Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179)
Alleluia-verse for the Virgin
Alleluia! light
burst from your untouched
womb like a flower
on the farther side
of death. The world-tree
is blossoming. Two
realms become one.
Translated by Barbara Newman.
Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) lived a life that was remarkably long and incredibly productive. Carmen Butcher has described Hildegard as an "Über-multitasking Frau" and authentic "polymath." The Benedictine abbess founded two convents, conducted four preaching tours, penned at least 400 letters, wrote music and a morality play, supervised illuminated manuscripts, cared for her fellow sisters, and wrote three major theological tomes based upon her famous visions. This poem can be found in Symphonia: A Critical Edition (Cornell University Press, 1998).
Selected by Amy Frykholm: amy@journeywithjesus.net
