O hortulana sapiens: A Chronogram for the Feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen

A statue of St. Hildegard in a garden.
Source: The Abbey of the St. Hildegard.

o hortVLana sapIens,
VIsIones tVae Verba VtILIa
sICVt herbas bonas
nobIs proferVnt:
ora pro frVCtVosItate nostra,
Vt oDor VIrtVtVM
a spIrItV sanCto qVasI a faVo pVro effVsVs
In nobIs InVenIatVr.

O gifted gardener,
your visions bring forth
helpful words for us
like wholesome herbs:
pray for our fruitfulness,
that the aroma of the virtues,
poured forth by the Holy Spirit as from a crystal honeycomb,
might be found within us.

O luce viventi coronata: A Chronogram for the Feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard beholds the universe.
Liber Divinorum Operum 1.4
(detail from Lucca, MS 1942, fol. 38r)

o LVCe VIVentI Coronata,
CVIVs VoX qVasI tonItrVI
nos De LangVore nostro
In saLVteM roborat:
ora pro nobIs
et pro aegra orbIs aetate nostrI.

O one crowned with the Living Light,
whose voice as of thunder
strengthens us from our weakness
into health:
pray for us
and for this ailing age of our world.

Spiritui Sancto honor sit: A Chronogram for the Feast of St. Hildegard

Human microcosm enmeshed by clouds.
Liber Divinorum Operum 1.3
(detail from Lucca, MS 1942, fol. 28v)

spIrItVI sanCto honor sIt,
qVI In opere hILDegarDIs VIrgInIs
stVDIa saLVtarIa
VeLVt nVbes In aVrIs pVrIs nItentes
nobIs CoLLegIt.

Honor be to the Holy Spirit,
who in the work of the virgin Hildegard
has gathered for us
studies in saving health
like clouds gleaming in the clear sky.

O vas speculativum: A Chronogram for the Feast of St. Hildegard

St. Hildegard of Bingen recording her visions
in the Liber Divinorum Operum (I.1),
from Lucca, MS 1942, fol. 1.

o Vas speCVLatIVVM
LVCIs VIVentIs:
praesta nobIs opVs DeI
In VerbIs et sIgnIs tVIs raCIonaLIbVs.

O mirroring vessel
of the Living Light:
set before us the Work of God
with your reasoned words and signs.

O Sibylla vera Rhenensis: A Chronogram for the Feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen

St. Hildegard of Bingen recording her visions
in the Liber Divinorum Operum (I.1),
from Lucca, MS 1942, fol. 1.

o sIbyLLa Vera rhenensIs
VerbIs LVCIs VIVentIs CorVsCans,
VIrtVte tVa eXpLICa
qVare nos CarItate
qVasI tVnICa DIVInItatIs InDVtos
opVs IpsIVs
In ItInere aeqVo
perfICere oportet.

O true Sibyl of the Rhine,
shimmering with the words of the Living Light,
by your virtue set forth
how we, clothed with love
as with the tunic of Divinity,
are to achieve
its work
upon the even way.

O vox nunc in caelo: A Chronogram for the Feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen

St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179).
Detail from painting by Cynthia Large.

o VoX nVnC In CaeLo
CantICa sonans sVperna,
sVper qVae anIMae nostrae
VeLVt pennae VoLant:
ora In obtVtV tVo pro nobIs,
Vt VIrtVs ChrIstI
qVasI CantICI noVI
In VIrga fLorentIs
nos VIrentes roboret.

O voice that echoes now
celestial songs in heaven,
on which our souls
as feathers fly,
in your beholding pray for us,
that the power of Christ
as of the New Song
that blooms upon the branch
might strengthen us as we flourish.

O vox praeclara: A Chronogram for the Feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen

St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
Stained-glass window (restored),
Rochuskapelle / Museum am Strom.

o VoX praeCLara,
VIDens In LVCe VIVente:
praeCepta DeI
nobIs persones,
Vt opera eIVs VIrIDa
In nobIs fLoreantVr.

(O vox praeclara, videns in luce vivente: praecepta Dei nobis persones, ut opera eius virida in nobis floreantur.)

(O illustrious voice, seeing within the Living Light: ring out for us the precepts of God, so that his verdant works might flourish within us.)