De gloria virginum et novem ordinibus angelorum
The Wall of Precious Stones
The travelers behold a wall of immense height and surpassing beauty, built from every kind of precious stone with gold in place of mortar.
And when they had set out, they saw a wall of immense height, of surpassing beauty, and a splendor unlike any other. It was, you see, skillfully built from every kind of precious stone, with a variety of colors. With metals set between them, so that it seemed to have gold in place of mortar. Its stones were crystal, chrysolite, beryl, jasper, jacinth, and emerald.
A Shining Wall of Countless Gems
The wall shines with yet more precious stones, each named in turn, completing the dazzling catalogue of gems.
Sapphire. Onyx. Topaz. Sardius. Chrysoprase. Amethyst. Turquoise. And garnet.
Drawn into Love and Climbing the Wall
The shining wall powerfully draws the minds of the beholders into love of itself, and they climb it together.
With these things. And with similar stones, the shining wall powerfully drew the minds of those who saw it into love of itself. So they climbed the wall.
Things No Eye Has Seen
They climb to see what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has risen into the human heart—the very things God has prepared for those who love him.
to see, beyond any doubt, what no eye has seen;✦ nor ear heard,✦ nor has it risen into the human heart; the very things God has prepared for those who love him.✦
The Nine Orders of Blessed Spirits
Beyond the wall they behold the nine choirs of angels: angels, archangels, virtues, powers, dominions, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim.
For there they saw, in that same place, nine orders of blessed spirits, namely, angels, archangels, virtues, Principalities, powers, dominions, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim.
Unspeakable Words
They hear unspeakable words that no one can utter and it is not permitted for anyone to speak.
And they heard unspeakable words,✦ which no one can utter, nor is it permitted for anyone to speak.✦
Forget Your People
The angel addresses the soul with the words of Psalm 44: Listen, daughter, and see; forget your people and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty.
Then the angel said to the soul, "Listen, daughter, and see, and incline your ear. Forget your people and your father's house; and the king will desire your beauty."
The Loveliness of Glory
The greatness of the loveliness is clear to all, and with it surpassing joy and dignity.
What can I say? How great the loveliness is clear to all. How great the joy!
The Company of the Blessed
It is a lofty thing to be present among angels, patriarchs, prophets, martyrs, virgins, apostles, and confessors, whose fellowship surpasses every joy.
What great dignity. And what a lofty thing it is to be present among the choirs of angels, of patriarchs, and to discern the praiseworthy company of prophets. To see the white-robed army of martyrs; to hear the new song of virgins. To behold the glorious choir of apostles. To merit the fellowship of confessors — and that surpasses every joy.
The Bread of Angels
There they perceive him who is the bread of angels and the life of all, merciful and devout.
him who is the bread of angels. and the life of all. to perceive him as merciful and devout.
Seeing All Things
From where they stood they saw not only all the glory they had seen before, but also the punishments of the damned, and the whole globe of the earth as if under a single ray of the sun, for nothing could dull the sight of the creature who had once been granted to see the Creator of all.
From the place where they were standing at the time, then. They saw not only all the glory they had seen before, But indeed they also saw the punishments of the aforementioned penalties; and what marvels us more, they were able to see the whole globe of the earth as if under a single ray of the sun.1 For nothing could dull the sight of the creature to whom it had once been granted to see the Creator of all.2
Knowledge Without Asking
Standing in the same place without turning, they could see everyone before and behind, and unusual knowledge was given so that he had no need to ask about anything but knew everything openly and completely, whatever he wished.
And in a wonderful way, while they stood in the same place where they had stood before. without turning in any other direction, they could still see everyone from that same place, positioned in front and behind. But it wasn't only sight, unusual knowledge was also given to him. So much so that he had no need to ask about anything; rather, he knew everything openly and completely. whatever he wished.
Read the original Latin
Cumque profecti fuissent. viderunt murum altitudine. pulchritudine. et splendore ceteris dissimilem.
Erat namque ex omnium lapidum preciosorum bene constructus variis coloribus. metallis interpositis; ita ut videretur habere aurum pro cemento. Lapides autem eius erant christallus. crisolitus. berillus. iaspis. iacinctus. smaragdus.
saphirus. onichinus. topazius. sardius. crisoprassus. ametistus. turcatus. atque granatus.
His. et similibus murus splendens lapidibus multum in sui amorem videntium mentes provocabat.
Ascendentes ergo murum. videre procul dubio quod oculus non vidit. nec auris audivit. nec in cor hominis ascendit; que preparavit deus diligentibus se. Viderunt namque ibidem novem ordines beatorum spirituum. videlicet angelos. archangelos. virtutes.
principatus. potestates. dominationes. tronos. cherubyn. atque seraphyn. Audierunt autem inenarrabilia verba. que nec potest homo nec licet homini loqui.
Tunc dixit angelus ad animam. 'Audi filia et vide. et inclina aurem tuam. et obliviscere populum tuum. et domum patris tui; et concupiscet rex speciem tuam.' Quid dicam? Cunctis patet quanta amenitas. quanta iocunditas.
quanta dignitas. et qualis sublimitas sit interesse sanctorum choris. angelorum. patriarcharum. et prophetarum cernere laudabilem numerum. martirum videre candidatum exercitum; virginum audire novum canticum. gloriosum aspicere apostolorum chorum. confessorum mereri consortium; et quod precellit omne gaudium.
eum qui panis est angelorum. et vita omnium. clementem sentire et pium.
Ab illo ergo loco in quo tunc stabant. non solum omnem quam ante viderant gloriam. verum etiam predictarum supplicia penarum videbant; et quod magis miramur terrarum orbem quasi sub uno solis radio videre valebant. Non enim quicquam poterat creature visum obtundere; cui semel concessum est omnium creatorem videre.
Et miro modo cum starent in eodem loco. in quo prius steterant. non se vertentes in aliam partem cunctos tamen ex eodem loco ante et retro positos videbant. Non solum autem visus. verum etiam scientia dabatur ei insolita. ita ut non opus sibi esset interrogare aliqua; sed omnia sciebat aperte et integre. quecumque volebat.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.2.9 — But as it is written: What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived—all that God has prepared for those who love him.
- ↩1Cor.2.9 — But as it is written: What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived—all that God has prepared for those who love him.
- ↩1Cor.2.9 — But as it is written: What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived—all that God has prepared for those who love him.
- ↩1Cor.2.9 — But as it is written: What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived—all that God has prepared for those who love him.
- ↩2Cor.12.4 — that he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a person to speak.
Notes
- 1 ↩supplicia penarum: a hendiadys or emphatic doubling ('punishments of penalties'); rendered as a single idea of penal suffering to avoid redundancy in English.
- 2 ↩visum obtundere: literally 'to blunt/dull the sight'; rendered as 'dull the sight' to preserve the sense of a divinely fortified perception that cannot be dimmed.
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