A letter from Walafrid Strabo ()

Translated letter:

Under the unfortunate power of suffering time while the fictions of deception would oppress the pious and the people and the father, and prepare to destroy the holy faith, outlawed with exiles, hatred, force, prison, the sword, then the good lay shaded by the fog of mourning, and the one boldened with the fervor of tyranny brought out only treachery through the lap of the faltering kingdom. While to me, worried and sighing for the side of right great cares too often flowed into my chest, and rest was not foreboding to me in dreams, until 10 god with by no means dubious power shaking off the dark clouds dark of former fear, taught to hope for bright serenity, while pale night enclosed in deep darkness the earth and what we call the long emptiness. While sleep relieves tired animals in their internal marrow, and the torments and cares of the long day, tempering with divine favor, with even direction, a most beautiful series of a long book appeared before my face, which with metrical verses covered the whole surface fully in order. 20 While as cautious reader avid for things, I would go through each one, I directed that series from the events of kingdom and king to resound in the pedestrian text. Here the name of caesar turned under a certain image there for the always sacred name of Louis the Very Just was written, nor did the novelty of this name disturb me, when that thing indeed expressed the person, most known for worthy deeds. For the separation of twin deception was gathered, impiety and double abduction, conquering patience, 30 the always reparable beauty of the ruler of things. And when the eyes, the senses, the ears, and the depths of the heart burned with thirst, reading or rereading, a brother, from seeing the book, offered its miracles, snatching at memory added by mouth: ‘The sadder liquid from the eyes, that was fitting to all the breast, not the harms of long ruin to be suffered. Waking, and wanting to retain what I had drawn out, scarcely two verses at the end, and the augmented name I remembered in my mind, having forgotten the rest. 40 I increased the hope of peace further from the omen of the name: that Very Just portended swift wealth of virtue, and the following assertion enforced that, not to be saddened too much bearing harsh weights, swift recourse would be made to happy things. When I saw these fulfilled by deeds, what more should I see? it pleased you to offer proofs, which fed us the joys of long promise. The poor man gives five favors to the tens of the empress, Strabo seeking mercy, signs that same calculation.

Original letter:

Temporis infausta sub potestate dolendi Dum fraudis commenta pios populumque patremque Opprimerent, sanctamque fidem delere pararent Proscriptam exiliis, odio, vi, carcere, ferro, Tunc iacuere boni nebula meroris opaci, Solaque per gremium regni nutantis ineptos Perfidia exeruit fervore tyrannidis ausus. Dum mihi sollicito et recti pro parte gementi Saepius ingentes fluxere in pectora curae, Nec requies praesaga mihi per somnia, donec 10 Haud dubia virtute deus, prisci atra timoris Nubila decutiens, nitidum sperare serenum Edocuit, tenebris dum nox includeret altis Pallida, quod terram et longum quod inane vocamus. Dum sopor internis animalia fessa medullis Solvit, et angores longi curasque diei, Munere divino, moderamine temperat aequo, Visa libri series coram pulcherrima longi Ante meos vultus, metricis qui versibus omnem Rite superficiam gestabat in ordine plenam. 20 Dumque avidus rerum cautus per singula lector Irem, animadverti seriem de casibus ipsam Et regni et regis textu resonare pedestri. Caesaris hic nomen quadam sub imagine versum, Proque sacro semper Ludowici Equitatius illic Nomine scriptus erat, neque me cognominis huius Turbabat novitas, cum causa videlicet ipsa Personam exprimeret, notis notissima gestis. Namque legebatur geminae discessio fraudis, Impietas, raptusque duplex, patientia victrix, 30 Rectoris rerumque decus reparabile semper. Cumque oculi, sensus, aures, atque intima cordis Antra siti arderent relegendo sive legendo, Frater ab aspectu librum, miracula cuius Praebuit, eripiens memori superaddidit ore: ‘Tristior ex oculis humor, quam tota decebat Pectora, non longae passuri damna ruinae’. Evigilans, pariterque volens retinere quod hausi, Vix versus in fine duos, et nomen adauctum Mente recordabar, reliquorum oblivia passus. 40 Nominis auspicio pacis spem protinus auxi: Veloces virtutis opes Equitatius ille Portendebat, idemque sequens assertio firmat, Tristari nimium tolerantem pondera dura Non debere, citos facturum in laeta recursus. Haec ego cum videam factis impleta, quid ultra Occulerem? placuit vobis offere probanda, Quae nobis longi nutribant gaudia voti. Augustae pauper decies dat munera quina Strabo petens veniam, signat quam calculus idem. 50

Historical context:

During a difficult time, perhaps the revolts of Louis's sons and the attacks on the empress, the poet has a dream of words promising better times. The editor points out echoes of the Aeneid and the Metamorphoses in the poem.

Printed source:

Walhfridi Strabi Carmina, MGH Poetarum Latinorum Medii Aevi, v.2, ed. Ernestus Duemmler (Munich: MGH, 1884, repr. 1978), 379-80.