Columba aspexit...

I have said before that one of my liturgical interests is the plethora of Sequences in the Latin Rite. All but four were suppressed by the Missal of Pius V, a grievous loss in my opinion. I guess all that ''organic development'' of the Liturgy demanded their curtailment. Anyway, one of my favourite Medieval Sequences is the Columba aspexit, composed by Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th century German Benedictine mystic in honour of St Maximinus, the 4th century Bishop of Trier. I must find out more about this pious woman, she was clearly very gifted and apparently had visions (which modern science attributes to migraines!). Anyway, you can listen to Emma Kirkby chant the beautiful Sequence on YouTube. Here is the text:

Columba aspexit
per cancellos fenestrae

ubi ante faciem eius

sudando sudavit balsamum

de lucido Maximino.

Calor solis exarsit

et in tenebras resplenduit

unde gemma surrexit

in aedificatione templi

purissimi cor dis benevoli.

Iste turris excelsa,

de ligno Libani et cupresso facta,

iacincto et sardio ornata est,

urbs praecellens artes

aliorum artificium.

Ipse velox cervus cucurrit

ad fontem purissimae aquae

fluentis de fortissimo lapide

qui dulcia aromata irrigavit.

O pigmentari

qui estis in suavissima viriditate

hortorum regis,

ascendentes in altum

quando sanctum sacrificium

in arietibus perfecistis.

Inter vos fulget hic artifex,

paries templi,

qui desideravit alas aquilae

osculando nutricem Sapientiam

in gloriosa fecunditate Ecclesiae.

O Maximine,

mons et vallis es,

et in utroque alta aedificatio appares,

ubi capricornus cum elephante exivit,

et Sapientia in deliciis fuit.

Tu es fortis

et suavis in caerimoniis

et in coruscatiane altaris,

ascendens ut fumus aromatum

ad columnam laudis.

Ubi intercedis pro populo

qui tendit ad speculum lucis,

cui laus est in altis.

I must do a thorough translation of this when I get the time. The eighth stanza reads: ''Thou art strong and sweet in the ceremonies and in the shining [coruscatione seems to connote tremulous light, like that of the sun seen through the leaves of trees] of the Altar, ascending as an aromatic smoke to the column of praise.'' Notice how strange the style of pronunciation is, it's neither purely Classical nor Ecclesiastical but a strange mix of the two! Enjoy!