This project was inspired by the announcement that the Fresno State Music Department would be performing Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana in conjunction with the College of Arts and Humanities Arts in Motion celebration at the end of April. 

This famous cantata is comprised of 24 songs in Latin, High German, and Old French, which Orff selected from a medieval manuscript known as the Carmina Burana. Thinking it would be fun to provide Fresno State translations for a Fresno State performance, students of Latin (current and recent alumni) gathered together over the course of this past semester (weekends, holidays, and evenings) to create collaborative translations that provide close and useful (line-by-line) translations of the medieval songs. Needing assistance with the High German, those songs were handed over to students in German 2B, who also worked diligently to produce a close rendition of the original poems. 

Upon learning that the Fresno State Library has a rare facsimile copy of the Carmina manuscript, we expanded the project to include a library exhibit. We hope you enjoy our work!