Letter 10007: Ad Childebercthum regem et Brunichildem reginam, de natali sancti Martini

VII To King Childebert and Queen Brunhild, on the feast day of Saint Martin, bishop of Tours. Most exalted lords, while I, small of heart, your servant, travel by boat through the shallows over wandering waters: behold, there comes the day, eternal in light through the merits of Martin, a citizen venerable through the ages, who now from Gaul wondrously fills the whole world, and his power advances where no one is strong enough to set foot. He, like a lofty lighthouse, extends his light to the Indians, he whom the Spaniard, the Moor, the Persian, the Briton loves. The East holds him, the West holds him, Africa and the North hold him: the glory of Martin is wherever the world holds places; and whoever ranges over the waves of Ocean's margin: that he may be of service to all, he circles the world's path. Ascending through ashes, through harsh hair-shirts to the heavens, he now stands jeweled, who before was poor in the world, where the glory of the patriarchs is and the prophets shine, where the holy throng of the elders is, twice twelve of the fathers, among the apostolic number, in a glittering senate, where he himself sits upon a throne, with Christ his love as king, where Peter excels with the key, Paul with doctrine, and among the rest the palm, the crown, the faith shine forth, where the places flourish for the martyrs with springtime light and their blood is written with honor in the book of life, where the confessors fill the jeweled palaces and the golden roofs hold an eternal day, where too, after her tears, opulent Radegund now stands, and perhaps she now holds Eugenia by the hand: among these Martin, beautiful, wears his diadems and on his holy loins a gleaming belt grows green, and he sings the surpassing triumphs of Christ over death and applauds with love the God who rises again. This Martin too you cherish as your patron, O kingdoms, you cherish him on earth, and he, mindful, cherishes you in the heavens: may he sing of you among the angelic troops beneath the stars, you for whom, before men, you keep the day with honor. May he read your names to the patriarchs and the prophets, he for whom today in the temple the diptych of ivory speaks. May he render the apostolic chiefs and the rest of the patrons, he whom you here cherish and to whom you give pious feasts. And may he go to Christ as an intercessor on your behalf, he to whom in the temples you give your vows in prayer. May he set forth these your solemn rites before the King of heaven, that thence the riches of salvation may be granted to you, O kingdoms. And may the Lord appoint him to be your patron, so that he who is now cherished may cherish you with his love. And he who, dwelling on earth, gave very many miracles, may he, powerful, distribute marvels to you here also. He whose blessed right hand was then seen jeweled, may that hand protect you and yours together. He who then deserved to recall corpses to life, may he here too bear vows for your salvation. He who drew the venom from the flesh of a man who had been struck, may he himself forbid harmful venoms from you. He who made the serpent's course turn back again, may he himself make grievous misfortunes flee backward from here. He who from the plague granted that Lyconitus's house be safe, may this house flourish unharmed by his power. He whose ample cloak covered the trembling beggar, may the wing of that apostolic man cover you. He who restored to the breasts of a widowed mother her son, may he himself grant you here your offspring, mother, grandmother, that Childebert may remain with new offspring, the king holding his own kingdoms and drawing in new kingdoms, that, as a mother, you may see them born of your daughter, as you more sweetly wish, and born of your dear daughter-in-law, what your vows request: so that here the faithful may keep their feast days happily and you may be the summit of honor for the servants of the Lord, that it may please you the more, Brunhild, to have him as patron, since the holy one preserves your house and lords in the world. Thus too may he instruct you, may he rule you and so lead you on the path, that by pious acts you yourself, joined to him, may shine.

VII Ad Childebercthum regem et Brunichildem reginam, de natali sancti Martini pontificis Toronici Praecelsis dominis famulor dum corde pusillus fluminibusque vagis per vada pergo rate: ecce supervenit venerandi in saecula civis Martini meritis luce perenne dies, qui modo de Gallis totum mire occupat orbem, et virtus pergit quo pede nemo valet. qui velut alta pharus lumen pertendit ad Indos, quem Hispanus Maurus Persa Britannus amat. hunc Oriens, Occasus habet, hunc Africa et Arctos: Martini decus est quo loca mundus habet; quique per Oceani discurrit marginis undas: omnibus ut praestet, circuit orbis iter. per cinerem ascendens, per dura cilicia caelos stat modo gemmatus, pauper in orbe prius, quo patriarcharum decus est radiantque prophetae, quo est sacra turba senum bis duodena patrum, inter apostolicum numerum rutilante senatu quo sedet ipse throno, rex sibi Christus amor, quo excellit cum clave Petrus, cum dogmate Paulus, fulget et in reliquis palma corona fides, quo loca martyribus vernanti lumine florent atque libro vitae est scriptus honore cruor, quo confessores gemmata palatia complent aeternumque tenent aurea tecta diem, stat quoque post lacrimas ubi nunc Radegundis opima, forsan et Eugeniam nunc tenet illa manu: hos inter Martinus habet diademata pulcher atque sacris lumbis fulgida zona viret, cantat et egregios Christi de morte triumphos atque resurgenti plaudit amore deo. hunc quoque Martinum colitis quem, regna, patronum, vos hunc in terris, vos memor ille polis: vos intra angelicas turmas canat ille sub astris, cui vos ante homines fertis honore diem. nomina vestra legat patriarchis atque prophetis cui hodie in templo diptychus edit ebur. reddat apostolicos proceres reliquosque patronos quem vos hic colitis vel pia festa datis. pergat et ad Christum pro vobis ille precator cui vos in templis vota precando datis. ante poli referat sua haec sollemnia regem, dentur ut hinc vobis. regna. salutis opes. deputet et dominus vestrum hunc esse patronum, ut modo qui colitur vos colat huius amor. qui[que] dedit habitans miracula plurima terris, distribuat vobis hic quoque mira potens. cuius gemmata est tunc dextera visa beati, vos simul et vestros protegat illa manus. qui tunc promeruit revocare cadavera vitae. hic quoque pro vestra vota salute ferat. qui percusso homini abstraxit de carne venenum. noxia de vobis ipse venena vetet. qui serpentis iter fecit revocare retrorsum, ipse graves casus hinc fuget ire retro. qui de peste domum salvam dedit esse Lyconti, haec domus incolumis floreat huius ope. cuius opima chlamys tremebundum texit egenum, eius apostolici vos tegat ala viri. qui viduae matri revocavit ad ubera natum, ipse tibi hic tribuat pignora, mater, ava, ut Childebercthus maneat cum prole novella, rex sua regna tenens et nova regna trahens, de genita ut videas genetrix. ut dulcius optas, deque nuru cara quod tua vota rogant: unde hic felices habeant sua festa fideles et domini famulis sitis honoris apex, quo tibi plus libeat, Brunichildis, habere patronum, quando domum et dominos .servat in orbe pius. sic quoque te erudiat, regat et sic tramite ducat, actibus ipsa piis ut sibi iuncta mices.