St Bernard's Praises of the Virgin Mother: Homily 2, Part 3

St Bernard. Musée de Cluny [Public domain]

'To this warm love of Jesus Christ was joined a most sweet and tender devotion towards His glorious Mother, whose motherly love he repaid with the affection of a child, and whom he jealously honoured. (from Pope Pius XII's Encyclical 'Dr Mellifluus', on St Bernard, the 'last of the Fathers' - 1953)

Our series on St Bernard's homilies in praise of the Virgin Mother continues with the second homily. The Latin text and an English translation are followed by references and notes on vocabulary.

O Lord, the woman whom thou hast given me, gave me of the tree of life; and I have eaten, and its fruit has been sweeter than honey to my mouth, and by it thou hast given me life.

Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. Tecum tutus semper sum. 

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

3. Laetare, pater Adam, sed magis tu, o Eva mater, exsulta, qui, sicut omnium parentes, ita omnium fuistis peremptores; et, quod infelicius est, prius peremptores, quam parentes.

3. Rejoice, O father Adam, and exult yet more, mother Eve:  you who, though the parents of all, were their destroyers; and, what is more tragic,  destroyers even before you became their parents. 

Ambo, inquam, consolamini super filia, et tali filia; sed illa amplius, de qua malum ortum est prius, cujus opprobrium in omnes pertransiit mulieres.

Be ye both consoled, I say, in your daughter, and in such a daughter ! But especially you, O Eve, from whom the evil first originated, and whose shame passed down to all women.

Instat namque tempus, quo jam tollatur opprobrium, nec habeat vir quid causetur adversus feminam: qui utique dum se imprudenter excusare conaretur, crudeliter illam accusare non cunctatus est, dicens, Mulier quam dedisti mihi, dedit mihi de ligno, et comedi [1].

Now is the time when that reproach shall be taken away; and no longer will a man have any reason to hold against a woman; Adam, while he unwisely tried to exculpate himself, cruelly did not hesitate to accuse the woman, saying: The woman, whom thou gavest me, gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Propterea curre, Eva, ad Mariam; curre, mater, ad filiam; filia pro matre respondeat, ipsa [alias, ita] matris opprobrium auferat, ipsa patri pro matre satisfaciat: quia ecce si vir cecidit per feminam, jam non erigitur nisi per feminam.

Wherefore, O Eve, hasten to Mary ; hasten, O Mother, to your daughter. Let the daughter answer for the mother; let her take away her mother's shame ; on behalf of the mother, let her satisfy also for her father Adam; for if a man fell by a woman, behold, now he shall not be raised up except by a woman. 

Quid dicebas, o Adam? Mulier quam dedisti mihi, dedit mihi de ligno, et comedi. Verba malitiae sunt haec, quibus magis  augeas quam deleas culpam. Verumtamen Sapientia vicit malitiam, cum occasionem veniae, quam a te Deus interrogando elicere tentavit, sed non potuit, in thesauro indeficientis suae pietatis invenit.

What were you saying, Adam? The woman, whom thou gavest me, gave me of the tree, and I did eat. These are words of ill will by which you increase rather than remove your fault.  Through His questioning, God tried to offer you an occasion of forgiveness drawn from the bottomless depths of His compassion; but he was unsuccessful.

Redditur nempe femina pro femina, prudens pro fatua, humilis pro superba; quae pro ligno mortis gustum tibi porrigat vitae, et pro venenoso cibo illo amaritudinis dulcedinem pariat fructus aeterni.

Assuredly, a woman was given in exchange for a woman ; a prudent woman for one that was foolish; a humble woman for one who was proud; one who, instead of the tree of death, shall give you to eat of the tree of life, and who, in place of the poisoned food of bitterness, will bring forth the fruit of eternal sweetness.

Muta ergo iniquae excusationis verbum in vocem gratiarum actionis, et dic: Domine, mulier, quam dedisti mihi, dedit mihi de ligno vitae, et comedi; et dulce factum est super mel ori meo, quia in ipso vivificasti me.

Change now your wicked words of excuse to a prayer of endless thanksgiving, and say : O Lord, the woman whom thou hast given me, gave me of the tree of life; and I have eaten, and its fruit has been sweeter than honey to my mouth, and by it thou hast given me life.

Ecce enim ad hoc missus est angelus ad Virginem, O admirandam et omni honore dignissimam Virginem! o feminam singulariter venerandam, super omnes feminas admirabilem, parentum reparatricem, posterorum vivificatricem!

For behold, this is why the angel was sent to the Virgin. O wondrous Virgin, worthy of all honour! O woman singularly venerable ! most admirable among all women! thou who hast made reparation for thy parents, and restored life to their posterity. 

References

[1] [12] Dixitque Adam : Mulier, quam dedisti mihi sociam, dedit mihi de ligno, et comedi.[Gen 3]
[12] And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Latin vocab

ambo: both;  each of two.
cunctor (present infinitive cunctārī, perfect active cunctātus sum); first conjugation, deponent;  delay, impede or hold up; hesitate, tarry or linger; dawdle.
nempe conj.nam+-pe. In an assertion offered as indisputable, certainly, without doubt, assuredly, of course, as everybody knows.