De laudibus sancte crucis

FIGURE III. ON THE NINE ORDERS OF ANGELS, AND ON THEIR NAMES ARRANGED IN THE FIGURE OF THE CROSS.

FIRST BOOK. FOLIO VII.

A complex "pattern poem" term: carmen figuratum by Rabanus Maurus from his work "On the Praises of the Holy Cross." The left page features a grid of letters. Red ink is used to draw a cross and a diagonal saltire an X-shaped cross over the grid. Red boxes highlight specific words and phrases within the lines that form the cross shape. These highlighted letters form secondary poems when read along the lines of the cross.

The following is a translation of the grid text, including the letters highlighted by the red shapes:

Hail holy salvation of Christ, o you joyful passion.
Venerable Cross, teacher of God, wisdom, light.
Praise of the truth, dear virtue, clear philosophy for those
whom the fields of the earth give, or the peak of heaven hides.
The starry choirs and the bright scepters of the day:
For you are the salvation of men, the beautiful renewal of things.
The whole world blesses you, renowned wing of the heavens.
Every knee of those in heaven is bent through you.
The earthly and the inhabitants of the lower world in their chains,
Scepters, leaders, and kingdoms bow at the name of Jesus.
But Michael the prince, the leader inhabiting the heights,
Remembers you by the virtue of God, as do all the heavens,
To rule and to protect, for you stand as the nourishing altar of the deity.
With this shield he exults, with this strong sword he will enter
The horrid wars of the dragon, triumphing with thousands of holy ones.
And the victor will seek your praises as his own rewards.
For by right he established this Cross as such an altar,
The lot and the deed and the way for all true things.
As a witness of virtues, let life itself bring forth its assembly.
Good writings justly rise up in the life-giving Cross.
Christ led himself to the rock of faith, greatly increased by interest.
He came as a humble man from the heights to lead.
And he taught by words, and left instructions by his deeds.
And on the sacred Cross, the Creator fulfilled all things.
Vigorous Gabriel, giving a clear message to the ear
of the Virgin, you prayed as an archangel and a wedding attendant.
He praises the triumph of Jesus, the angel who brings salvation.
O Raphael, medicine of God, this Cross gave you
The power to return the light, whose figure then
You showed rightly to the blind man, which returned light to the world.
Therefore, we believe that the Cross is in ancient praises,
When the new song of those singing psalms sounded in praise.
The angels came by right to their office as ministers.
Hence, I ask the host of the heavens to bless Christ,
Who saved the world by the Cross, giving kingdoms to the blessed:
And he filled your number in the height of the heavens.

A decorative woodcut initial S begins the plain-text version of the poem.

Hail holy salvation of Christ, o you joyful passion.
Venerable Cross, teacher of God, wisdom, light,
Praise of the truth, dear virtue, clear philosophy, for those
whom the fields of the earth give, or the peak of Olympus hides,
And the starry choirs, and the bright scepters of the day:
For you are the salvation of men, the beautiful renewal of things:
The whole world blesses you, indeed the renowned wing of the heavens.
Every knee of those in heaven is bent and surrounded through you,
As well as the earthly and the inhabitants of the lower world in their chains,
Scepters, leaders, and kingdoms bow at the name of Jesus:
But Michael the prince, the leader of those inhabiting the heights,
Remembers you by the virtue of God, as do all the heavens,
Both to rule and to protect, for you stand as the nourishing altar of the deity:
With this shield he exults, with this strong sword he will enter
The horrid wars of the dragon, triumphing with thousands of holy ones,
And the victor will seek your praises as his own rewards.
For by right he established this Cross as such an altar, through his deed and way,
And lot, for all true things:
So that as a witness of virtues, life itself may bring forth its assembly,
Good writings justly rise up in the life-giving Cross.
Christ, being humble, came from the heights to lead himself
to the rock of faith, which was greatly increased by interest,
And he taught by words, and left instructions by his deeds,
And on the sacred Cross, the pious Creator fulfilled all things:
Vigorous Gabriel, giving a clear message to the ear
of the Virgin, you prayed as an archangel and a wedding attendant,
Touching now upon the triumph of Jesus who brings salvation with praise.
O Raphael, medicine of God, did this Cross not give you
The power to return the light, whose figure then
You showed rightly to the blind man, which returned light to the world:
Therefore, we believe that the Cross is in ancient praises,
When the new song of those singing psalms sounded in praise.
The angels came by right to their office as ministers:
Hence, I ask the host of the heavens to bless Christ,
Who saved the world by the Cross, giving kingdoms to the blessed:
And he filled your number in the height of the heavens.