R199: Hazecha von Krauftal an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Salutation and Honor
Hazecha identifies herself and greets Hildegard with honor, acknowledging her God-given visions and lifting her above herself in love.
Hazecha, abbess of Krauftal. To Hildegard. To the most loving Lady Hildegard. Illuminated by the most sacred gift of divine and most true visions. Hazecha. Of Krauftal, abbess in name only. Above the most overflowing gift of perfect love. Your words, my lady.
Hildegard's Contemplative Fruit
Hazecha praises how Hildegard's contemplative life pours down like rain to nourish others, and declares her own humble trust in Hildegard as mother and protector.
From that most holy soul of yours, from that height of your contemplation, as though streaming down from the summit of eternal hills into the deepest valley of other souls, like rain upon grass, and like drops upon the blades, they water them — they pour into them and make them sprout, a shoot without thorn. They make them bring forth living offspring of heavenly desire, all the way to the throne of glory of the most high God, springing up with wonderful fragrance. Therefore I, your servant, long to gaze upon the letters of your holiness, and to be refreshed by the address of your sweetest consolation, like a gentle breath of air. For to me you are mother and lady. All my hope and confidence, my refuge and my protection, hangs upon your motherhood after God.
Humble Plea for Guidance
Hazecha entrusts herself to Hildegard's counsel, humbly begs her intercession amid fear of failure, and closes with a farewell.
And so I turn to you alone, and I entrust myself to your counsel and your aid, after Christ. I ask again, and humbly and mercifully I beseech you: that you may entreat God on my behalf and let me know what I must do. For the many transgressions in which I fall — both under the burden of the name laid upon me and in other offenses — I have already begged you; kindly bring these before God.1 For I am afraid — I am very much afraid! I fear that I may incur the offense of God. Farewell.
Read the original Latin
Hazecha abbatissa de crovchdal. hildegardi. Amantissimę dominę hildegardi. diuinarum ac uerissimarum uisionum sacratissimo munere diuinitus illustratę. hazecha. de crovchdal solo nomine abbatissa. super efferuentissimum perfectę caritatis donum. Eloquia uestra mi domina.
ab illa sanctissima anima uestra. ab illa celsitudine contemplationis uestrę tanquam de uertice eternorum collium defluentia in profundissimam ceterarum conuallem animarum. quasi ymber super herbam et quasi stille super gramina rigant eas. infundunt eas et germinare eas faciunt germen sine spina. germinare eas faciunt supernorum desideriorum uiua genimina usque ad tronum glorię summi dei miro odore prosilientia. Opto igitur ego ancilla uestra litteras uestrę sanctitatis intueri et alloquio dulcissimę consolationis uestrę tanquam lenis aurę flatu refoueri. Nam mi mater et domina. omnis spes et securitas et refugium ac tutela mea in uestra post deum maternitate dependet.
ideoque ad uos solam recurro et me consilio et auxilio uestro post christum committo. Posco igitur iterum suppliciter deprecor misericorditer. quatenus pro me deum exoretis et quid mihi agendum sit. pro pluribus excessibus meis quibus et in onere nominis mihi impositi seu in alijs transgressionibus delinquo ut supra deprecata sum benigne insinuetis. Timeo enim et ualde pertimesco! me offensam dei incurrere. Valete.
Notes
- 1 ↩onere nominis mihi impositi — 'the burden of the name laid upon me' likely refers to the weight of her religious office or title; the precise referent is uncertain.
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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