Ah Young Hong
Texts and translations
O ignee spiritus (vs 1-4) | Hildegard
1. O ignee Spiritus, laus tibi sit,
qui in timpanis et citharis
operaris.
2. Mentes hominum de te flagrant
et tabernacula animarum eorum
vires ipsarum continent.
3. Inde voluntas ascendit
et gustum anime tribuit,
et eius lucerna est desiderium.
4. Intellectus te in dulcissimo sono
advocat ac edificia tibi
cum racionalitate parat, que in aureis operibus sudat.
1. O fiery Spirit, praise to you,
who on the tympana and lyre
work and play!
2. By you the human mind is set ablaze,
the tabernacle of its soul
contains its strength.
3. So mounts the will
and grants the soul to taste—
desire is its lamp.
4. In sweetest sound the intellect upon you calls,
a dwelling-place prepares for you,
with reason sweating in the golden labor.
Miserere mei Domine | michael hersch
Miserere mei Domine
et exaudi orationem meam.
Have mercy on me, Lord,
and hear my prayer.
O ignee spiritus (vs 5-8) | Hildegard
5. Tu autem semper gladium
habes illud abscidere
quod noxiale pomum
per nigerrimum homicidium profert,
6. Quando nebula voluntatem
et desideria tegit,
in quibus anima volat et undique circuit.
7. Sed mens est ligatura voluntatis et desiderii.
8. Cum vero animus se ita erigit,
quod requirit pupillam mali videre et maxillam nequicie,
tu eum citius in igne comburis cum volueris.
5. Yet in your hand you always hold the sword
to cut away
the deadly apple offering
its blackened heart—a homicide,
6. when once that cloud reached out
to overshade the will and its desires,
in which the soul takes flight and circles round about.
7. But of the will and of desire the mind serves as the bond.
8. For when the spirit rears itself
to seek to see the evil eye, the gaping maw of wickedness,
then swiftly in your fire do you consume it, when you will.
O ignee spiritus (vs 9-13) | Hildegard
9. Sed et cum racionalitas se per mala opera
ad prona declinat,
tu eam, cum vis, stringis et constringis et reducis
per infusionem experimentorum.
10. Quando autem malum ad te gladium suum
educit, tu illud in cor illius refringis
sicut in primo perdito angelo
fecisti, ubi turrim superbie
illius in infernum deiecisti.
11. Et ibi aliam turrim
in publicanis et peccatoribus elevasti,
qui tibi peccata sua cum operibus suis confitentur.
12. Unde omnes creature
que de te vivunt, te laudant,
quia tu preciosissimum
ungentum es fractis et fetidis vulneribus,
ubi illa in preciosissimas
gemmas convertis.
13. Nunc dignare nos omnes ad te colligere
et ad recta itinera dirigere.
Amen.
9. But when the reason strays and, working evil things,
falls flat and low,
then as you will, you draw, constrain, and bring it back
through floods of trials and ordeals.
10. When evil yet its sword against you
draws, you break its blade into its heart—
the thrust against the fallen angel first
you made when into Hell you cast
his tower of pride.
11. Another tower you raised up in its place,
amongst the taxmen and the sinners—
to you their sins they do confess by their own works and deeds.
12. So ev’ry creature, as it takes
its life from you, returns to you its praise,
for you are that most precious balm
for broken, fetid wounds,
transforming them into
most precious gems.
13. Now deign to gather us, to draw us all to you,
and to direct us on the upright course.
Amen.
Sapped from me broken | Michael Hersch
I.
...strikes then, strides -- its beam -- it
lights into: your face splinters
strews: in the pores, burns: in
soaks: through the eye the mouth -- deeper -- so
now they are sapped from me broken: they crackle
spark showering (..) sing again
as if: abandoned quenched like ashen tunnels
so they: loom up behind, in silence, they carry
it out
II.
...even the slightest scream shook...
fourfold as though: at the throat -- to stop, stiffen --
the lips were lopped off in their swing, as if: scraped out
bleed -- skinned -- or else ...
III.
...defeathered limbs...
heaped up as if: ripped from the hands
until these are deleaved: destemmed laid
almost bare: looming, piercing you say it
breaks: between finger and finger bone
wrist, they dislocate they grate on
each other they rub: on the dry -- former --
spitchannels: cast out on the parching
jaw: they flare up...
from spit ...
...broken
O ignee spiritus (vs 1-4) | Hildegard
1. O ignee Spiritus, laus tibi sit,
qui in timpanis et citharis
operaris.
2. Mentes hominum de te flagrant
et tabernacula animarum eorum
vires ipsarum continent.
3. Inde voluntas ascendit
et gustum anime tribuit,
et eius lucerna est desiderium.
4. Intellectus te in dulcissimo sono
advocat ac edificia tibi
cum racionalitate parat, que in aureis operibus sudat.
1. O fiery Spirit, praise to you,
who on the tympana and lyre
work and play!
2. By you the human mind is set ablaze,
the tabernacle of its soul
contains its strength.
3. So mounts the will
and grants the soul to taste—
desire is its lamp.
4. In sweetest sound the intellect upon you calls,
a dwelling-place prepares for you,
with reason sweating in the golden labor.