1.1 Lūcia Lucia puella girl docta learned Alexandrīae in Alexandria habitābat lived quae who in in magnā great bibliothēcā library labōrābat worked
1.2 Pater father eius her Theodōrus Theodorus scrība scribe fūerat had been quī who fīliam daughter artēs arts litterārum of letters docuerat had taught
1.3 Cōdicēs codices antīquōs ancient cūrābat she cared for et and librōs books dēteriorēs deteriorating novīs onto new chartīs pages trānscrībēbat she transcribed
1.4 Inter among mīlia thousands volūminum of scrolls ambulāns walking sē herself fēlīcissimam most happy mortālium of mortals putābat she considered
1.5 Sed but tempus time mūtābātur was changing et and nūbēs clouds ātrās dark suprā above urbem city vidēbat she saw
1.6 Hominēs men quīdam certain īrātī angry per through viās streets ambulābant were walking quī who librōs books pāgānōrum of pagans combūrere to burn volēbant wanted
1.7 Ūnō on one diē day praefectus prefect novus new ad to bibliothēcam library vēnit came et and cum with custōdibus guards intrāvit entered
1.8 Magistrō to master bibliothēcae of library imperāvit he commanded ut that omnēs all librōs books quī which contrā against fidem faith novam new essent were trāderet he hand over
1.9 Magister master senex old palluit grew pale et and nihil nothing respondēre to respond potuit was able nam for timor fear eum him tenēbat held
1.10 Lūcia Lucia autem however post behind columnam column latēns hiding omnia all things audīvit heard et and cōnsilium plan cēpit formed
1.11 Nocte by night illā that cum when omnēs all dormīrent were sleeping sōla alone in into bibliothēcam library rediit she returned
1.12 Lūcernam lamp parvam small ferēns carrying per through umbrās shadows longās long ambulāvit she walked et and ad to partem part sēcrētam secret pervēnit arrived
1.13 Ibi there librī books pretiōsissimī most precious servābantur were kept quōs which paucī few hominēs men nōverant knew
1.14 Platōnis of Plato opera works vīdit she saw et and Aristotelīs of Aristotle et and Sapphoūs of Sappho carmina poems et and Euclīdis of Euclid dēmōnstrātiōnēs proofs
1.15 Lacrimae tears dē from oculīs eyes eius her fluēbant were flowing dum while cōgitat she thinks quot how many annī years labōris of labor in in hīs these chartīs pages contineāntur were contained
1.16 Saccum sack magnum large quem which attulerat she had brought aperuit she opened et and librōs books ēligere to choose coepit began
1.17 Sed but quōs which ones ēligeret should she choose et and quōs which ones relinqueret should she leave behind difficillimum most difficult erat was iūdicāre to judge
1.18 Quisque each liber book vōcem voice habēre to have vidēbātur seemed quae which eam her ōrābat begged nē not sē itself dēsereret she abandon
1.19 Tandem finally vīgintī twenty volūmina scrolls sēlēgit she selected quae which maximī of greatest mōmentī importance esse to be iūdicāvit she judged
1.20 Saccō in sack cēlātīs hidden per through portam gate posteriōrem back ex from bibliothēcā library fūgit she fled
1.21 Per through viās streets obscūrās dark currēbat she was running cor heart pulsāns beating onus burden grave heavy ferēns carrying
1.22 Ad to domum house avunculi of uncle suī her Marcī Marcus contendit she hastened quī who extrā outside urbem city in on colle hill habitābat lived
1.23 Marcus Marcus homō man simplex simple erat was quī who ovēs sheep pāscēbat tended et and dē about librīs books nihil nothing intellegēbat understood
1.24 Sed but neptem niece suam his amābat he loved et and eam her sine without interrogātiōne questioning recēpit received
1.25 Lūcia Lucia volūmina scrolls in in cellā cellar āridā dry sub under terrā ground occultāvit hid ubi where tūta safe essent they would be
1.26 Proximīs in the next diēbus days nūntius news terribilis terrible vēnit came bibliothēcam library magnam great flammīs to flames trāditam handed over esse to be
1.27 Lūcia Lucia cum when hōc this audīvit heard in to genua knees cecidit fell et and flēvit wept quod because plūra more servāre to save nōn not potuerat she had been able
1.28 Centēna hundreds of mīlia thousands librōrum of books periērunt perished quōrum of which memoria memory numquam never redīre to return poterat was able
1.29 Avunculus uncle eius her nihil nothing dīxit said sed but manum hand in on umerum shoulder eius her posuit placed et and cum with eā her sēdit sat
1.30 Post after multōs many diēs days Lūcia Lucia ad to cellam cellar dēscendit descended et and volūmina scrolls iterum again īnspexit examined
1.31 Tum then intellēxit she understood quid what sibi for her faciendum to be done esset was nam for servāre to preserve nōn not satis enough erat was
1.32 Cōdicēs codices novōs new facere to make coepit she began et and omnia all things quae which servāverat she had saved manū by hand suā her trānscrīpsit she transcribed
1.33 Per through longōs long annōs years labōrāvit she worked sōla alone in in cellā cellar lūcernā by lamp scrībēns writing
1.34 Interdum sometimes manus hand eius her dolēbat ached et and oculī eyes dēficiēbant failed sed but numquam never dēstitit she ceased
1.35 Cuique to each cōdicī codex nōtam note addidit she added sīc thus scrīptam written Lūcia Lucia fīlia daughter Theodōrī of Theodorus Alexandrīna of Alexandria hōc this opus work servāvit preserved
1.36 Annīs years praetereuntibus passing Marcus Marcus avunculus uncle mortuus died est is et and Lūcia Lucia sōla alone in in domō house mānsit remained
1.37 Iam now senex old facta having become dē about futūrō future cōgitāre to think coepit began post after mortem death suam her quis who librōs books cūrātūrus would care for esset was
1.38 Ūnō on one diē day iuvenis young man quīdam a certain ad to iānuam door eius her vēnit came quī who dīxit said sē himself sapientiam wisdom veterum of ancients quaerere to seek
1.39 Nōmen name eius his Iōannēs John erat was et and ē from Cōnstantīnopolī Constantinople vēnerat he had come ubi where novum new mūsēum museum aedificābātur was being built
1.40 Lūcia Lucia eum him diū for a long time spectāvit observed oculōs eyes eius his scrūtāns examining ut in order cor heart eius his cognōsceret she might know
1.41 In in oculīs eyes iuvenis of young man amōrem love vērum true litterārum of letters vīdit she saw nōn not cupiditātem greed nōn not superbiam pride
1.42 Eī to him theāsaurum treasure suum her ostendit she showed et and Iōannēs John cum when volūmina scrolls vīdit saw obstupuit was astounded
1.43 Hīc here inquit he said Sapphoūs of Sappho carmina poems sunt are quae which perdita lost esse to be putābāmus we thought
1.44 Et and Aristotelīs of Aristotle dē about poēticā poetics liber book secundus second quem which nēmō no one vīvus living lēgit has read
1.45 Quōmodo how haec these things servāvistī did you save rogāvit he asked cum when tōtus whole mundus world ea them dēlēre to destroy cōnārētur was trying
1.46 Lūcia Lucia rīsit smiled et and dīxit said amor love fortior stronger est is quam than ignis fire et and patientia patience fortior stronger quam than furor fury
1.47 Trādō I hand over tibi to you haec these things omnia all inquit she said sed but ūnum one thing ā from tē you petō I ask
1.48 Fac make ut that hī these librī books iterum again legantur be read nam for liber book quī which nōn not legitur is read mortuus dead est is
1.49 Iōannēs John prōmīsit promised sē himself omnia all things factūrum about to do esse to be et and volūmina scrolls magnā with great cum with cūrā care accēpit received
1.50 Lūcia Lucia eō that diē day in in pāce peace obdormīvit fell asleep opus work suum her cōnfectum completed esse to be sciēns knowing
1.1 Lūcia puella docta Alexandrīae habitābat quae in magnā bibliothēcā labōrābat.
1.2 Pater eius Theodōrus scrība fūerat quī fīliam artēs litterārum docuerat.
1.3 Cōdicēs antīquōs cūrābat et librōs dēteriorēs novīs chartīs trānscrībēbat.
1.4 Inter mīlia volūminum ambulāns sē fēlīcissimam mortālium putābat.
1.5 Sed tempus mūtābātur et nūbēs ātrās suprā urbem vidēbat.
1.6 Hominēs quīdam īrātī per viās ambulābant quī librōs pāgānōrum combūrere volēbant.
1.7 Ūnō diē praefectus novus ad bibliothēcam vēnit et cum custōdibus intrāvit.
1.8 Magistrō bibliothēcae imperāvit ut omnēs librōs quī contrā fidem novam essent trāderet.
1.9 Magister senex palluit et nihil respondēre potuit nam timor eum tenēbat.
1.10 Lūcia autem post columnam latēns omnia audīvit et cōnsilium cēpit.
1.11 Nocte illā cum omnēs dormīrent sōla in bibliothēcam rediit.
1.12 Lūcernam parvam ferēns per umbrās longās ambulāvit et ad partem sēcrētam pervēnit.
1.13 Ibi librī pretiōsissimī servābantur quōs paucī hominēs nōverant.
1.14 Platōnis opera vīdit et Aristotelīs et Sapphoūs carmina et Euclīdis dēmōnstrātiōnēs.
1.15 Lacrimae dē oculīs eius fluēbant dum cōgitat quot annī labōris in hīs chartīs contineāntur.
1.16 Saccum magnum quem attulerat aperuit et librōs ēligere coepit.
1.17 Sed quōs ēligeret et quōs relinqueret difficillimum erat iūdicāre.
1.18 Quisque liber vōcem habēre vidēbātur quae eam ōrābat nē sē dēsereret.
1.19 Tandem vīgintī volūmina sēlēgit quae maximī mōmentī esse iūdicāvit.
1.20 Saccō cēlātīs per portam posteriōrem ex bibliothēcā fūgit.
1.21 Per viās obscūrās currēbat cor pulsāns onus grave ferēns.
1.22 Ad domum avunculi suī Marcī contendit quī extrā urbem in colle habitābat.
1.23 Marcus homō simplex erat quī ovēs pāscēbat et dē librīs nihil intellegēbat.
1.24 Sed neptem suam amābat et eam sine interrogātiōne recēpit.
1.25 Lūcia volūmina in cellā āridā sub terrā occultāvit ubi tūta essent.
1.26 Proximīs diēbus nūntius terribilis vēnit bibliothēcam magnam flammīs trāditam esse.
1.27 Lūcia cum hōc audīvit in genua cecidit et flēvit quod plūra servāre nōn potuerat.
1.28 Centēna mīlia librōrum periērunt quōrum memoria numquam redīre poterat.
1.29 Avunculus eius nihil dīxit sed manum in umerum eius posuit et cum eā sēdit.
1.30 Post multōs diēs Lūcia ad cellam dēscendit et volūmina iterum īnspexit.
1.31 Tum intellēxit quid sibi faciendum esset nam servāre nōn satis erat.
1.32 Cōdicēs novōs facere coepit et omnia quae servāverat manū suā trānscrīpsit.
1.33 Per longōs annōs labōrāvit sōla in cellā lūcernā scrībēns.
1.34 Interdum manus eius dolēbat et oculī dēficiēbant sed numquam dēstitit.
1.35 Cuique cōdicī nōtam addidit sīc scrīptam: “Lūcia fīlia Theodōrī Alexandrīna hōc opus servāvit.”
1.36 Annīs praetereuntibus Marcus avunculus mortuus est et Lūcia sōla in domō mānsit.
1.37 Iam senex facta dē futūrō cōgitāre coepit: post mortem suam quis librōs cūrātūrus esset?
1.38 Ūnō diē iuvenis quīdam ad iānuam eius vēnit quī dīxit sē sapientiam veterum quaerere.
1.39 Nōmen eius Iōannēs erat et ē Cōnstantīnopolī vēnerat ubi novum mūsēum aedificābātur.
1.40 Lūcia eum diū spectāvit oculōs eius scrūtāns ut cor eius cognōsceret.
1.41 In oculīs iuvenis amōrem vērum litterārum vīdit, nōn cupiditātem, nōn superbiam.
1.42 Eī theāsaurum suum ostendit et Iōannēs cum volūmina vīdit obstupuit.
1.43 “Hīc,” inquit, “Sapphoūs carmina sunt quae perdita esse putābāmus!”
1.44 “Et Aristotelīs dē poēticā liber secundus quem nēmō vīvus lēgit!”
1.45 “Quōmodo haec servāvistī,” rogāvit, “cum tōtus mundus ea dēlēre cōnārētur?”
1.46 Lūcia rīsit et dīxit: “Amor fortior est quam ignis, et patientia fortior quam furor.”
1.47 “Trādō tibi haec omnia,” inquit, “sed ūnum ā tē petō.”
1.48 “Fac ut hī librī iterum legantur, nam liber quī nōn legitur mortuus est.”
1.49 Iōannēs prōmīsit sē omnia factūrum esse et volūmina magnā cum cūrā accēpit.
1.50 Lūcia eō diē in pāce obdormīvit, opus suum cōnfectum esse sciēns.
Multa saecula praeteriērunt. Librī quōs Lūcia servāvit per manūs multōrum trānsiērunt—per monastēria, per bella, per tempora obscūra. Hodiē in mūsēīs magnīs servantur, et hominēs ex omnibus terrīs veniunt ut eōs legant.
In quōdam cōdice, quī Cōnstantīnopolī repertus est, haec verba adhūc legī possunt: “Lūcia fīlia Theodōrī Alexandrīna hōc opus servāvit.”
Nēmō scit quis fuerit haec Lūcia. Nēmō fābulam eius nōvit. Sed opera quae servāvit vīvunt, et per ea ipsa immortālis facta est.
Nam ut ipsa dīxit: liber quī legitur numquam moritur—et quī librum servat, cum librō vīvit.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---