Pars 1 — Prooemium visionis

Pars 1 — Prooemium visionis

And it happened in the ninth year, after a true vision had revealed true visions to me, in which I had labored for a decade; this was the first year after that same vision had shown me the insights of various creatures, as well as responses and admonitions from many lesser and greater persons, and the harmony of the celestial revelations, and the unknown Unguam and letters, along with some other supplies brought forth by D. When I was sixty years old, I had a powerful and wonderful vision, in which I also labored for five years. So in the sixty-first year of my life, which is the one thousand one hundred fifty-eighth year of the Lord's Incarnation, under the pressure of the Apostolic See, while Frederick was reigning as Emperor of the Romans, I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: 'You, who have been taught from your infancy by the Spirit of the Lord, not in a bodily way but through true spiritual vision, declare what you now see and hear.' From the beginning of your visions, some visions have been shown to you as liquid milk; others have been revealed to you as sweet and gentle food; and still others have been made manifest to you as solid and perfect nourishment. So now, speak according to me and not according to you, and write according to me and not according to you. And I, according to the testimony of that man whom, as I have said in previous visions, I had sought with great care, and I found, and according to the testimony of a certain girl who was assisting me, I set my hand to write. And again I heard a voice from heaven saying to me and teaching me this. This is the first vision of the first part. And I saw a man of such great stature that he reached from the top of the clouds in the sky all the way down to the abyss, so that from his shoulders upward he was above the clouds in the most serene ether; and from his shoulders downward to his thighs, he was under the same clouds in another bright cloud; and from his thighs to his knees, he was in the earthly air; and from his knees to his shins, he was on the ground; and from his shins downward to his feet, he was in the waters of the abyss, so that he even stood above the abyss. He had turned to the East, so that he was looking toward both the East and the South. His face shone with such brightness that I couldn't gaze upon it fully. There was also a bright cloud at his mouth, resembling a trumpet, and it was filled with the sounds of all the swiftly sounding voices. It is described. Hildegard recently debated a learned man. In 1875, in historical political circles. Many things are preserved for our prolegomena. The same clouds were sustaining. And in this fiery cloud, there was a living multitude, all united in one will and in one life. And before them, the table was fully spread with wings all around, which soared in the commandments of God. But the commandments of God were being lifted up, in which certain hidden truths had been written by the knowledge of God, and this multitude was gazing at them with a single focus. As they examined the same writings, the power of God was given to them, which resonated like the strongest trumpet, sounding in unison across all kinds of music. The wind, however, which had that turbulent cloud above it, was extending it from the south to the west, so that the length and breadth of that cloud was like a wide street, which could not be grasped by human understanding due to its vastness. In that same cloud, there was a great multitude of the blessed, all of whom had the spirit of life, and whom no one could count. And their voices were like the sound of many waters, and they said, "We have dwellings according to the will of this windmaker." And when will we receive it? For if we had those things with us, we would rejoice more than we do now. But the multitude that was in the fiery cloud answered them in the voice of those singing praises, saying: 'When the Divinity touches its trumpet, it will send forth lightning and thunder and a burning fire upon the earth; and it will also touch that fire which is within the sun, so that all the earth will be shaken; this will happen when God wishes to show His great signs.' And then that trumpet will sound for all the tribes of the earth from every language group, and all those who are written in that same trumpet will receive their dwelling places here. And the wind over which the aforementioned bright cloud was, when that same bright cloud spread from the East to the North. But the greatest darkness, with much density and horror, was coming from the West, spreading toward that bright cloud. But they could not proceed beyond that bright cloud. In that bright cloud, the sun and moon appeared. And in the sun was Leo, and in the moon was Capricorn. And the same sun shone above the sky and in the heavens, as well as on the earth and beneath the earth, and it proceeded in its rising and returned in its setting. But when the lion was advancing, it went along with him and in him, and it seized many spoils; and when the lion returned, it returned with him and in him, and it emitted many roars of joy. The moon, which was in Capricorn, also gradually followed the sun as it moved and returned with the same Capricorn. And the same wind gave a breath, and it said: "A woman in labor will give birth, and the Capricorn will fight against the North." 10 S. In the aforementioned darkness, there was an innumerable crowd of lost souls, who had turned away from the sound of those singing in the South when they did not want to join their company; their leader was called the seducer, because they followed his works, and because he was struck down by Christ, he could no longer do anything. And all these cried out with a lamentable voice, saying: 'Woe, woe to the night and the dreadful work, which life flees from, and which aims at death within us.' Then I saw a cloud coming from the north, which spread itself over the same darkness, and which was dry of all joy and all happiness, because neither did the sun touch it, nor did it reveal itself to it. But it was filled with evil spirits, who wandered here and there within it, plotting traps for people, and who were ashamed of the man foretold. And I heard the ancient serpent speaking within himself: "I will prepare the strength of my might for fortifications, and against my enemies, as much as I can, I will fight." And so he emitted the foam of many impurities with all his vices from his mouth among men, and he blew upon them a great mockery, and said: "I will make those who call themselves by bright works, into nocturnal and horrible beings in darkness." And he blew upon a most terrible cloud, which touched the whole earth like the blackest smoke, from which even the greatest roar thundered, saying: "No man shall worship another God, except the one he sees and knows." What is this that a person worships what they do not know? In that same cloud, however, I saw various kinds of vices with their own images. From these, I considered seven in this way.