De Laudibus Sanctae Crucis

Full English Translation:

Christ is love, my vow, who gives these holy gifts.
Of the poem—here is its reward, here the path, here the faithful share of rest.
He who, approving all good things with power, rightly grants such great and noble gifts
To his servants, and to these things he urges all.
He exhorts with mercy, the pious Creator promises the citadel—
That now the scepters of heaven and the high kingdoms may be obtained,
If hope, firm faith in the Most High, and holy longing desire them,
And chaste love; for one does not truly love if, forgetting these, he is lost in beginnings.
Indeed, these gifts, coming into the world with joyful peace,
Were scattered in the earlier world with powerful fruitfulness.
By which he taught the world, dedicating it, so that it would not fall into worse things—
[So that] it would not rush headlong into those places; the teacher gave the law
To know the Gospel, and to soften the harsh way of life.
So that God from the citadel of heaven—the Just One—when he comes,
As the Author, may give the rewards of the heavenly Father to the just.
May the right hand then receive good gifts, deserved by the worthy.
This number of the Healer marks both comings
Of the Lord: when he restrained the tyrant,
When he, made man, restored such good things to the world,
And after his baptism, declared it with faithful speech to all.
And when the Savior is about to go to the Father Most High, the Just Judge—
Both man and the seal of salvation—brings holy rewards
To give from on high, and forever to behold the face of the Most High:
Namely, the sacred face, which the true one declares
Is to be praised with hymns, for those who have grown in good merits:
Which the blessed lot is accustomed to sing, as the serene writings
Of the Apocalypse proclaim—to bear shining hosts
Of glory and power to the Most High, every day and through all ages.
Alleluia resounds—oh, who then will be in that hall, and not here?
God and our Lord, to be appeased, is present everywhere,
May this writing help them, as it is nurturing in the fortress of the air,
When he appears rejoicing, and the crowd of the holy
Carries away [his own], losing nothing, and removes scandals with steadfast wrath,
So that he may send his devoted servants—like grain—into the granary.
Happy is the one who is able and permitted to ascend to heaven,
And to rightly behold the joyful face of the Lord Christ.
For whom high love remains, and all perfection is given.
And, joined with angelic choirs, he rejoices everywhere
In praises, and strives to sing in psalm to Christ.
This zeal does not know how to set aside the proper new songs,
For the eternal Queen thus knows well the joys to come.