De gloria monachorum et sanctimonialium
The Vision of the Tents
The soul looks around and sees encampments of tents made of precious materials, adorned with strings and organs.
But when the soul looked around more curiously, it saw what looked like encampments and a great many tents, made of purple and fine linen, and also of gold and silver, and of silk. put together with marvelous variety, on which were strings and organs.
The Music of the Blessed
The soul hears tambourines, harps, cymbals, and every kind of instrument playing together, and asks the angel whose souls these tents belong to.
tambourines also, and harps, with organists, and cymbals singing. and the rest — all the kinds of musical instruments — she had heard them playing together with the sweetest sounds. And she said to the angel, 'These tents and these canopies — whose souls do they belong to?'
The Rest of the Obedient
The angel explains that these are monks and nuns who rejoice in obedience, submit their own will, and have passed through suffering into God's place of refreshment.
And the angel said, 'This is the rest of monks and nuns who gladly spend themselves in the promised obedience to those set over them, and concerning their vow…' who rejoice more in being under authority than in being in charge. who, leaving behind their own will, submit to the will of another. so that they may truly be able to say: 'You have placed men over our heads.'✦ 'We have passed through fire and water.'✦ And you have led us into a place of refreshment.✦
The Soul's Desire to Enter
The soul asks to move closer and look inside, but the angel warns she may only look and listen, for those within enjoy the Trinity's presence and never leave — unless a virgin joins the angelic choirs.
And the soul says, 'If you'd like, I want to move who are inside.' And the angel says, 'You may indeed look and listen to them, but you won't go in to them. These are the ones who enjoy the presence of the holy Trinity, and once anyone has entered in to them, they forget everything that came before. They're never separated from the fellowship of the saints — unless perhaps someone was a virgin and deserves to join the choirs of angels.'
The Splendor Within
Drawing closer, the soul sees monks and nuns like angels whose voices, fragrance, and splendor surpass all the glory seen before.
And as they drew closer, they saw monks of both sexes inside. They were like angels, and their voices seemed to surpass all musical instruments in sweetness and delight. And although all the souls they had seen before in other places shone with an excessive brightness, the splendor of these, however, and a delightful fragrance, and a most sweet sound surpassed the whole glory seen before.
Effortless Praise
Instruments sound without being played, voices strain nothing, lips do not move, yet melody resounds according to each one's pleasure.
All the instruments produced their sound without anyone playing them, yet the voices surpassed all this sweetness of the spirits. There was no strain for them in the stretching forth of their voices. For their lips did not appear to move, nor did they bother to lift their hands to the musical instruments. And yet the melody resounded according to the pleasure of each one.
Golden Chains and Hanging Treasures
The firmament above shines brilliantly, hung with golden chains, silver rods, cups, bowls, cymbals, bells, lilies, and golden spheres.
The firmament above their heads shone brilliantly. From it hung chains of the purest gold. Little silver rods intermingled among them. Woven together in the most beautiful variety, from which hung cups. And bowls. Cymbals. And bells. Lilies hung there, and little golden spheres.
Angels Among the Chains
A multitude of angels flies with golden wings among the chains, and their light flight produces the sweetest sound for those listening.
Among them a great multitude of angels was moving about. They flew with golden wings, and their light flight among the chains made a most sweet and most pleasant sound for those listening. suavissimum et dulcissimum audientibus reddebant sonum.
Read the original Latin
Verum cum anima curiosius circumaspiceret. vidit quasi castra et papiliones plurimas. purpura et bisso. auro quoque et argento. et serico. mira varietate confectas. in quibus cordas. et organa.
tympana quoque et cytharas. cum organistris. et cimbalis canentes. ceteraque omma musicorum genera suavissimis sonis audierat concinentes. et ait ad angelum. 'Ista tentoria. et papiliones quarum sunt animarum?'
Et angelus. 'ista est monachorum' ait 'et sanctimonialium requies qui promissam obedientiam his qui presunt sibi hilares impendunt atque de voti. qui magis subesse gaudent quam preesse. qui voluntatem propriam relinquentes. aliene voluntati obtemperant. ut veraciter dicere valeant. Posuisti homines super capita nostra. transivimus per ignem et aquam.
et induxisti nos in refrigerium.'
Et ait anima. 'Si tibi placet volo propius accedere; et illos qui intus sunt videre.' Et ait angelus. 'Placet quidem ut videas et audias illos; sed non intrabis ad eos. Isti namque utuntur presentia sancte trinitatis; et si quis semel ad eos intraverit. omnium inmemor preteritorum. ulterius non disiungitur a consortio sanctorum nisi forte virgo fuerit; et coniungi mereatur choris angelorum.'
Et accedentes propius. viderunt intus utriusque sexus monachos. qui angelis assimilabantur; quarumque voces suavitate atque dulcedine omnia musicorum instrumenta superare videbantur. Et licet omnes anime quas in aliis locis ante viderat. fulgore nimio coruscabant; splendor tamen istorum. et odor delectabilis. et sonus suavissimus universam gloriam ante visam superabant.
Omnia instrumenta nemine laborante sonos reddebant; sed hanc omnem dulcedinem spirituum voces superabant. quibus nullus erat labor in extensione vocum. Non videbantur namque labia movere nec manus ad instrumenta musica levare curabant. et ad libitum cuiusque tamen melos resonabant.
Firmamentum autem quod super capita eorum erat multum splendebat. de quo pendebant catene auri purissimi. virgulis intermixte argenteis. pulcherrima varietate contextis; de quibus sciphi. et phiale. cymbala. et tintinnabula. lilia et sperule pendebant auree.
Inter quas maxima multitudo angelorum versabatur. volitantium et aureas alas habentium; qui levi volatu inter catenas volantes. suavissimum et dulcissimum audientibus reddebant sonum.
Scripture echoes
Visions of Tondal (Les Visions du chevalier Tondal) companion
Tondal came back and changed how he lived daily. That's the whole point.
Chosen Portion builds the daily practice Tondal's vision demanded: a morning reading that keeps eternity in view.
The Visio was written 'for the edification of many' as a spur to daily amendment of life, and Chosen Portion supplies that daily spur with a morning reading and evening examen.
- A daily portion from historic texts on living well and dying well
- The complete 27-chapter Visions of Tondal in modern readable English
- A built-in daily examen prompt — 2 minutes at day's end