Vidi: the visions of hildegard
Instrumentation: SSAATTBB a cappella
Purchase: SSAATTBB a cappella
Duration: 6:00
Language: Latin & English
Story: Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) was in many ways an extraordinary woman. An accomplished composer, scholar, visual artist, writer, singer, nun, and theologian, she was a Renaissance woman before there was such a thing as the Renaissance.
She was also blessed with an unusual gift. By her own account, Hildegard began to see visions at the age of three (the Latin phrase she uses to describe the sensation of these visions translates to “The Shade of the Living Light”), and by age five she came to believe that she was experiencing divine visions. At the age of 42, she experienced a grand revelation that became the basis for her
monumental tome Scivias, or “Knowings.”
The text of Vidi is taken from two sources - the first is an English translation of the Scivias, and it contains snippets of instructions that God gave to Hildegard during her visions. The second text source is inspired by a letter that Hildegard wrote to a friend attempting to explain how she experienced these visions. The piece is meant to depict Hildegard muttering
to herself in Latin as if in a trance interspersed with divine commands in English. Actual chant melodies composed by Hildegard are also woven into her mutterings.
Purchase: SSAATTBB a cappella
Duration: 6:00
Language: Latin & English
Story: Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) was in many ways an extraordinary woman. An accomplished composer, scholar, visual artist, writer, singer, nun, and theologian, she was a Renaissance woman before there was such a thing as the Renaissance.
She was also blessed with an unusual gift. By her own account, Hildegard began to see visions at the age of three (the Latin phrase she uses to describe the sensation of these visions translates to “The Shade of the Living Light”), and by age five she came to believe that she was experiencing divine visions. At the age of 42, she experienced a grand revelation that became the basis for her
monumental tome Scivias, or “Knowings.”
The text of Vidi is taken from two sources - the first is an English translation of the Scivias, and it contains snippets of instructions that God gave to Hildegard during her visions. The second text source is inspired by a letter that Hildegard wrote to a friend attempting to explain how she experienced these visions. The piece is meant to depict Hildegard muttering
to herself in Latin as if in a trance interspersed with divine commands in English. Actual chant melodies composed by Hildegard are also woven into her mutterings.
Text and Translation:
Et video (vidi) et audio (audivi) et scio omnes illico.
Quos video, vigilans, die ac nocte.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
Quos video in anima mea.
Ego non exaudiam eos cum meus auribus.
Tunc vidi iterum audivi.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
Vidi, audivi
"Cry out therefore and write thus!"
Quos video, vigilans, die ac nocte.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
Quos video in anima mea.
Ego non exaudiam eos cum meus auribus.
Tunc vidi iterum audivi.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
Vidi, audivi
"Cry out therefore and write thus!"
And I see (I saw) and I hear (I heard) and I know all at once.
I see them them, waking, day and night.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
I see them in my soul.
I do not hear them with my ears.
Then I saw, again I heard.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
I saw, I heard...
"Cry out therefore and write thus!"
I see them them, waking, day and night.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
I see them in my soul.
I do not hear them with my ears.
Then I saw, again I heard.
"O fragile human, ashes of ashes, and filth of filth,
say and write what you see and hear."
I saw, I heard...
"Cry out therefore and write thus!"
Latin text inspired by The Epistle to Guibert of Bembroux, Hildegard
English text excerpted from Scivias, Hildegard, trans. Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop*
*Lyrics excerpted from Hildegard of Bingen: Scivias, Translated by Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop,
Copyright © 1990 by the Abbey of Regian Laudis: Benedictine Congregation Regina Laudis of the Strict Observance,
Inc. Paulist Press, Inc., New York/Mahwah, NJ. Used by permission of Paulist Press, Inc. www.paulistpress.com
English text excerpted from Scivias, Hildegard, trans. Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop*
*Lyrics excerpted from Hildegard of Bingen: Scivias, Translated by Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop,
Copyright © 1990 by the Abbey of Regian Laudis: Benedictine Congregation Regina Laudis of the Strict Observance,
Inc. Paulist Press, Inc., New York/Mahwah, NJ. Used by permission of Paulist Press, Inc. www.paulistpress.com