De laudibus sancte crucis

VI. Figure. On the four principal virtues, how they pertain to the Cross,

and how the fruits of all virtues are bestowed upon us through it.

This is a pattern poem carmen figuratum consisting of a grid of letters measuring 37 by 37. In the original manuscript, red lines are drawn over the letters to form the shape of a central cross and four square frames in the corners. These highlighted letters spell out the names of the four cardinal virtues: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude. The grid contains the same text as the poem on the following page, arranged so that specific letters fall into these geometric patterns.

O M N I P O T E N S V I R T V S S V M M A S A P I E N T I A C H R I S T E
O R N A S Q V I T O T V A R C E C R V C I S D O M I N V S P I E M V N D Ṽ
D I S P E N S A S Q V E T V I S S A N C T I S P I A D O N A S A L V T I S
N A M Q V A D R I G A P I I S B E N E C O R N I B V S A P T A Q V A T E R N I S
V I R T V T V M P A N D I T F E R I E M D E D I C A N T E T R I V M P H O
V I C T O R I S R E G I S O S T E N D E N S S A N G V I N E C V N C T A S
P R O F I C E R A C S P E C I E S F R V C T V P I E T A T I S I N O R B E
E S T V I R T V S H A B I T V S A N I M I M O R V M E T D E C V S O M N E
N O B I L I T A S V I T A E R A T I O E T M O D E R A T I O L I N G V A E
Q V A E C R V X A L M A P I I S I V S T A D A S L A V D E P R O B A N D A
C V N C T A S I M V L P L A C I T O D E P R O M I S F I N G V L A V O T O
S A N C T A T V A D O C V I T T E N E R V M P R V D E N T I A M V N D V M
E X T E I V S T I T I A E B E N E F E R V E N S S P E R N E R E G A V D E T
T E R R O R E M Z A B V L I S C A N D I T B E N E D I C T V S A M O R R E
A D P I A C O N S I L I A M E N T Ṽ A V F E R T F R A V D E V O R A T A M
V N D E A C C A R N A L E M P O T E R I T V I M E T T O L L E R E P V G N Ã
V I T O T A N I F V F O R T I H I N C Q V O Q V E A D I N C L Y T A V I S V
A T T E N D I T A D V E R S A F E R E N S I T C V M I P S A V E T A N D O
P E S T I F E R A V E T I T A S C E L E R V M C V M N O X I A C A E D I S
O F T E N D E N S E T P S A L L E R E I Ã B O N A T E M P O R A P O S S E
S I G N A D E I S C I R E E T M A N D A T A E D I S S E R E R E A C F P E
E T F A C T O L V C E M C O N Q V I R E R E H I N C M O D O S A N C T O S
A R R E C T A E Q V E A V R E S C A E L E S T I B V S O P T I M A D I G N E
C O N D V C A N T Q V O D D O N A P A R E N T E T G E R M I N A R V R I S
E F O L I I S F R V C T V S C O R R E P T A Q V E F Q V A L I D A R I T E
V I M I N A L V C C E N D A N T E T R E G I A F E R C V L A P R O M A N T
H O S E R G O F R V C T V S P I E T A S S A C R A T I F F I M A F E V I T
G R A T I A P V R G A V I T P A T I E N T I A E T A R T E P R O B A V I T
P A C T V M C O N I V N X I T E T L E X P A T R I S A L M A R I G A V I T
P R O D V X I T B O N I T A S N A V I V I D A G R A M I N A C H R I S T I
S A C R A V I T C V L T V S E T L A V S C O N S T A N T I A C V N C T O S
F V L C I B A T C V L M O S N O V A G R A N A P E R O M N I A V I R T V S
I A M H V M I L I S C O N D I T N V T R I T Q : M O D E S T I A P L E N A M
I N S P I C A F R V G Ẽ D A T P E R S E V E R A N T I A F R V C T V M E T
T Ẽ P O R E M A T V R V M C A N D E N T E M C O N C I T E C H R I S T V S
T V M C R V X P E R T E I V S T I T I A E T P R O P E N V M I N E V I F O
M I T T E N S I A M F A L C E C O N C L V D E T I N H O R R E A M E F F E

An ornamental woodcut initial 'O' marks the beginning of the poem. It is decorated with swirling vine patterns typical of early 16th-century printing.

Almighty power, highest wisdom, O Christ,
Who, as the pious Lord, adorns the whole world with the high citadel of the Cross,
And dispenses the pious gifts of salvation to your saints:
For the four-horse chariot The quadriga was a Roman chariot drawn by four horses, used here as a metaphor for the four cardinal virtues carrying the soul to God. well-fitted with its four pious horns Rabanus uses "horns" to describe the four points or extensions of the Cross.
Spreads out the sequence of virtues. By the dedicating triumph,
Showing that all things benefit by the blood of the Victor King,
And that the varieties of piety's fruit advance in the world.
Virtue is a habit of the mind, and the full glory of morals,
The nobility of life, the reason and the moderation of the tongue.
Which nourishing Cross is to be proven by the just praise of the pious;
You bring forth all things at once, and each individual thing by a pleasing vow.
Your holy Prudence taught the tender world:
From you, Justice, burning with goodness, rejoices to despise
The terror of the devil zabuli a late Latin term for diabolus or devil. The soul, blessed with love, climbs
Toward pious counsels; it takes away the mind consumed by fraud:
From which it will be able to remove carnal force and the struggle
With all its strength and a strong effort. From here also toward things glorious to see
It pays attention, bearing adversities. It goes with [Fortitude] itself, forbidding
Pestilential things, and showing the forbidden harms of crimes and slaughter,
And that good times can now sing psalms.
To know the signs of God, to declare His mandates, and with hope
And by deed to seek the light: from here let ears pricked up
In a holy manner for heavenly things worthily bring the best things,
Whatever gifts and sprouts of the countryside produce.
Fruits from the leaves, and when the squalid twigs are rightly seized
And burned, let them bring forth royal dishes.
Therefore, most sacred piety produced these fruits,
Grace purified them, and narrow patience tested them.
The covenant joined them, and the nourishing law of the Father watered them.
Goodness brought them forth, for the living grasses of Christ,
Worship consecrated them, and the praise of constancy supported
All the stalks. Through all things, virtue, now humble,
Stores them; and modesty nourishes the full grain
In the ear. Perseverance gives the fruit,
And quickly, Christ, [gives] the glowing fruit, ripe in time.
Then, O Cross, through you and through Justice, the divine power being seen nearby,
Sending in the sickle now, He will shut the harvest into the granary.