new law, even in the morning;
learn this path, you'll have to walk it always."

B. "And how do I wake up and rise, if I haven't slept?
My digestion is ruined, I couldn't digest my meal;
my rheum ran down from the cold that I felt;
but there is still time, it can be recovered."

S. "And where have you learned this new medicine?
For your negligence, I will mete out punishment:
if you say one more word no cooked food for you at lunch;
this is the medication fit to cure your illness."

B. "Here is my lunch adorned of lush bread!
Black, stale, unleavened, that a dog wouldn't gnaw.
I think I could not swallow such a revolting matter;
give me some other food, if you want me to live."

S. "Because of your words you will do without wine,
and you will not eat cooked food for lunch or dinner;
If you talk more, expect a harsh punishment;
I promise you this at least: that, you will not skip."

B. "I remember a woman who was white and ruddy,
dressed with soft fine cloth, she was a wonder!
I cannot stop thinking about her beauty;
I can almost believe I am talking to her."

S. "Expect now a reward for the thoughts you had:
I'll take away your cloak for the whole winter,
drop the shoes also, for your foolish thought,
and then I'll whip the skin off your back."

B. "The water I'm drinking is bad for me, I'm getting dropsical;
give me back my wine, I beg you for your courtesy!
If you keep my health, I will straighten out;
if I fall sick, you'll have to watch over me."

S. "Since water is bad for your illness
and wine is bad for my chastity,
for the sake of our health we'll keep off wine and water,
we'll suffer want, to save our life."

B. "I beg you not to kill me, I ask for nothing;
in truth I promise you I will not murmur;
I see that quarrels are causing me trouble;
I want to avoid them always to stay away from punishment."

S. "If you will stay clear of every offense,
I will give you your sustenance
and I will avoid your grief;
saving our life will be enjoyable."

Now you see the battle, that every man has to fight;
there are many other battles, this is but a hint;
I have shortened my speech, to be less tiresome.
And thus, I end my composition.