R191: Äbtissin C. von St. Ursula in Köln an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Greeting to the Lady of the Tower
The abbess greets Hildegard as mother and lady dwelling in the tower of Jerusalem, rejoicing in her blessedness.
Abbess in the place of holy virgins. To Hildegard. To the lady and mother, her own Hildegard. Dwelling in the tower of Jerusalem.1 C.2 By name only an abbess in the place of holy virgins of the church of Cologne!3 Most devout prayer and due service. How much I would rejoice in your blessedness.4
Longing Across Separation
The abbess confesses that though bodily separated, she is bound to Hildegard in love, longing for her comfort and placing in her a hope after God.
I can't express it with words. For although I'm separated from you in bodily presence, I'm bound to you by the deepest affection of love. For I long to see you and to explain to you the grief I carry in my heart without any human comfort. But you, who are full of all love — I want to have you in the place of a mother. After God, I've placed my hope in you! And from now on I want to be consoled by you and to be gladdened.
Tears, Groans, and Prayer
The abbess begs to be moved by tears and groans, asks for prayer to God who became poor for our sake, and closes with farewell and greetings to the congregation.
So let tears move you. Let the groans of your grieving daughter move you. Remember me, and pray to God, who for us poor ones was made poor.✦5 That he may deign to free me from perpetual poverty! And at the very least, to place me in eternal beatitude.6 Farewell! And greet all your congregation on my behalf.
Read the original Latin
Abbatissa in loco sanctarum uirginum. hildegardi. Dominę ac matri suę hildegardi. commoranti in turre ierusalem. C. solo nomine abbatissa in loco sanctarum uirginum coloniensis ęcclesię! deuotissimam orationem et debitam seruitutem. Quantum congratuler beatitudini uestrę.
uerbis non possum exprimere. Licet enim a uobis corporali disiungar aspectu! tamen uobis intimo caritatis anstringor affectu. Desidero enim uos uidere et dolorem quem in corde meo absque omni humano solacio fero uobis explicare. Uos autem quę estis omni caritate plena. in loco matris meę cupio uos habere. post deum etiam spem meam in uos posui! et amodo a uobis cupio consolari et letificari.
Quapropter moueant uos lacrimę. moueant gemitus dolentis filię et mementote mei et rogate deum qui pro nobis pauper factus est. ut dignetur me liberare a perpetua paupertate! et uel in ultimo loco eternę beatitudinis collocare. Valete! et omnem congregationem uestram mei parte salutate.
Scripture echoes
- ↩2Cor.8.9 — For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Notes
- 1 ↩'Tower of Jerusalem' is likely a spiritual/metaphorical designation for Hildegard's monastery (Rupertsberg) rather than a literal location.
- 2 ↩'C.' is an abbreviation for the sender's name (likely a personal name such as Cecilia or similar). Left as-is since the full name is not recoverable from this section alone.
- 3 ↩The exclamatory tone and 'solo nomine' suggest the writer holds the title of abbess in name but may lack full authority or jurisdiction, possibly due to disputed election or external interference.
- 4 ↩'Quantum congratuler' is subjunctive, expressing a wish or hypothetical: 'How I would congratulate' or 'How much I would rejoice in.' The sense is one of longing admiration for Hildegard's spiritual state.
- 5 ↩qui pro nobis pauper factus est — likely an allusion to 2 Corinthians 8:9 ('though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor'), though the Latin here uses pauper rather than pauperem and the syntax is participial rather than a direct quotation.
- 6 ↩uel in ultimo loco — the ablative of locus is rendered as 'place' but could also mean 'rank' or 'position.' The sense is 'even in the lowest place' of eternal blessedness.
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