R128: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Friedrich von Gottesthal
The Neglected Vineyard
Hildegard introduces the image of a laborer who abandons a stony vineyard, only to be summoned by his Lord to seek fruit where none is found.
Hildegard's reply. Now I speak to you. The person who has a vineyard or a rocky field says within themselves: It's a laborious place to labor here. And so he leaves them. The weary laborer is. But when the time of fruits comes, his Lord will say to him: Go into the fields and seek fruit in the flowers, which sometimes bloom and sometimes wither away.
The Wearying Stony Field
The vineyard is interpreted as priestly duty and the stony field as the burden of governing a difficult people, which tempts the laborer toward withdrawal.
But there he finds nothing. Listen. The vineyard is a priestly duty. But the one who holds a rod of correction among a difficult people — that one possesses a stony field. These things weary him! he says to himself. That life — and a life apart.1
The Vanity of Withdrawal
Hildegard warns that choosing a life apart is itself a fleeting vanity, and that neglect of duty brings the charge of an unfaithful steward.
And this life— is better for me. And so what she devises in this present time— this very time abandons her! Like a flower that withers. But if you were to do these things— the charge against you would be like that against a steward who, in his stewardship before his own lord, has been accused. and the one who brooded over his own humiliation within himself, so that he would write less to each person than he ought.
The Sons of This World
Drawing on Luke's parable, Hildegard contrasts worldly prudence with the refusal of true repentance, and urges the priest to rise in active charity rather than be divided in loyalty.
Whence his own lord said to him.✦ The sons of this world are wiser than the sons of light in their own generation.✦ The first angel, falling into penance, refused to sigh. Nor does he allow others to sigh. But let the priest raise himself up. And let him hasten to help others. Now take care of these things, and remain in the wiser part with the sons of this world; because if you were to act according to your thoughts that flutter within you, you would fail in either part. And in penance you would remember what you had left behind.
Remain and Do Not Abandon
Hildegard closes with a direct charge to remain with the people, not to abandon them, so that the recipient may live forever.
But you, be with this people in the morning. And do not abandon him. So that you may live forever.
Read the original Latin
Responsum hildegardis. Nunc tibi dico. homo qui uineam aut saxosum agrum habet et intra se dicit. laboriosum est hic laborare. et sic eos relinquit. tediosus laborator est. Sed cum tempus fructuum aduenerit. dominus eius ad ipsum dicet: Uade ad campos et quere fructum in floribus qui interdum florent et interdum arescunt.
Sed ibi nichil inuenit. Audi. Vinea sacerdotale officium est. sed qui uirgam correptionis in populo graui habet. hic saxosum agrum possidet. Quem ista fatigant! intra se dicit. Illa uita et aliena uita.
et ista uita. mihi melior est. Et sic quod hoc tempore excogitat. hoc tempore derelinquit! sicut flos qui arescit. Sed si tu ista faceres. tibi dicendum esset sicut uillico qui de uillicatione sua coram domino suo diffamatus est. et qui de abiectione sua intra se cogitabat ut unicuique minus scriberet quam deberet.
unde dominus suus ipsi dixit. Filij huius mundi sapientiores filijs lucis in generatione sua sunt. Primus angelus cadens in penitentia suspirare noluit. nec ut alij suspirent permittit. Sacerdos autem erigat se. et alios festinet adiuuare. Nunc hęc prouide et in sapientiori parte cum filijs huius mundi mane quia si secundum cogitationes tuas quę in te uolant faceres in utraque parte deficeres. et in penitentia recordareris quid reliquisses.
Tu autem cum populo isto mane. et eum non relinquas. ut in eternum uiuas.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.16.3 — Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.'
- ↩Luke.16.8 — And the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the people of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the people of light.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin pairs 'illa vita et aliena vita' — literally 'that life and a foreign/alien life.' The repetition of 'vita' with two modifiers suggests Hildegard is emphasizing both the specific life in question and its character as something foreign or removed. Rendered here as two coordinated phrases to preserve the doubling effect.
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