Venantius Fortunatus: a poem with a bunch of flowers

Venantius Fortunatus was well befriended with queen Radegunda - see my previous post on Fortunatus. He sends her a bunch of flowers with an accompanying poem. It could be that Radegunda was at that time in some retreat doing religious observances (te crucias l.9, isti…foris, l.16).

Fortunatus was a theologian and of course the flowers refer to the flowers Radegonda will see in Paradise. Talking about Paradise, he asks her that once she is there, she may lead him there too.

The last two lines of the poem will please any woman! Let’s hope that Radegunde enjoyed the flowers…

Miscellanea VIII.8

Meter: elegiac

O regina potens, aurum cui et purpura vile est,

floribus ex parvis te veneratur amans.

Et si non res est color, est tamen ipse per herbas:

purpura per violas, aurea forma, crocus.

Dives amore dei vitasti praemia mundi:

illas contemnens, has retinebis opes.

Suscipe missa tibi variorum munera florum,

ad quos te potius vita beata vocat.

Quae modo te crucias, recreanda in luce futura,

aspicis hinc, qualis te retinebit ager.

Per ramos fragiles, quos nunc praebemus olentes

perpende hinc quantus te refovebit odor.

Haec cui debentur, precor ut cum veneris illuc,

meque tuis meritis dextera blanda trahat.

Quamvis te exspectet paradisi gratia florum,

isti vos cupiunt iam revidere foris.

Et licet egregio videantur odore placere,

plus ornant proprias, te redeunte, comas.

vilis: of little value, cheap

ex: in late Latin there is a great freedom in the use of prepositions. So `with a little (bunch) of flowers;.

veneror: to honour, worship

non res est color: colour is not an issue

ipse: the colour

aurea forma, crocus: the golden colour: the crocus

dives: rich

vitasti: vitavisti

ops opis (f): wealth

suscipio: to accept

munus muneris (n): gift

Quae modo te crucias, recreanda in luce futura, / aspicis hinc qualis te retinebit ager.: You, who are tormenting yourself now, to be revived in a future light,  consider hence what kind of field will hold you.

ramus: branch

praebeo: to give

perpendo: to consider

refoveo: to refresh

Haec cui debentur, precor ut cum veneris illuc = precor ut cum veneris illuc (= ad eum), cui haec debenture; I pray that when you come to Him (God), to whom all thing are obliged

meque: me too

dextera (manus)

blandus: caressing

traho: to draw

gratia: beauty

isti: the flowers

revideo: to see again

foris: outside

Et licet egregio videantur odore placere, / plus ornant proprias, te redeunte, comas: and granted that they seem to please with a gorgeous smell, they embellish their leaves more when you return.

Translation and reworking by Helen Waddell:

To the Lady Radegunde with a Bunch of Flowers

O QUEEN, that art so high

Purple and gold thou passest by,

With these poor flowers thy lover worships thee.

Though all thy wealth thou hast flung far from thee,

Wilt thou not hold

The violet's purple and the crocus’ gold?

Take this poor offering,

For it thy thoughts shall bring

To that blest light that is to dawn for thee,

Fields bright as these,

And richer fragrances.

And when thou comest there,

Hear, O my Saint, my prayer,

And may thy kind hand draw me after thee.

Yet, though thine eyes

Already look on flowers of Paradise,

These thine own flowers

Would have thee out of doors.

Yea, though the flowers of Paradise are sweet,

These fain would lie

Where thou wert passing by.

Flowers in a blue vase by Vincent van Gogh