The letters of a monochord are fixed to the beginnings of staff lines.
Litterae monochordi affixae linearum capitibus.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

Another person …composing also tumultuous melodies, sometimes drew with ink or coal rather than wrote …
Alius etiam …tumultuarias quoque componens cantilenas, atramento vel carbone pinxit aliquando magis quam scripserit…
(Johannes Gallicus, RC, 4)

There are three types of simple notes, namely long, breve and semibreve.
Simplicium tres sunt species, scilicet longa, brevis et semibrevis.
(Franco of Cologne, ACM, 1)

Here one deals with musical notes that are the notes of chants, used by cantors.
Agatur hic de notis musicis quae sunt notae cantuum quibus utuntur musici cantores. (Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

Let no one enter the kitchen [of a monastery], except the cantor and the scribes in order to level the wax-tablets, to moisten the ink, and to dry the parchment
Nullus ingrediatur coquinam, excepto cantore et scriptoribus ad planandam tabulam: ad liquefaciendum incaustum ad exsiccandum pergamentum
(Anonymous, EO, 72, 1)

One of the notes has a stem, the other does not.
Punctorum aliud est caudatum, aliud sine cauda.
(Dietricus, RSD 1)

Would I again entrust the effaced [musical] piece to wax?
Num uero iterum ceris deleta mandarem?
(Renier of St.Lawrence, DIC, 2)

One should also note that in this chant the clef is called the letter in [relation to] which the note must ascend or descend.
Item notandum quod clavis in hoc cantu appellatur littera, in qua punctus ascendere vel descendere debet.
(Elias Salomo, SAM, 28)

It is called ... climacus because it descends gradually, that is, step by step.
Dicitur ... climacus quia climaliter id est gradatim descendit.
(Heinrich Eger von Kalkar, CAN, 4)

The word clivis comes from cleo which means 'I bend', and is composed of a note and a half-note. It signals that the voice must be bent.
Clivis dicitur a cleo [sic], quod est 'inclino', et componitur ex nota et seminota, et signat quod vox debet inflecti.
(Perseus and Petrus, SMM, 6)

The elmuahim is often drawn obliquely. Some draw it similar to a rhomboid [?].
Elmuahim vero oblique saepe protrahitur; et quidam protrahunt ipsum simile elmuahim.
(Anonymous, AN4, 2)

There is also a certain elmuarifa - one could say it is irregular. It has a line descending on the left side (as the English draw it), which sounds the same, etc. [?]
Item est quaedam elmuarifa, quae potest dici irregularis, quae habet tractum in sinistra parte descendendo, sicut Anglici depingunt vel notant, quod idem sonat et cetera.
(Anonymous, AN4, 2)

Figure is a representation of a sound set in one of the modes. On this account it is clear that the figures must signify modes, and not conversely, as some have put it.
Figura est representatio vocis in aliquo modorum ordinate, per quod patet quod figure significare debent modos, et non e converso, quemadmodum quidam posuerunt.
(Franco of Cologne, 4)

There are not only figures (or notes) that are simple but also those that are composite, that is, joined together.
Figurae sive notae non tantum simplices sed compositae, id est, ligatae, reperiuntur.
(Ugolino of Orvieto, DMD, 3, 7, 1)

In their practice of notating good notators depict the above as follows.
Boni notatores in figurando sic depingunt supradicta.
(Anonymous, AN4, 2)

It [i.e., the note] has a square shape, with a tail descending on the right side.
Cuius figuratio quadrangularis est, caudam habens in parte dextra descendentem.
(Franco of Cologne, ACM, 4)

It is called flexa because it descends and is bent to the right.
Flexa dicta quia a semiuocali descendens dextroque flectitur.
(Willelmus, BRM, 3)

It is called resupina because it is erected on a backwards virga.
Resupina dicta quia super supinam virgam reerigitur.
(Walter Odington, DSM, 5, 2)

They use red lines of one colour, or black ones made of ink.
Utuntur regulis rubris unius coloris, vel nigris ex incaustro factis.
(Anonymous, AN4, 3)

The spaces between staff lines have the same value as staff lines.
Intervalla vel spatia valorem habent linearum.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

Figurarum simul ligatarum quaedam dicuntur cum proprietate propria a parte sui principii, quaedam sine proprietate, quaedam cum opposita proprietate et cetera, prout in quodam libello vel tractatu plenius invenitur, cuius inceptio est: Habito de ipsa plana musica et cetera.
(Anonymous, AN4, 2)

When notes are tied together for descending ligature in plainchant, the first note always has a descending stem.
Si vero[notae] vel ligentur ad invicem et sit ligatura descendens in cantu plano, prima semper caudam habet descendentem.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

Without suitable lines chant can not be ordered well.
Cantus sine competentibus lineis non potest bene ordinari.
(Elias Salomo, SAM, 28)

A method was invented in which certain lines are set out to mark which sounds are equal.
Adinventus modus in quo quaedam ponuntur lineationes per quas signatur quae voces aequales sint.
( Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

There are three kinds of simple notes, namely long, breve, and semibreve. The first of these has three types: perfect, imperfect and double long.
Simplicium tres sunt species, scilicet longa, brevis et semibrevis. Quarum prima in tres dividitur; in longam perfectam, imperfectam et duplicem longam.
(Franco of Cologne, ACM, 1)

The cantor must procure for himself parchment and ink, and a scribe in case he does not know how to write
Cantor vero procurare sibi debet membranam et incaustum, et scriptorem, si nescit scribere
(Lanfranc of Canterbury, DEC , 17)

Would I restore the piece to parchment?
Menbranulis resarcirem?
(Renier of St.Lawrence, DIC, 2)

For F they use everywhere red colour made of red-lead.
Pro F ponunt …ubique colorem rubeum de minio.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

They invented certain notes by which the names of strings and their sounds were to be marked.
Excogitaverunt notulas quasdam quibus nervorum vocabula sonique eorum notarentur.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

Neume is part of the melody.
Neuma est pars cantilenae.
(Walter Odington, DSM, 5, 9)

Hence to neume is to notate or to sing, although the neume has many other meanings.
Unde neumare notare vel cantare est, licet neuma alias multas habeat significationes.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

The long note has a square shape and a stem on the right side.
Figura notae longae est quadrata et ex dextera parte caudata.
(Hieronymus de Moravia, TDM, 25)

Master Peter, the best notator, used to notate his books extremely faithfully according to the practice and custom of his teacher, whom he even exceeded.
Magister Petrus, optimus notator, et nimis fideliter libros suos, secundum usum et consuetudinem magistri sui, et melius notabat.
(Anonymous, AN4, 2)

In the course of history notators have used various types of notes.
Notatores successu temporis distinctis usi sunt notis.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

Now a certain type of note is called punctum, another one virga.
Quedam enim notula dicitur punctum, quedam virga.
(Perseus and Petrus, SMM, 6)

Pauses take place very much at will, according to what seems better to the cantor or performer.
Pausationes vero valde voluntarie procedunt, secundum quod melius videbitur cantori vel operatori.
(Anonymous, AN4, 7)

Time is the measure of both a sound produced, and of its contrary, namely that of a sound withheld. The latter is commonly called a rest.
Tempus est mensura tam vocis prolatae, quam eius contrarii, scilicet vocis omissae, quae pausa communiter appellatur.
(Franco of Cologne, ACM, 1)

There are six types of rests: perfect long, imperfect long, right breve, major semibreve, minor semibreve and 'the end of composition [or section]'.
Pausationum sex sunt species: longa perfecta, longa imperfecta ... brevis recta, semibrevis maior, minor, et finis punctorum.
(Franco of Cologne, ACM, 9)

The marking of notes, however, is a certain propriety [?], which is done both by freestanding notes and by those tied together using thin lines of a pen ...
Est autem notularum notitia quaedam proprietas quae tam per se quam copulatarum aliquando per exiles tractus pennae facta <est> ...
(Anonymous, DM, 4)

Perhaps it is left out because of avarice of parchment or slothfulness of the notator.
Omittitur fortassis propter avaritiam pergameni vel desidiam notatoris.
(Elias Salomo, SAM, 28)

It is called pes on account of its similarity to a foot.
Pes dictus ad similitudinem pedis.
(Willelmus, BRM, 3)

Pes flexus is composed of a pes and a flexa.
Pes flexus componitur ex pede et flexa.
(Walter Odington, DSM, 5, 2)

All notators are not cantors, nor are they scribes; they are clerics, indeed they are illuminators.
Omnes notatores non sunt cantores, nec scriptores; sunt clerici, vere pictores enim sunt.
(John of Tewkesbury, QPM, 3, 58)

Plica comes from the word 'folding' and contains two notes, one higher and another lower.
Plica dicitur a plicando, et continet notas duas, unam superiorem et aliam inferiorem.
(Anonymous, SMA, 6)

Now a certain type of note is called pes or podatus.
Quedam enim notula dicitur .. pes vel podatus.
(Perseus and Petrus, SMM, 6)

Note has the same function as vox, figura, sonus or punctus, they only differ in the fact that figura and punctus more often represent a composite [i.e., a ligature]. The others do not.
Nota tamen quod vox, figura, sonus, punctus, actus idem sunt; in hoc tamen differunt, quod figura et punctus saepius pluralitatem repraesentant, alia vero non.
(Anonymous of St. Emmeram, MM,.5, 2)

In accordance with Guido's teaching yellow colour is used everywhere, whether between lines or on a line, to mark C.
Secundum doctrinam Guidonis, apponuntur … pro C ubique, sive sit in spatio, sive in linea vel regula, color croceus.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

For chant certain notators always used to draw four staff lines of the same colour between two lines of text.
Notatores quidam solebant in cantu ecclesiastico semper inter duas scripturas … quatuor regulas regulare eiusdem coloris.
(Anonymous, AN4, 3)

But in pure organum and three-voiced conductus [polyphony in general?] they always drew four lines in the tenor, unless the notator was ignorant, yet always five lines in higher voices.
Sed in organo puro et triplicibus maioribus semper in tenore non ponebant nisi quatuor, nisi fuerit ex nescientia regulatoris, sed semper in superioribus quinque.
(Anonymous, AN4, 3)

Would I restore the piece, this time to parchment? I considered privately the small altar and live coals of King Joachim, and the knife of the scribe Judus .. (cf. Jer. 36, 23)
Menbranulis resarcirem? Arulam et prunas regis ioachim et scalpellum iudi scribe animo uersabam ...
(Renier of St.Lawrence, DIC, 2)

All notators are not cantors, nor are they scribes; they are clerics, indeed they are illuminators.
Omnes notatores non sunt cantores, nec scriptores; sunt clerici, vere pictores enim sunt.
(John of Tewkesbury, QPM, 3, 58)

Likewise some of the simple notes are longs, some breves, and some semibreves.
Item simplicium aliae longae, aliae breves, et aliae semibreves.
(Franco of Cologne, ACM, 4)

Among some, simple notes are called soni, and it is understood that the written sign marks the formal.
Apud aliquos [notae] simplices soni dicuntur, et sic materiali signo pro formali intelligitur
(Anonymous, AN4, 2)

The staff-line and the space between lines function as parity and imparity.
Se habent linea et spatium sicut imparitas et paritas.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)

It is, nonetheless, pleasing that the mind's eye, together with the point of the stylus, bend to the modulations of the verses, and search out with brevity what the sound characteristic to every single tone in its letter might be . . .
Libet interea mentis oculum una cum acie stili ad modulationes inflectere versuum, et quae propria unicuique sit sonoritas toni in eius litteratura verbis pauculis indagare, uti prudens dinoscere queat cantor varietates versuum in armoniaca vergentes tenore;
(Aurelianus Reomensis, MD, 19)

One should also note that in the depiction the image of the left hand should be used [i.e., of a palm]; for we use the right hand to make pauses, to show notes with a finger and a stylus [or just a stick?], and sometimes we turn pages of a book.
Est et notandum, quod in figura ista debet poni imaginatio sinistrae manus; nam cum dextra facimus pausas, ostendimus punctos cum digito, et stilo, et aliquotiens volvimus librum.
(Elias Salomo, SAM, 7)

One of them ... seizing the tablets on which I had written my meagre ideas, examined them for a time.
...quorum uidelicet unus ... arripiens tabellas quibus exiles impresseram cogitatus, aliquantisper considerauit.
(Renier of St.Lawrence, DIC)

That art, however, which is properly called music by all, We are unable to touch with the hand, nor to understand from the face, Nor to commit to tablets, or entrust to small books.
Hanc tamen a cunctis quae musica rite vocatur Nec palpare manu quimus, nec cernere vultu, Tradere nec tabulis sed nec mandare libellis:
(Bertrand Prudentius, DAM, 2)

It is called torculus as if bent backwards.
Dicitur … torculus quasi retortus.
(Heinrich Eger von Kalkar, CAN, 4)

Whenever several notes are tied together by their tails there is a ligature.
Figura ligata est, ubicumque fit multitudo punctorum simul iunctorum per suos tractus.
(Johannes de Garlandia, DMM, 2);

Hence the figure of pause is a sign or tractus signifying the omission of sound for due measure of time.
Unde figura pausationis est signum vel tractus significans dimissionem soni factam in debita quantitate.
(Johannes de Garlandia, DMM, 8)

Virga is a simple note oblong like a rod.
Virga est nota simplex ad modum virge oblonga.
(Perseus and Petrus, SMM, 6)

Nobody is able to chant from chant-books unless one knows the figures or notes by which clefs and sounds are signified.
Non enim valet quis in cantuum libris cantus decantare, nisi figuras vel notas quibus claves et voces designantur … cognoverit.
(Jacques de Liège, SM, 6, 72)