R22: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Eberhard von Biburg
Greeting and Vision of Two Walls
Hildegard greets Eberhard and describes his spiritual state as two walls joined by a cornerstone, one bright and one shady, representing his labors.
Hildegard's reply. O you, a person who stands in the place of the Son of the living God! I see your state now as it were two walls joined together as if by a corner stone! of which one appears like a bright cloud. the other somewhat shady! yet in such a way that the brightness does not belong to this darkness. nor does the same darkness mingle itself with this brightness. These walls are your labors.
The Bright and Shady Sides of Your Life
Hildegard explains how Eberhard’s inner life is joined to contemplative effort and pastoral duty, with brightness belonging to Godward intention and shadow to work for the people.
Joined to your mind. Where, on the one side, your effort and sighs breathe toward God through a narrow way in brightness. And on the other side, the circuit of your labor, somewhat in shadow, reaches toward the people subject to you. So nevertheless that you have the brightness of intention like something familiar. And the shadow of worldly labors you regard as something foreign to you. Nor do you allow it to be mixed into itself. And so you frequently have weariness in your heart. For your intention toward God.
United in One Reward with Christ
Hildegard teaches that caring for people in God joins earthly work to heavenly intention, as Christ united heaven and earth, citing the scriptural promise that leaders are called gods and sons of the Most High.
And you don't carry your work for the people as though it were just anyone's! But when you yearn for heavenly things with good intention, and when you care for the people in God, they can be joined to the one reward. Just as Christ also clung to heavenly things. And yet he bent down to the people! As it is written. You are gods! And all of you are sons of the Most High.
Called to Wisdom, Love, and Obedience
Hildegard exhorts Eberhard to soak his labors in wisdom, drawn forth by love and obedience, and alludes to wisdom’s cosmic circuit and unique heavenly journey.
Gods, that is, in heavenly things! And sons of the Most High in the care of the people You then, father. Soak your labors in the fountain of wisdom. Whom two daughters have drawn forth, clothed in royal garments. Namely, love and obedience. Because wisdom has ordered all things with love, leading forth very many streams, as it says. I have gone around the circuit of heaven, alone!
Love and Obedience at Your Door
Using vivid bridal and sister imagery, Hildegard presents love and obedience knocking at Eberhard’s door, with love longing to remain with him and rest in devoted friendship.
And because God gave a command to humanity through obedience. The garment of love is indeed. which beholds the face of God in the angelic order! But the garment of obedience is the girding of the Lord's humanity. These girls are knocking at your door! And love says to you: I long to remain with you. And I want to place myself in the bed of your coverlet.
Resting in Devoted Friendship
Hildegard describes how mercy and goodwill allow love and obedience to rest with Eberhard, linking obedience to God’s binding law and precepts.
And keep me in a devoted friendship, For when you touch and wipe away wounds with mercy, I lie in your bed. And when you hold the simple and the upright in goodwill before God. In your devoted friendship I rest. But obedience too speaks to you — I remain with you. Because of the binding of the law — and the precepts of God.
Hold Fast to Love and Obedience
Hildegard urges Eberhard to cling to love and obedience not as a steward but as a dear friend, recalling baptismal grace and God’s commands, since love is her very substance and birth.
So hold me fast, vigorously and with all your strength! Not as a steward. But as a most dear friend. For at the beginning of baptism you received me, and at a certain point in your advancement you kept me. That is, in the discipline of submission and in the leadership where you obeyed the commands of God.1 For love is my very substance. And from that love I was born. O father!
Wisdom’s Charge to a Father of the Household
Wisdom speaks again, calling Eberhard to be a gentle yet prudent father, to touch and wipe wounds, uphold the simple, and rejoice in both aspects of his vocation.
Wisdom speaks to you once more. Be like a father of a household who listens gently to the foolishness of his own sons. And yet she does not abandon her own prudence! Just as I, too, join heavenly things and earthly things together into one, for the benefit of the people. So touch and wipe the wounds. And hold fast to the simple and to those who live well. And have joy in each part, with God's help. Now, O father, I—a poor, lowly creature—see that your will desires the gate of virtues, which will come to you!
Final Blessing and Saving Power
Hildegard closes by affirming that in these virtues Eberhard will complete his earthly course, sustained by the one who searches all things and holds his soul and body in saving power.
And so, in these virtues you will complete the mill of your body's end. He is, and he searches through all things! He holds your soul and your body in his saving power.
Read the original Latin
Responsum hildegardis. O tu persona quę in uice filij dei uiuentis es! statum tuum nunc uideo uelut duos parietes quasi angulari lapide coniunctos! quorum alter ut candida nubes apparet. alter aliquantum umbrosus! sic tamen quod nec candor ille huic umbrositati. nec eadem umbrositas huic candori se intermiscet. Parietes isti labores tui sunt.
animo tuo coniuncti. ubi ex altera parte intentio et suspiria tua per angustam uiam ad deum in candore anhelant. et ex altera circuitus laboris tui aliquantum in umbrositate ad populum tibi subiectum pertinet! ita tamen quod candorem intentionis tuę uelut domesticum habes. et umbrositatem secularium laborum uelut quoddam tibi alienum inspicis. nec hęc sibi intermisceri permittis! et ideo fatigationem in animo tuo frequenter habes. Nam intentionem tuam ad deum.
et laborem tuum ad populum non habes uelut unum! sed cum bona intentione ad celestia anhelas. et cum populum in deo procuras in una mercede coniungi possunt. sicut et christus celestibus inhesit. et tamen ad populum se inclinauit! ut scriptum est. Dij estis! et filij excelsi omnes.
Dij scilicet in celestibus! et filij excelsi in procuratione populi. Tu ergo pater. labores tuos fonte sapientię perfunde. quem duę filię hauserunt qui regalibus uestibus circumdatę sunt. uidelicet caritas et obedientia. quoniam sapientia cum caritate omnia ordinauit plurimos riuulos educendo ut dicit. girum celi circuiui sola!
et quia deus homini per obedientiam preceptum dedit. Uestimentum quidem caritatis est. quod uultum dei in angelico ordine aspicit! sed uestimentum obedientię circumcinctio humanitatis domini est. Istę puelle ad ianuam tuam pulsant! et caritas ad te dicit. Tecum manere desidero. et uolo ut in lectum strati tui me ponas.
et in diligenti amicicia me habeas. Nam quando uulnera cum misericordia tangis et tergis in lecto tuo iaceo. et quando simplices et bene uiuentes cum beniuolentia in deo tenes. in diligenti amicicia tua sum. Sed et obedientia ad te dicit. Tecum maneo. propter ligaturam legis! et preceptorum dei.
Ergo strenue et in forti ui me tene! non ut uillicum. sed ut carissimam amicam. Nam in inicio baptismi me suscepisti et in aliqua progressione tua me tenuisti! scilicet in disciplina subiectionis et in prelatione ubi preceptis dei obedisti. Caritas enim materia mea est. et ex illa orta sum. O pater!
sapientia iterum tibi dicit. Esto similis patri familias qui stulticiam filiorum suorum mite audit. et tamen prudentiam suam non deserit! uelut etiam ego celestia et terrestria in utilitate populi in unum coniungo. Tange ergo et terge uulnera. et simplices et bene uiuentes tene. atque gaudium in utraque parte habe deo adiuuante. Nunc o pater ego paupercula forma uideo quia uoluntas tua ianuam uirtutum optat quę tibi ueniet!
ita quod in istis uirtutibus molendinum finis corporis tui complebis. Qui est et qui omnia perscrutatur! animam et corpus tuum in salute sua tenet.
Notes
- 1 ↩prelatio is a rare form; rendered as 'leadership' based on context of spiritual authority and obedience.
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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