R136: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Arnold I. von Valcourt
The Living Light Speaks
Hildegard introduces her reply as a word from the living light, calling the listener to hear a parable about an unstable valley that mirrors the fickle state of the human mind.
Hildegard's reply. The light that lived completely says. O you, listen, O person. There was a certain valley that sometimes dried up and sometimes flourished, and it was not stable in the herbs that yield usefulness. but it was beautiful for people to look at! and not very useful for refreshment. So is your mind.
Drying Up and Rising Up
The soul alternates between despondent self-cont and exalted contemplation, then collapses into compunction and the confession of sin.
For when you look at yourself, you think you're not strong in a good conscience, and soon you dry up, as if you had no hope. And when your mind rises up afterwards like a mountain of myrrh and frankincense,✦ you are like a dead man in yourself, rising to fear, struggling with trembling and weakness.1 And then you pray like this, saying: My sins are too great!✦ in the wounds of my sins.
The Form of Brightness
Hildegard warns that desiring good works without carrying them through leaves them spiritually formless, and urges the listener to cry out through real obedience.
But then you waste away in your own will, and you rush toward worldly things and don't complete the good works, exercising yourself in them. But that's what your own estimation tells you. I want to do good works. But good works don't take on that kind of brightness in you! Because you waste away in your sins. Cry out, then, through good works! And God will receive you. Listen.
Seeing God in Good Works
The one who truly does good works sees God, while the one who merely holds an opinion of good is like a mirror that reflects an image it does not possess.
See to it that you dry up in what is evil. and that you grow strong in what is good. Cry out as you begin to see God in good will! And do good works in perfection. Whoever does good sees God. but whoever has only an opinion of the good is like a mirror in which some image shines.
Rise Up and Be Received
Hildegard exhorts the hearer to rise and complete good works so that God will receive them, then gently answers the excuse of worldly cares by promising mercy.
But that form is not in him. So rise up, begin good works, and carry them through to completion!2 And God will receive you. But you reply. I have worldly concerns to attend to. What is this way of life?3 I'm showing you so that you may find mercy.4 Kindness.5
Hands Open to the Failing
True kindness trames pride by stretching out hands to the failing, sparing sinners, and refusing envy, greed, and harm, so that the listener may truly live.
And the power that tramples down pride— and that you would stretch out your hands to those who are failing. And amid many sorrows, to those who lie helpless— and that you would spare those who sin against you. Do not feed the worship of idols, which is greed. And do not strike the face of God—the happiness that God gave to others. Do not kill through envy. And you will live.
Read the original Latin
Responsum hildegardis. Lux quę tota uiuit. dicit. O tu homo audi. Quedam uallis erat quę interdum aruit et interdum floruit nec stabilis fuit in herbis quę utilitatem proferunt. sed pulcra erat hominibus ad uidendum! et non multum utilis ad refectionem. Sic est mens tua.
Nam cum teipsum inspicis. ita quod cogitas quod non sis fortis in bona conscientia tua. mox arescis quasi spem non habeas. et cum postea surgit mens tua quasi mons mirrę et thuris. ad timorem ascendens uelut mortuus sis in temetipso rixando cum tremore uires. Et tunc ita oras dicens. Nimia sunt crimina mea! in uulneribus peccatorum meorum.
Sed deinde tabescis in propria uoluntate tua et properas ad secularia et non perficis bona opera te in eis exercendo. Sed in tali opinione est estimatio tua dicens. Uolo bona opera facere. Bona autem opera sic non accipiunt formam claritatis in te! quia in peccatis tabescis. Clama ergo per bona opera! et deus suscipiet te. Audi.
Vide ut arescas in malis. et ut uirescas in bonis. Clama incipiendo deum uidere in bona uoluntate! et bona opera fac in perfectione. Qui bonum operatur. deum uidet. sed qui opinionem boni habet. est quasi speculum in quo forma aliqua fulget.
sed forma illa in eo non est. Ideo surge et incipe bona opera et fac ea in perfectione! et deus suscipiet te. Sed tu respondes. Curam secularem habeo. Quę est hęc conuersio? Ego ostendo tibi ut habeas misericordiam. benignitatem.
et uirtutem quę conculcat superbiam. et ut manus porrigas deficientibus. et in plenis doloribus iacentibus. et parcas delinquentibus in te. ita ne pascas culturam idolorum que est auaricia. et ne uerberes faciem dei scilicet felicitatem quam deus alij dedit. ne per inuidiam occidas. et uiues.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin syntax is compressed and somewhat uncertain: 'ad timorem ascendens uelut mortuus sis in temetipso rixando cum tremore uires' blends participles and subjunctive in a way that resists a single clean parsing. The rendering captures the sense of someone inwardly dead, rising toward fear, and contending with trembling and failing strength.
- 2 ↩perfectione rendered as 'completion' to convey bringing works to their full end; could also be 'perfection' in a moral sense.
- 3 ↩The normalized text 'Quę est hęc conuersio?' has uncertain tokenization (macron forms split). The translation follows the most plausible intended reading: 'What is this way of life / conversion?' — conuersio rendered as 'way of life' to capture the sense of a manner of living or spiritual conversion.
- 4 ↩ut rendered as purpose ('so that'); could also be resultative. Purpose chosen as best candidate.
- 5 ↩This single-word sentence appears to be a fragment or emphatic reply in the dialogue. Rendered as a standalone word to preserve the abrupt, pointed tone.
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