Walafrid Strabo

Walafrid (alternatively spelt Walahfrid, nicknamed Strabo, or Strabus: i.e. "squint-eyed"; c. 808 – 18 August 849) was an Alemannic Benedictine monk and theological writer who lived on Reichenau Island in southern Germany.

Quotes

Liber de cultura hortorum (Hortulus)

"The Book of the Cultivation of Gardens"

Ruris enim quaecunque datur possessio, seu sit
Putris harenoso qua torpet glarea tractu,
Seu pingui molita graves uligine fetus,
Collibus erectis alte sita, sive iacenti
Planitie facilis, clivo seu vallibus horrens;
Non negat ingenuos holerum progignere fructus,
Si modo non tua cura gravi compressa veterno
Multi plices holitoris opes contemnere stultis
Ausibus assuescit, callosasque aere duro
Detrectat fuscare manus et stercora plenis
Vitat in arenti disponere pulvere qualis.
Haec non sola mihi patefecit opinio famae
Vulgaris, quaesita libris nec lectio priscis;
Sed labor et studium, quibus otia longa dierum
Postposui, expertum rebus docuere probatis.
- However the plot of land is shaped, whether the soil is crap
  and lies paralyzed with sand and gravel, or if it's rich and
  moist and produces heavy fruits; whether it lies high up on
  a hillside or rests on an agreeable plain lined with ditches
  or slopes—no matter how it lies, your land will certainly
  produce the fruits of our native plants—assuming your
  attention doesn't grow numb and falter, and you don't
  foolishly squander the gardener's resources, and as long as
  you aren't afraid of going outdoors and getting calluses all
  over your grubby hands, and dumping baskets of cow-plop
  onto the parched soil. I didn't learn about this from people's
  chatter, or from looking at a lot of old books, or spending
  long days doing nothing—I gained my expertise through
  hard work and experience.
- Praefatio ("Preface") l. 4 (tr. James Mitchell)

Vel qualis manibus quondam suspensa supinis
Lucet agens circum lomenti bulla salivam,
Ante recens maceretur aquis quam spuma refusis,
Dum lentescit adhuc digitis luctantibus et se
Alternis vicibus studioque fricantibus uno,
Inter utramque manum parvo fit parvus hiatu
Exitus, huc stricto lenis meat ore Noti vis,
Distenditque cavum vitrea sub imagine pondus
Et centrum medio confingit labile fundo,
Undique conveniat camuri quo inflexio tecti.
- They look like shiny
  bubbles clinging to your hands as you rub some soap,
  before the fresh foam disappears in the running water.
  As long as the froth sticks to your entwined fingers,
  you can make a little crevice between your hands
  and purse your lips and blow some warm air into it,
  forming the flimsy stuff into a glassy ball in the hollow
  of your hands which wavers at the point where
  your arched fingers join together.
- Pepones ("Melons") l. 163 (tr. James Mitchell)

The humble scale of my song will not allow me to embrace in fleeting verse the many virtues of pennyroyal.

Non patitur cunctas angustia carminis huius
Pulei virtutes celeri comprendere versu.
Hoc apud Indorum tanti constare peritos
Fertur, apud Gallos quanti valet Indica nigri
Congeries piperis. Quis iam dubitare sinetur
Hac herba plures leniri posse labores,
Quam pretiis inhianter emit ditissima tantis
Gens hebenoque auroque fluens et mira volenti
Quaeque ferens mundo?
- The humble scale of my song will not allow me
  To embrace in fleeting verse the many virtues
  Of pennyroyal. They say that Eastern doctors
  Will pay as much for it as we pay here
  For a load of Indian pepper. Since such a people,
  Rich as they are, blessed with gold and ebony,
  Who give to an eager world a wealth of marvels —
  Since they will buy at such a price, so greedily,
  Our pennyroyal, who can doubt its power
  To allay a host of troubles?
- Pulegium ("Pennyroyal") l. 300 (tr. Raef Payne)

Quae rara sub isto
Axe videre soles, aliis in partibus horum
Copia tanta iacet, quantam vilissima tecum
Efficiunt; rursus quaedam quae spreta videntur
Forte tibi, magno mercantur ditia regna,
Altera ut alterius potiatur foenore tellus,
Orbis et in toto per partes una domus sit.
- Whatever is seldom seen under one part of the sky
  is readily available in other parts of the earth,
  in such quantity there as the cheapest things are here.
  Prosperous kingdoms abroad pay good money
  for articles which may appear to us valueless.
  Thus one country profits from another,
  and the whole world in all its parts constitutes
  a single household.
- Pulegium ("Pennyroyal") l. 310 (tr. James Mitchell)

Haec quia non Tyrio Germania tingitur ostro,
Lata nec ardenti se Gallia murice iactat,
Lutea purpurei reparat crementa quotannis
Ubertim floris, tantum qui protinus omnes
Herbarum vicisse comas virtute et odore
Dicitur, ut merito florum flos esse feratur.
* * *
Huic famosa suus opponunt lilia flores,
Longius horum etiam spirans odor imbuit auras,
Sed si quis nivei candentia germina fructus
Triverit, aspersi mirabitur ilicet omnem
Nectaris ille fidem celeri periisse meatu.
Hoc quia virginitas fama subnixa beata
Flore nitet, quam si null us labor exagitarit
Sordis et inliciti non fregerit ardor amoris,
Flagrat odore suo. Porro si gloria pessum
Integritatis eat, foetor mutabit odorem.
- Because we in Germany have no Tyrian purple,
  and since not even vast Gaul enjoys
  the use of glowing purplish red derived from
  murex shells, nonetheless our roses make up
  for it abundantly with their annual display
  of yellow, purple and dark red flowers.
  People say that rose petals surpass all other blossoms
  in their strength and fragrance, and thus roses
  are correctly called the flower of all flowers.
  * * *
  Growing opposite, the glorious lilies offer up
  their blossoms, exhaling a fragrance which
  penetrates the air even further. And if someone
  crushes the buds of these snow-white lowers,
  he will soon be surprised to discover that
  the fragrance from the nectar quickly dissipates.
  In the same manner, Holy Chastity demonstrates
  her own virtue in that she blossoms forth and shines,
  as long as sinful coercion doesn't drive it away,
  and the passions of illicit love do not destroy it.
  But if she loses the adornment of purity,
  her sweet fragrance will turn into a vile odor.
- Rosa ("Rose") ll. 396, 405 (tr. James Mitchell)

O mater virgo, fecundo germine mater,
Virga fide intacta, sponsi de nomine sponsa,
Sponsa, columba, domus, regina, fidelis amica,
Bello carpe rosas, laeta arripe lilia pace.
Flos Tibi sceptrigero venit generamine Iesse,
Unicus antiquae reparator stirpis et auctor,
Lilia qui verbis vitaque dicavit amoena,
Morte rosas tinguens, pacemque et proelia membris
Liquit in orbe suis, virtutem amplexus utramque,
Praemiaque ambobus servans aeterna triumphis.
- Holy Mary, Mother from whose womb was born
  The Son, Virgin of purest faith, though bride
  In name of Joseph, O Bride and Queen and Dove,
  Our Refuge and our Friend for ever — pluck Thou
  Roses for war, for peace the smiling lily!
  To Thee came a flower of the royal stem of Jesse,
  A single Son to restore the ancient line.
  By His holy word and life He sanctified
  The pleasant lily; dying,
  He gave its color to the rose.
  Peace and war He left for His church on earth,
  And the virtues of peace and war are joined in Him;
  In Him their triumphs eternal reward.
- Rosa ("Rose") l. 419 (tr. Raef Payne)

Bibliography

Richard S. Lambert, trans. Hortulus, or, The Little Garden (Wembley, Middx: The Stanton Press, 1924)
Raef Payne, trans. Hortulus (Pittsburgh, PA: Hunt Botanical Library, 1966)
James Mitchell, trans. On the Cultivation of Gardens (San Francisco, CA: Ithuriel's Spear, 2009)

External links

Encyclopedic article on Walafrid Strabo on Wikipedia
Hortulus at Latin Wikisource (ed. J. P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, vol. 114)