This page features a carmen figuratum a pattern poem or "shaped poem" from Rabanus Maurus's work In Praise of the Holy Cross. It consists of a large square grid of capital letters. Superimposed over the grid is an illustration of a standing ruler, traditionally identified as the Carolingian Emperor Louis the Pious. He is depicted with a halo, wearing a red-bordered tunic and a long cloak. He holds a tall staff topped with a cross in his right hand and rests his left hand on a round shield. Specific words and phrases within the grid are highlighted with red boxes to outline the figure's halo, the cross on the staff, and the shield, integrating the visual imagery with the poetic text.

The grid below is a complex arrangement where letters serve both the background poem and the specific verses that form the shapes of the Emperor's halo, staff, and shield. The translation of these integrated verses follows in the prose explanation.

REXREGUMDOMINUSMUNDUMDICIONEGUBERNANS
IMPERIISCEPT RUMREGNANSQUIUREPERENNI
IMMORTALETENES CUM CRIMINAMULTAPARENTUM
LAXASTI ON THE CROSS IUSTIT IAECUMFRENALOCARAS
OMNIBUSERGOTUISFERUISUPERASTRABEATAM
SPERAREHINCVITAMHIESU CHRISTEDEDISTI
DONIQUEESTMODOCHRISTEDEUSPATRISQUETUIQE
NUNCNOMENDIRIT ETUMIAM CUNCTA STUPEBANT
SAECULADUDUMENVERTICE QUODGESTATURAMICA
SUMMIXPICTOLEDUCE SIGNAT RIT EGERENDUMHOC
PERIUST AMQ; THRONUM AUIDOQUODTOLLERELEGEM
ATQ; DECET TOTUMAUGUSTUNUTUEXCOLATORBEM
NAMHOCFOENUSTANTOGIRANDOCARDINEPRODIT
ORBSF CIATVTGALEAMCONFULTUCAESARISORET
AUGUSTOP IRE FERATALMAMHINCLAUDECORONAM
NAMOPTIMADEXTRAMUIRTUSDIUINAPARETA RT E
STIPSHIESUTUADETQ; TRIUMPHUMPOSCIMUSOMNES
IAMALMUMIUSTIUSTITIAEQUODREGNETUBIQUE
HAE CFILICE INDUAT ATQUELIGATUGIRE T AMICO
DUMADFERTLORICAPLACITUMS I CIPSAPARATUM
OPT EMUSNOSSEMPER AMICUMQUEMPIECHRISTUS
RETUT ATURQUAM NULL USIACULOPREMI TA ST FUR
FASVEL INILLO PROTER ATHOSTISCRIMINEDIRO
DEF ENFOR ARTISFED FIRMUMMONSTRAT AMANDUM
IUSORNATULANEATCAESARISO BTINETHAUSTUM
OMENFITQUOMNEACTU T UMIMPERIUMMANETORBE
ENREGNAGRAIUMOMNEPERQUAMMUNERADONANT
ETPERF ADAT LICQUEEIUSFOBOLIS LUSTATUSAMBIT
GENSPLEB S L AE T APROPAGOFUCCINNAM PIEDONAT
MUSAMVIUAT EDENSMANEAT SCITSCUTUMETAMARE
SPEMEXSUL fCEPT RATENENDUMFIDEIDATUBIQ:
REMH AU ST UDONEC fAECLAFUADEP ELLIT ABARTE
QUEFORMO f EIUR ATENEBUN T T TELAN EF ASFINT
ETF EDAR EQU I ET T ERRAEFOL IDANDAPROTERUIAM
QUAMESTFOL IDUSPERMANE RE GITAUGU f T: OUILE
TRAN f FORMATORBIS f CR I f T I CUMCLARATRIBUTA
IURECOLENDIDUMMEMOR E Q: TROPHEAP ARAN f DAT
QUEHO CF IN TNOMENU B I Q: M E ANSDEUOCUMABORE
NEMPETONATURGETQUEPROB E PECTUSDIUAMAR I
SITTREMORE f T QUE BON AE D I U INOMUNE RE FAMAE
PROFICIT INDEORBEMADI DUM F R E TUM INLICIT AQ:
f ICABICIT PORTUM CRUCE DATLAEFUM fEQITURQ:
HUNC TIBI C NIM IND ODA TUMO f EMPERCA f EQ: P IU f Q:
CAEfARLARGEMODOU I f UTUCAfTRAINIMICIA f T
TERRE f P EMGETIMORA L T V INIMICAFUGAN f DAT
TUP IU f ETGRATINIIUMPTUNUMEROGATHAECGENS
ADVENIAM I RE ANIMUSNOBI f AD I U f f AP ARENTI f
CON f CR IP f IDUDUMNAME CR I f T IL AUDEL IBELLUM
VER f IBU f ETPROFATIBIQ EM NUNCINDUP ER ATOR
OFFEROfANC T EL I BEN f CUIU f PRAECEDI T IMAGO
f TAN f ARMAT AF IDEVI C TOR EMMON f T R ATUBIQUE

On the Image of the Caesar.

King of kings, Lord governing the world by your power,
And ruling the scepter of empire, who by perennial law
Hold immortality, when you released the many sins of our fathers
On the Cross, where you had placed the reins of justice:
Therefore, to all your servants, life blessed above the stars
You have given us to hope for from this, O Jesus Christ:
And of the gift which is now, O Christ, God, both of your Father
And of you: now that your name is rightly yours, all the ages
Were amazed, look, for a long time that which is carried on the head by the friend
Of the highest Christian leader signifies that this must be rightly done.
And through a just throne, it is fitting to take up the law
From the greedy, so that the Augustus the Emperor may cultivate the whole world by his will:
For this benefit comes forth from such a great turning axis.
Let the world know that it should pray for a helmet by the counsel of the Caesar,
Let it bring a nurturing crown to the Augustus with pure praise from here:
For the best divine virtue prepares the right hand with art.
May your gift, O Jesus, grant triumph; we all ask
For that which is already nurturing for just justice, that it may reign everywhere.
Let this clothe him in flint and encircle him with a friendly bond,
While the breastplate itself brings the pleasure thus prepared.
Let us always desire a friend whom Christ piously
Protects in reality, whom no one oppresses with a spear. But let the thief
Of right, or the enemy, be crushed in that dire crime:
But the defender of art shows that the firm right, which is to be loved,
Belongs to the ornament; he obtains the draft of the Caesar.
May it be an omen for everything: immediately the empire remains in the world,
Behold, the kingdoms of the Greeks give gifts through every age,
And the Persian gives, and thus he encompasses the side of his offspring.
The race and the joyful people, the progeny, piously give the sounding
Muse; it helps that he remains bringing forth, he knows how to love the shield
And hope, an exile, by holding the scepters, while he gives to faith everywhere
The matter by his draft, until he drives the ages away from his art,
Which shall hold the laws of the beautiful, let the weapons be a crime:
And to settle the quiet and the insolence of the earth which must be solidified.
How solid he remains, the Augustus protects the sheepfold,
He transforms the clear tributes of the world for Christ,
While mindful of the law of worship, he gives by preparing trophies.
Which may this name be everywhere passing, from a devoted mouth
Indeed it thunders, and it probes the heart to be loved for a long time
Let there be trembling, and it is of good fame by divine gift,
From there it profits, it entices the wet sea in the world.