R165: Äbtissin H. von Kaufungen an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Salutation and Humble Confession
The abbess of Kaufungen greets Hildegard with humility, confessing her unworthiness and explaining the haste of her letter.
The abbess in Kofungen. To Hildegard. To the lady and sister Hildegard. A sinner, H. And in name only the abbess in Kofungen! Not to hide the light of knowledge under a bushel of silence. Anticipated by the unexpected haste of this messenger. For I haven't been able to write anything properly to you, lady and mother.
A Call to Receive the Word
The abbess urges Hildegard to receive the celebrated prophetic volume as nourishment and to rouse the church with its message.
But rather, what I'm making public are words spoken openly — to a beloved sister. So receive it this way. That celebrated volume is on everyone's lips — the one that was given to the prophet as food. It will find a place in your mouth too, since you are wise. O, what a precious treasure this is! Beware, then, that you don't listen to a fool. Go ahead, run — and hurry! Rouse up the church.
A Plea to the Church's Shepherds
The abbess turns to the princes of the church with Christ's words to Peter, longing for consolation and commending herself to Hildegard's prayers.
And yet, princes of the church! To whom it is said in Peter: Simon, could you not keep watch with me for one hour?✦ For you have seen the rod from the north wind watching over wickedness — and we rejoice, and we tremble.✦1 And so we long to receive your consoling letters. Farewell in Christ! At his invocation, always be mindful of me. That I may deserve to become a partaker of the grace which is in you.
Read the original Latin
Abbatissa in koyfungun. hildegardi. Dominę et sorori hildegardi. peccatrix h. et solo nomine abbatissa in koyfungun! lumen scientię sub modio silentij non occultare. Nuncij huius inopina festinatione preuenta. ut dominę et matri nichil polite uobis scribere potui.
quin potius uulgata enuncio uerba ut dilectę sorori. Igitur sic accipe. Celebre factum est in ore omnium uolumen illud uolans quod prophetę datum est in escam. in tuo quoque ore utpote sapientis requiescere. O quam preciosus thesaurus iste. Caue ergo ne cum stulto glucias eum. Discurre autem festina. excita ęcclesiam.
immo principes ęcclesię! quibus in petro dicitur. Simon non potuisti una hora uigilare mecum? Virgam enim ab aquilone super iniquitatem uigilantem te uidisse et gaudemus et contremiscimus. unde et litteras tuas consolatorias recipere desideramus. Uale in christo! ad ipsius inuocationem semper mei memor. ut gratię quę in te est particeps fieri merear.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.26.40 — And he comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping, and he says to Peter, 'So! You were not able to keep watch with me one hour?'
- ↩Isa.14.5;Jer.25.9 — The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers. Jer.25.9 — I am going to send for all the clans of the north, declares the LORD, and I will bring them against Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations. I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror, a hissing, and everlasting ruins.
Notes
- 1 ↩The syntax is compressed: 'virgam... vigilantem te uidisse' likely means 'you have seen the rod watching over wickedness' (the rod as divine judgment). The participial 'vigilantem' agrees with 'virgam' (accusative), not 'iniquitatem', suggesting the rod is the active watcher.
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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