Convivium in C-F-A ("Party in the USA" in Latin)

Allegra Forbes |

A pop song translation for a classical summer BBQ.

Image of Cyrus courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

[Editor’s Note: The Vatican uses the term “Civitates Foederatae Americae” for “United States of America,” and that’s the source of the title of this song, “Convivium in C-F-A” (pronounced “kay-eff-ah”). ] It’s another great song translation from California Latin teacher Luke Henderson, who has been using songs like this with his Latin students for decades. This is a hard song to sing in English or Latin — the instrumental parts do not lead the vocals along, so you need to know the vocal melody well. But it’s something to be able to say you’ve got a Miley Cyrus song in Latin, and the chorus “convivium in C-F-A” is usable all by itself.]

Convivium in C-F-A (“Party in the USA”) 
(Miley Cyrus)(Gottwald/Cornish/Kelly)(tr. Henderson)[2009]

descendi æronavigio 
incitata cum thorace. 
libent gloria, luxuria 
me nimis audace.

taxiræda
huc advena sum vecta,
in dextra titulus Acrifoliensis.
puto me turbari.
omnes homines præclari.
male me habeo, desideroque domum, 
anxia, sollicitata.
deinde accenditur radiophonium,
et Jay Z carmen auditur
et Jay Z carmen auditur
et Jay Z carmen auditur.

CHORUS:
manibus sublatis
auditur meum
quo melius me habeam, 
capite annuens,
et coxis me movens. 
manibus sublatis
auditur meum
quo bene res eveniat.
io, est convivium in C-F-A! 
io, est convivium in C-F-A!

ad discothecam ræda vehor 
nunc ab omnibus spectata. 
“certe ista venit alias
quæ insolitest ornata?
difficilest absque amicis,
nec hoc convivium Nasburgiense, 
altis modo et acutis
sic calceis omnes indutis.
male me habeo, desideroque domum, 
anxia, sollicitata.
deinde accenditur stereophonium, 
Britannia dein auditur
Britannia dein auditur
Britannia dein auditur.

[CHORUS]
manibus sublatis
auditur meum
quo melius me habeam, 
capite annuens,
et coxis me movens. 
manibus sublatis
auditur meum
quo bene res eveniat.
io, est convivium in C-F-A! 
io, est convivium in C-F-A!

veh’æronavigio (‘vigio)
domum hac nocte volo. (‘te volo) 
aliquid me prohibet. (prohibet) 
audito carmine atque valeo!

[CHORUS]
manibus sublatis
auditur meum
quo melius me habeam, 
capite annuens,
et coxis me movens. 
manibus sublatis
auditur meum
quo bene res eveniat.
io, est convivium in C-F-A! 
io, est convivium in C-F-A!

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Allegra Forbes

In Medias Res is the online magazine for lovers of Latin and Greek, published by the Paideia Institute.

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