Musica et scolica enchiriadis
The ninth century Musica enchiriadis begins by comparing musical notes to letters.
Latin: Patrologia cursus completus, series latina, ed. J P MIgne, vol 132, p957
The same text also apparently enjoinders uniting the phrasing of words and music.
Item ut in unum terminentur particulae neumarum atque verborum.
Likewise, let the particles of neumes and of words end as one.
Latin: Patrologia cursus completus, series latina, ed. J P MIgne, vol 132, p982
The comparison between music and language is also seen in the treatise De harmonica
institutione by Hucbald (c.850-930). Hucbald states that all chant is performed in distinct and
predetermined sounds in 'rational' quantities, a comment which is more likely to refer to
proportional pitch than to proportional rhythm but is anyway characteristic of the ancient
belief in the appropriateness of ratio in music.
Latin: Patrologia cursus completus, series latin, ed. J. P. Migne, vol 132, p911
English: Hucbald, Guido and John on Music: Three Medieval Treatises,
by Warren Babb (1978) p20
Just as the elementary and indivisible
articulated parts of speech are letters, out
of which syllables are put together, they in
turn make up verbs and nouns, the web of
even and accomplished speech; thus are
the phtongi of the melodious voice, which
are called soni in Latin and the
content/restraining of all music ends in their
[but] Only those sounds ['voces'] which they
thought were distinguished and
determined by calculable quantities and
were serviceable for melody - only those did
they set as the sure foundation for all song.
These, then, they called "elements" or
phtongi. Just as all the diversity of
language is contained in its elements, the
letters, and whatever can be said is
expressed through them.
Sicut vocis articulatae elementariae
atque individuae partes sunt litterae, ex
quibus compositae syllabae rursum
componunt verba et nomina, eaquae
perfectae orationis textum; sic canorae
vocis phthongi, qui latine dicuntur soni
origines sunt, et totius musicae
continentia in eorum ultimam
... sed eos tantum, quos rationabili
discretos ac determinatos
quantitate, quique melodiae apti
existerent, ipsi certissima totius
cantilenae fundamenta jecerunt. Unde
et elementa vel phthongos eosdem
nuncupaverunt; quod scilicet,
quemadmodum litterarum elementis
sermonum cuncta multiplicitas
coarctatur, et quidquid dici potest, per