R44: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Heinrich von Frankreich
The Living Light Speaks
Hildegard introduces her vision from the living light, describing a radiant form of virtue with bright face and pure knowledge.
Hildegard's response: The living light! showed me these things And she said: Speak to that man. I saw, as it were, a beautiful form of virtue! which was pure knowledge. Its face was very bright.
The Beautiful Friend of the King
A majestic figure in shining garments and episcopal robes summons love, the beautiful friend of the king, who calls the soul to open its heart.
His eyes were like hyacinth. And his garments were like pale silk. He also had an episcopal cloak over his shoulders. It was like carnelian stone. And these things summoned the most beautiful friend of the king — namely, love. Saying: Come with me. And as they came, both were knocking at the door of your heart, saying:
Do Not Resist
The virtues urge the soul not to resist them, to resist vices and worldly storms instead, and to let speech and sight serve God clearly.
We want to dwell with you. So be careful not to resist us. But be strong in resisting vices and worldly affairs. And by the shifting winds of those gusts that rise in the whirlwinds like foul smoke, and like the waters that fly about in storms.1 These are the restless stirrings of the human mind in anger! And in other things of the same kind. Do not hold back your speech when you are weary. But let your voice be like a trumpet resounding in the church's ceremonies, and let your eyes be clear in knowledge.
Wipe Away the Darkness
The soul is rebuked for pride and laziness, urged to cleanse itself of dark things, and reassured against the fear of enemies.
So don't be too lazy to cleanse yourself of the unworthy dust of your burden. For you are full of the drops of the nights. And what persuasion of pride! It has spoken to you in this way. Do not wash yourself. But we do not want this. But we want you to wipe away every dark thing from yourself! And don't be fearful because of the many terrors from your enemies, who speak of you neither rightly nor well.
To the King's Palace
The virtues call the soul a soldier, promising to lead it with them into the King's palace if it gives them room in its heart.
O soldier, give us a dwelling place in your heart! And we will lead you to the King's palace with us.
Read the original Latin
Responsvm hildegardis. Uiuens lux! ostendit mihi hęc. Et dixit. Dic ad hominem illum. Vidi quasi pulcram formam uirtutis! quę fuit pura scientia. Facies eius ualde clara erat.
oculi eius uelut iacinctus! et indumenta ipsius quasi pallidum sericum. Habebat quoque super humeros suos episcopale pallium. simile sardio. Et hęc aduocauit pulcherrimam amicam regis uidelicet caritatem. dicens. Ueni mecum. Et uenientes pulsabant ambę ad ianuam cordis tui dicentes.
Tecum habitare uolumus. Caue ergo ne resistas nobis. sed esto fortis ad resistendum uicijs et secularibus causis. et uicissitudinibus illorum uentorum qui in turbinibus sicut malus fumus ascendunt et ut aquę quę in tempestatibus uolant. Hęc sunt inquietudines mentium hominum in iracundia! et in alijs similibus. Silentium non habe in tedio. sed uox tua sit sicut tuba resonans in cerimonijs ęcclesię et oculi tui sint puri in scientia.
ita quod non sis piger tergere te ab indigno puluere oneris tui. Nam plenus es guttis noctium. Et persuasio superbię! sic locuta est tibi. Ne abluas te. Sed nos hoc nolumus. Uolumus autem ut quęque tenebrosa de te abstergas! et non sis timidus de multis terroribus inimicorum tuorum qui nec recte nec bene locuntur de te.
O miles da nobis habitaculum in corde tuo! et perducemus te ad palacium regis nobiscum.
Notes
- 1 ↩The sentence is a participial/relative continuation without a main verb; it appears to depend on the preceding imperative ('be strong against...') or to describe the vicissitudes just mentioned. The truncated forms aquę/quę may reflect manuscript abbreviation.
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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