Lewis & Short

1. carmen, ĭnis, n. (old form cas-men, Varr. L. L. p. 86 Bip.) [Sanscr. çasto declaim, praise; cf.: camilla, censeo], a tune, song; poem, verse; an oracular response, a prophecy; a form of incantation (cf.: cano, cantus, and canto).

  1. I. In gen., a tune, song, air, lay, strain, note, sound, both vocal and instrumental (mostly poet.; in prose, instead of it, cantus; cf. also versus, numeri, modi): carmen tuba ista peregit ( = sonus), Enn. Ann. 508 Vahl.: carmine vocali clarus citharāque Philammon, Ov. M. 11, 317; cf. vocum, id. ib. 12, 157: per me (sc. Apollinem) concordant carmina nervis, id. ib. 1, 518; cf. id. ib. 11, 5; 5, 340: solaque culminibus ferali carmine bubo Saepe queri, Verg. A. 4, 462; so id. G. 4, 514; Ov. M. 10, 453: cygnorum, id. ib. 5, 387; cf. id. ib. 14, 430; Mart. 13, 77: citharae liquidum carmen, Lucr. 4, 981; cf. id. 2, 506; Hor. C. 1, 15, 15: lyrae carmen, Prop. 2, 1, 9 Hertzb.: canere miserabile carmen, Ov. M. 5, 118: harundineum, id. Tr. 4, 1, 12: socialia carmina, id. H. 12, 139: barbaricum, id. M. 11, 163.
    With allusion to playing on the cithara: hoc carmen hic tribunus plebis non vobis sed sibi intus canit, Cic. Agr. 2, 26, 68; cf. Aspendius.
    Also the sound of waves, Claud. Cons. Mall. Th. 319; cf. Auct. Aetn. 295.
  2. II. Esp., a composition in verse, a poem; poetry, verse, song, whether in a broader sense, of every kind of poetic production, epic, dramatic, lyric (opp. to prose and to cantus, the melody), or, in a more restricted sense, for lyric poetry.
    1. A. Cum hanc felicitatem non prosa modo multi sint consecuti sed etiam carmine, Quint. 10, 7, 19; cf. id. 1, 8, 2; 8, 6, 27; 10, 1, 95: perspicuum est, et cantus (melodies) tum fuisse rescriptos vocum sonis et carmina (words), Cic. Tusc. 4, 2, 3; id. de Or. 2, 8, 34; 3, 51, 197: carminibus cum res gestas coepere poetae Tradere, Lucr. 5, 1444: Maeonii carminis alite, Hor. C. 1, 6, 2: epicum carmen, Quint. 10, 1, 62: heroici sublimitas, id. 1, 8, 5; cf. Prop. 3 (4), 3, 16: Iliacum, Hor. A. P. 129: historia quodammodo carmen solutum, Quint. 10, 1, 31: Pierium, Lucr. 1, 946; 4, 21: tragicum, Hor. A. P. 220: carmina Livi, id. Ep. 2, 1, 69; cf. Tac. A. 11, 13: Saliorum carmina, Varr. L. L. 3, 26; 9, 61; Quint. 1, 6, 40; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 86 Schmid.; cf. Liv. 1, 20, 4 al.: lyricorum carmina, Quint. 9, 4, 53; Prop. 4 (5), 6, 32: Aeolium, Hor. C. 3, 30, 13: Lydis remixto carmine tibiis, id. ib. 4, 15, 30; cf. id. Epod. 9, 5: carmen funebre proprie Naenia, Quint. 8, 2, 8: carmina quae in Phaeacum epulis canuntur, Cic. Brut. 18, 71; cf. id. ib. 19, 75: lascivum, Quint. 9, 4, 108: obscena, satirical, abusive poems, libels, Prop. 1, 16, 10; the same: famosum, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 31 Schmid.: malum, id. ib. 2, 1, 153; id. S. 2, 1. 82 Heind.: obliquum, Stat. S. 1, 2, 27: probrosum, Tac. A. 4, 31; cf.: si quis carmen condidisset quod infamiam faceret flagitiumve alteri, Cic. Rep. 4, 10, 12; and Fragm. XII. Tab. 8, 1, ap. Wordsw. Fragm. and Spec. p. 259 sq.; Fischer ad Cic. Tusc. 4, 2, 4.
      Phrases: canere, Cic. Brut. 18, 71; Liv. 1, 20, 4 al.: cantare cui, Hor. C. 3, 1, 4: cantitare, Cic. Brut. 19, 75: CONDERE, XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Rep. 4, 10, 12; Lucr. 5, 1; Hor. S. 2, 1, 82; id. A. P. 436: contexere, Cic. Cael. 8, 18: disponere, Lucr. 3, 420: pangere, id. 1, 934; 4, 9: fingere, Hor. C. 4, 2, 32; id. Ep. 2, 1, 227; id. A. P. 331: dicere, id. C. 4, 12, 10; id. C. S. 8: dictare, id. S. 1, 10, 75; id. Ep. 2, 1, 110: docere, id. C. 2, 19, 1: ad umbilicum adducere, id. Epod. 14, 7: deducere ad sua tempora, Ov. M. 1, 4: fundere, Cic. Tusc. 1, 26, 64: componere ad lyram, Quint. 1, 10, 29; cf. id. 11, 2, 11.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. In a restricted sense for lyric or epic poetry: carmine tu gaudes, hic delectatur iambis, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 59 Schmid.; cf.: carmina compono, hic elegos, id. ib. 2, 2, 91: amabile carmen, i. e. a love poem or song, id. ib. 1, 3, 24.
        And opp. to the drama for an epic or lyric poem: fabula, quae versatur in tragoediis atque carminibus, Quint. 2, 4, 2.
      2. 2. A part of a great epic poem, a book, canto: in primo carmine, Lucr. 6, 937.
      3. 3. A poetic inscription: et tumulum facite et tumulo superaddite carmen: Daphnis ego, etc., Verg. E. 5, 42; id. A. 3, 287; Ov. M. 14, 442; id. F. 3, 547 al.
      4. 4. A response of an oracle, a prophecy, prediction: ultima Cumaei venit jam carminis aetas, Verg. E. 4, 4; so Ov. M. 6, 582; Liv. 1, 45, 5; 23, 11, 4; 25, 12, 4; 29, 10, 6; 38, 45, 3; Tac. A. 3, 63; 4, 43; 6, 12 al.
      5. 5. A magic formula, an incantation: MALVM, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 17; cf. Fragm. XII. Tab. 8, 1, a. ap. Wordsw. Fragm. and Spec. p. 260: polleantne aliquid verba et incantamenta carminum, Plin. 28, 2, 3, § 10: carmina vel caelo possunt deducere lunam; Carminibus Circe socios mutavit Ulixi, Verg. E. 8, 69 sq.; so id. A. 4, 487; Hor. Epod. 5, 72; 17, 4; id. S. 1, 8, 19; Prop. 2 (3), 28, 35; Ov. M. 7, 137; 14, 58; Quint. 7, 3, 7; Tac. A. 2, 69; 4, 22 al.
      6. 6. On account of the very ancient practice of composing forms of religion and law in Saturnian verse, also a formula in religion or law, a form: diro quodam carmine jurare, Liv. 10, 38, 10; 10, 41, 3; 31, 17, 9; 1, 24, 6 and 9; Plin. 28, 2, 3, § 12: cruciatus carmina, Cic. Rab. Perd. 4, 13; cf. id. Mur. 12, 26: lex horrendi carminis erat: duumviri perduellionem judicent, etc., of a dreadful form, Liv. 1, 26, 6: rogationis carmen, id. 3, 64, 10.
      7. 7. Moral sentences composed in verses: Appii Caeci carmen, Cic. Tusc. 4, 2, 4; cf.: liber Catonis qui inscriptus est Carmen de moribus, Gell. 11, 2, 2: ut totum illud, VTI. LINGVA. NVNCVPASSIT., non in XII. tabulis, sed in magistri carmine scriptum videretur, Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 245: necessarium, id. Leg. 2, 23, 59.

2. carmen, ĭnis, n. [1. caro], a card, for wool or flax, Venant. Ep. Praem. Carm. 6, 5.