R10: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Heinrich I. von Mainz
God's True Voice
Hildegard declares that God's true, righteous voice is not found in human claims or outward hearing, but in the deep, interior life of the heart.
Hildegard's reply. A clear fountain—one that is not deceitful, but righteous! it says. These claims brought before God on the authority of this girl are useless! since I am the one who is high and deep and all-encompassing. I am the light that sits upon them—yet I did not establish them, and I did not choose them! but they have been made with the boldness of living together, in the ignorance of their hearts. Let all the faithful hear these things with the spacious ears of the heart.
Woe to the Shepherds
The Spirit of God rebukes the shepherds of the Church for scattering divine offices for money and worldly favor, and for ruling with pride rather than humility.
and not with ears that hear outwardly, like cattle that receive only a sound! and not the word. The Spirit of God says this in his zeal. O shepherds, lament and mourn in this time, because you do not know what you are doing! since you scatter the offices established in God — established — into the resources of money and into the foolishness of depraved men who have no fear of God!1 where also there are curses. Your malicious and threatening words are not to be heard. Your rod — proud and exalted in this manner.2
Heaven Opened, Ropes Loosened
God warns that the proud have turned from Him, heaven is opened for judgment, restraints on enemies are released, and the unfaithful are urged to rise because their time is short.
They aren't reaching out toward God! But in the punishments of your shameful, presumptuous will. But the One who is —✦ O man, He says to you. Hear how, in your many preoccupations, you neglect me. Heaven has been opened for the vengeance of the Lord!✦ And now the restraints have been loosed against the enemies. But you — rise up, because your days are short!
Ash Scattered Too High
Using Nebuchadnezzar and other fallen figures as warnings, Hildegard rebukes human pride and calls the exalted to remember their mortality and turn from curse to repentance.
And remember: Nebuchadnezzar fell.✦ And that his crown perished. And many others have fallen. Those who rashly exalted themselves toward heaven.✦ Ah, you ash, why aren't you ashamed to scatter yourself so high?✦3 Since you ought to be in rottenness. Now then, let the raging ones be ashamed. But you, rise up and abandon the curse.
Flee from Her
Hildegard concludes with a brief, urgent command to flee from the corrupting influence of worldly pride.
Stay away from her.
Read the original Latin
Responsum hildegardis. Perspicuus fons qui non est fallax sed iustus! dicit. Hę causę quę de potestate huius puellę sunt allatę aput deum inutiles sunt! quoniam ego altus et profundus ac circuiens. qui sum inscidens lux eas nec constitui nec elegi! sed factę sunt in conuiuenti audatia ignorantium cordium. Omnes fideles audiant hęc in capacibus auribus cordis.
et non in auribus quę foris audiunt ut pecus quod sonum capit! et non uerbum. Spiritus dei in zelo suo dicit. O pastores plangite et lugete in hoc tempore quia nescitis quid facitis. cum officia in deo constituta constituta dispergitis in facultates pecunię et in stulticiam prauorum hominum timorem dei non habentium! ubi et maledicta. maliciosa et minantia uerba uestra non sunt audienda. Uirgę uestrę hoc modo superbę elatę.
non sunt in deo extentę! sed in penis presumptionis flagitiosę uoluntatis uestrę. Sed et ille qui est. o homo tibi dicit. Audi qui in multis scrutinijs me negligis. Celum de ultione domini apertum est! et nunc inimicis funes dimissi sunt. Tu autem surge quia dies tui breues sunt!
et reminiscere quia nabuchodonosor cecidit! et quod corona ipsius perijt. Et alij multi ceciderunt! qui se temere in celum exaltauerunt. Ach tu cinis quare non erubescis in altum te spargere! cum debeas esse in putredine? Nunc ergo rabidi erubescant. Tu uero surge et maledictionem relinque!
illam fugiendo.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Exod.3.14 — And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.'
- ↩Ezek.1.1 — And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
- ↩Dan.4.28-Dan.4.33 — All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: 'To you it is declared, O King Nebuchadnezzar: the kingdom has departed from you.' Dan.4.29 — And from mankind you shall be driven, and with the beasts of the field shall be your dwelling; grass like oxen they shall feed you, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whomever He wills. Dan.4.30 — At that moment the decree was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar: he was driven from among people, ate grass like cattle, and was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. Dan.4.31 — And at the end of those days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me. And I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored the One whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom endures from generation to generation. Dan.4.32 — And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing; He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and there is none who can strike His hand and say to Him, 'What have You done?' Dan.4.33 — That very hour my reason returned to me, and to the glory of my kingdom my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and lords sought me out, and I was reestablished over my kingdom, and surpassing greatness was added to me.
- ↩Isa.14.13-Isa.14.14 — And you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; above the stars of God I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north." Keep the quotation open into v.14 for continuity. Isa.14.14 — I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'" Close the quotation here so the transition to v.15 lands clearly.
- ↩Gen.3.19;Gen.18.27 — By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Gen.18.27 — Then Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have now ventured to speak to the Lord, though I am but dust and ashes."
Notes
- 1 ↩The double 'constituta' in the normalized text appears to be a scribal repetition or corruption; translated as a single concept with the repetition rendered parenthetically.
- 2 ↩The sentence is fragmentary and the abbreviated forms (Uirgę, uestrę, superbę, elatę) make the syntax uncertain. The translation renders the most plausible intended sense: a rebuke addressing the shepherds' rod as a symbol of arrogant authority.
- 3 ↩'in altum te spargere' is rendered 'to scatter yourself so high' to preserve the image of ash blown upward; the sense is presumptuous self-exaltation by one who is lowly dust.
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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