It must have been a magnificent sight on November 19 in the year
569: a procession went from Tours to Poitiers, where Radegund had founded a
monastery of the Holy Cross. The Merovingian court with all its splendour,
dukes, bishops, all must have been present.
The procession had a small part from the True Cross, given by the
Byzantine emperor Justin II at request of Radegund. The True Cross was
discovered by Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. Of course it is a pius fraus, but in a time ready to
believe every miracle, no one was asking questions. Radegund (520-587) was of
royal descent and was one of the six wives and concubines of the Frankish king
Chlothar I (497-551). She had in no way any intention to marry him, but Chothar
forced her to marry when she was 17. According tradition she clinged firmly her
Christian belief and suffered her marriage. After Chlothar had killed her
brother, she now completely turned to religion, left Chothar and gave her
wealth to the poor. One should read
Gregory of Tours’ Historia Francorum
for all spicy details about the Merovingian court. Talking of whom, Gregory himself led the
procession and the mass. He was well acquainted with Radegund, as was another
man: Venantius Fortunatus (530-500/609), poet and around 576 ordained priest
and around 600 made bishop of Poitiers. The three of them were in close contact
and Venantius wrote several poems in honour of Radegund. Venantius was a prolific poet, not only of
ecclesiastical poetry, but also of panegyrics, poems to friends and a heroic
poem celebrating the live of Martin of Tours. His poetry is important for the
development of later mediaeval poetry, as it belongs to the earliest specimens
of rhyme.
For this occasion Venantius wrote his famous Vexilla regis prodeunt. It is used in the Roman liturgy, especially
in the week before Easter, when it is daily sung from Palm Sunday until Wednesday.
For liturgical use the final two stanzas have been replaced by two other stanzas,
but the text below is the original text.
Hymnus in Honore Sanctae Crucis
Vexilla regis prodeunt,
fulget crucis mysterium,
quo carne carnis conditor
suspensus est patibulo.
vexilla regis: a vexillum was a military
banner. From Constantine onwards these banners had a cross instead of an eagle,
so the whole means `the Crosses of Christ (as king)’. I think within the
context of the occasion we must take this literally as undoubtedly banners with
crosses were carried in front of the procession. In due course of this poem the focus shifts
from these banners to the relic of the True Cross.
carne: incarnated in a human body
carnis conditor: the creator of the flesh (=
human beings. The designation flesh
for human beings is Old Testamentic).
patibulum: a fork-shaped yoke, placed on the necks of criminals, and to which
their hands were tied; also, a fork-shaped gibbet, but here of course the
cross.
Confixa clavis viscera,
tendens manus, vestigia
redemptionis gratia
hic inmolata est hostia.
clavis: nail
viscera, um (n. plural tantum): entrails, but here as pars pro toto for body (viscera is acc. Graecus: `a nail being being pierced through
regarding the body’ )
vestigium: foot
immolo: to sacrifice
hostia: victim
Quo vulneratus insuper
mucrone diro lanceae,
ut nos lavaret crimine,
manavit unda et sanguine.
quo (patibulo)
insuper + abl.: above
mucro –onis (m): sharp point
dirus: terrible
ut nos lavaret crimine: `In order to cleanse us from guilt’
mano: to flow, drip (with)
unda: `sweat’
Inpleta sunt quae concinit
David fideli carmine,
dicendo nationibus:
regnavit a ligno deus.
impleo implevi impletum: to fulfil
concino –cinui: to sing
fideli carmine: cf. Psalm 95:10 dicite in gentibus, quia Dominus regnavit.
dicendo = dicens
Arbor decora et fulgida,
ornata regis purpura,
electa, digno stipite
tam sancta membra tangere!
fulgidus: beaming, shining
purpura abl.!
stipis –itis (m): trunk
tango tetigi tactum: to touch
Beata cuius brachiis
pretium pependit saeculi!
statera facta est corporis
praedam tulitque Tartari.
brachium: branch
pretium saeculi: ransom for the world
pendeo pependi (with abl.): to hang
statera: balance (predicate: the tree made as a balance)
Tartatus : hell
fero tuli latum: carry (away)
Fundis aroma cortice,
vincis sapore nectare,
iucunda fructu fertili
plaudis triumpho nobili.
fundo fudi fusus: to pour out, spread
cortex, -icis (m and f): bark, rind
sapor –oris (m): juice (i.e. The sweat and blood of Christ)
nectare: according to one commentary
(H. Schulz Mittellateinisches Lesebuch)
it must be understood as an accusative (as if nectar is not neuter and with drop of the final m), but would
Venantius have made such an error? And what does it mean: `overcome nectar’?
The idea of nectar had at that time lost its specific Greek-Roman religious connotations,
but had the same meaning as it has for us now. According to another (K.P. Harrinton, Mediaeval Latin) it is an abl. of means and sapore an abl. of specification, but this gives a rather awkward
meaning `you win with nectar by means of your flavour.’ The most easy explanation
is to take it simply as apposition `You win by your juice (of sweat and blood)
which is nectar for us'.
iucundus: joyful
fructu fertili: instrumental abl. The fructus
fertilis is of course Christ.
plaudo triumpho: to triumph (triumpho is
dat. and with nobili, but in the
translation of course an adverb).
Salve ara, salve victima
de passionis gloria,
qua vita mortem pertulit
et morte vitam reddidit.
ara: altar
perfero: to carry through
The setting by Bruckner:
About this hymn:
Click on the German entry for a metrical analysis.
Venantius reading his poems to Radegund by Lawrence Alma-Tadema
(1862).
The translation by Helen Waddell, which strange enough leaves out
stanza 5:
The standards of the King go
forth,
Shines out the blazoned
mystery,
The Cross whereon the Lord
of men
As man was hung.
Where he was wounded by a
thrust,
The edge of that sharp
lance,
That he might wash us from
guilt;
Water and blood flowed
down.
Fulfilled are now the
prophecies
That David sang of, long
ago,
Saying, The nations of the
earth
God ruleth from a tree.
O Tree of beauty and of
light,
With royal purple dyed,
Well wert though chosen
then to bear
The sacred load.
Blessed, that on thy branches hung
The ransom of the world,
The balance of his holy
flesh,
And hell despoiled.
No comments:
Post a Comment