Thursday, September 2
Columba Aspexit: Sequence for St. Maximinus
A very evocative text, full of remarkably vivid and dreamlike imagery, from St. Hildegard of Bingen, the Sibyl of the Rhine. It has that heady, potent, earthy and sometimes downright weird flavor that characterizes some elements of medieval mysticism. Incidentally, the Latin version of this is being played on the record player in the movie A Beautiful Mind when John Nash meets his imaginary friend in the dorm for the first time.
A dove gazed in
Through the latticed window:
There sweetest balm rained down on her face,
Sweated from bright Maximinus.
The heat of the sun blazed out
To irradiate the dark:
A bud burst open, jewel-like,
In the temple of his heart:
most pure and kind his heart.
A high tower of cypress is he,
Wrought of Lebanon's cedars--
Sardis and hyacinth stones frame his turrets--
A city surpassing the arts
of all other artisans.
A swift stag is he
Who sped to the clearest font,
Pure wellspring springing forth
From the most powerful of stones
Coursed by the most sweet-smelling of spices.
O perfumers! Ye who do dwell
In the most luxuriant viridian
Of the royal gardens,
Ascending on high
As ye finish a holy
Sacrifice of pure rams:
Among ye this architect shines,
A rampart of the temple,
He who longed for the wings of an eagle
As he kissed
His wet-nurse Wisdom
In the glorious gardens of Mother Church.
O Maximinus,
Both mountain and valley,
On Thy towering height
The mountain goat leapt
With the oliphaunt,
And Wisdom was in rapture.
Strong and sweet
In the sacred rites and
In the shimmer
of the altar,
Thou dost rise like incense
To the pillar of praise--
Interceding for Thy people,
Who strive toward the mirror of light,
To thee be praise and glory in the highest!
![[SMMMHDH]](http://www.mgilleland.com/music/smmmhdh.png){kind=small}
