Yesterday I found the texts of some of Hildegard’s Latin hymns online. Here’s one called ” Ave, generosa . ” The translation wasn’t outstanding, so I thought I’d provide one of my own.
Ave, generosa, | Hail, noble one,
gloriosa et intacta puella | glorious and virgin girl.
Tu pupilla castitatis, | You are the pupil of chastity,
tu materia sanctitatis, | you the material of sanctity
que Deo placuit. | which pleases God.
Nam hec superna infusio in te fuit, | For this heavenly in-flowing was in you,
quod supernum Verbum in te carnem induit. | because the heavenly Word clothed itself in flesh in you.
Tu candidum lilium, | You are a radiant lily,
quod Deus ante omnem creaturam inspexit. | which God examined before every creature.
O pulcherrima et dulcissima, | O most beautiful and sweetest,
quam valde Deus in te delectabatur, | how God was taking great delight in you
cum amplexionem caloris sui in te posuit, | when he placed the embrace of his own warmth in you,
ita quod Filius eius de te lactatus est. | so that his son was nursed by you.
Venter enim tuus gaudium havuit, | For your belly bore joy,
cum omnis celestis symphonia de te sonuit, | when every heavenly harmony about you resounded,
quia, Virgo, Filium Dei portasti, | because, Virgin, you have carried the Son of God,
ubi castitas tua in Deo claruit. | when your chastity in God became clear.
Viscera tua gaudium habuerunt, | Your womb had joy
sicut gramen, super quod ros cadit, | like the grass, over which the dew falls,
cum ei viriditatem infudit, | when he poured fruitfulness into you,
ut et in te factum est, | and so was made in you,
o Mater omnis gaudii. | O Mother of all joy.
Nunc omnis Ecclesia in gaudio rutilet | Now let the whole Church glow red in joy
ac in symphonia sonet | and resound in harmony
propter dulcissima Virginem | on account of the sweetest and praiseworthy
et laudabilem Mariam, dei Genitricem. | Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
Amen
Note the theme of viriditas that I mentioned before present in the sixth stanza. Note also the word materia , which I translated as material , in the second stanza. It does mean that, but in the sense of building materials, i.e. wood, which provides another allusion to Mary as the verdant stem from which Christ flowers. There’s even an allusion to mater in materia .
The “pupil of chastity” line is interesting too, bringing to mind the passage where Christ talks about the eye as “the lamp of the body” (Luke 11:34), shining out what is contained within. And so much of the language is almost erotic—the “embrace of warmth,” the pouring-in of fruitfulness. Simply beautiful.
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