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De Imitatione Christi
From the Autobiography of Saint Thérèse
Depuis longtemps je me nourrissais de «la pure farine» contenue dans l'Imitation, c'était le seul livre qui me fît du bien, car je n'avais pas encore trouvé les trésors cachés dans l'Evangile. Je savais par cœur presque tous les chapitres de ma chère Imitation, ce petit livre ne me quittait jamais ; en été, je le portais dans ma poche, en hiver, dans mon manchon, aussi était-il devenu traditionnel ; chez ma Tante on s'en amusait beaucoup et l'ouvrant au hasard, on me faisait réciter le chapitre qui se trouvait devant les yeux.
For a long time I nourished my spiritual life with the "fine flour" contained in the Imitation of Christ. It was the only book which did me good, for I had not yet discovered the treasures hidden in the Holy Gospels. I knew by heart nearly every chapter in my beloved 'Imitation'. The little volume never left my side. In summer, I kept it in my pocket; in winter, in it was in my muff. It had become a custom with my aunt to open it at any page and ask me to recite by heart the chapter she had chanced upon.
From Chapter V of the Autobiography of a Soul, by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. See here on our sister blog and here for copies of her manuscripts.
Liber Tertius
De interna consolatióne
Cap. 10. Quod spreto mundo dulce est servíre Deo.
Chapter X - That is it sweet to despise the world and to serve God
SERVUS. Dulcédo divínæ contemplatiónis
The sweetness of contemplating the Divine
1. Nunc íterum loquar, Dómine, et non silébo; dicam in áuribus Dei mei, et Regis mei qui est in excelso; O, quam magna est multitúdo dulcédinis tuæ, Dómine, quam abscondísti timéntibus te (Ps 30, 20)*. Sed quid es amántibus te? Quid toto corde tibi serviéntibus? Vere ineffábilis dulcédo contemplatiónis tuæ, quam largíris amántibus te. In hoc máxime ostendísti dulcédinem caritátis tuæ, quia cum no essem, fecísti me, et cum errárem longe a te, reduxísti me, ut servírem tibi, et præcepísti ut díligam te.
*[20] Quam magna multitúdo dulcédinis tuae, Dómine, quam abscondísti timéntibus te! Perfecísti eis qui sperant in te, in conspéctu filiórum hóminum.
1. Now will I speak again, O my Lord, and hold not my peace; I will say in the ears of my God, my Lord, and my King, who is exalted above all, Oh how plentiful is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee!* But what art Thou to those who love Thee? What to those who serve Thee with their whole heart? Truly unspeakable is the sweetness of the contemplation of Thee, which Thou bestowest upon those who love Thee. In this most of all Thou hast showed me the sweetness of Thy charity, that when I was not, Thou madest me, and when I wandered far from Thee, Thou broughtest me back that I might serve Thee, and commandest me to love Thee.
* [20] O how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee! Which thou hast wrought for them that hope in thee, in the sight of the sons of men. [Ps 30]
Gratia divínæ vocatiónis servo indígno concéssa
The grace of a divine invitation granted unto an unworthy servant
👉2. O, fons amóris perpétui, quid dicam de te? Quómodo pótero tui oblivísci, qui mei recordári dignátus es? Et postquam contábui, et périi, fecísti ultra omnem spem misericórdiam cum servo tuo, et ultra omne méritum grátiam et amicítiam exhibuísti. Quid retríbuam tibi pro grátia ista? Non enim ómnibus datum est, ut ómnibus abdicátis sæculo renúntient, et monásticam vitam assúmant. Nonquid non magnum est ut tibi sérviam, cui omnis creatúra servíre tenétur? Non magnum mihi vidéri debet? Sed hoc pótius mihi magnum et mirándum appáret, quod tam páuperem et indígnum dignáris in servum recípere, et diléctis servis tuis adunáre.
2. O Fountain of perpetual love, what shall I say concerning Thee? How shall I be unmindful of Thee, who didst vouchsafe to remember me, even after I pined away and perished? Thou hast had mercy beyond all hope upon Thy servant, and hast showed Thy grace and friendship beyond all deserving. What reward shall I render Thee for this Thy grace? For it is not given unto all to renounce this world and its affairs, and to take up a religious life. For is it a great thing that I should serve Thee, whom every creature ought to serve? It ought not to seem a great thing to me to serve Thee; but rather this appeareth to me a great and wonderful thing, that Thou vouchsafest to receive as Thy servant one so poor and unworthy, and to join him unto Thy chosen servants.
Hæc sancta sérvitus est ingens tibi gloria
This holy service is a great glory to thee
5. Magnus honor, magna glória tibi servíre, et ómnia propter te contémnere. Habébunt enim grátiam magnam, qui sponte se subjécerint tuæ sanctíssimæ servitúti, et invénient suavíssimam Spíritus Sancti consolatiónem.
5. It is great honour, great glory to serve Thee, and to despise all for Thy sake. For they shall have great grace who of their own will shall submit themselves to Thy most holy service. They who for Thy love have cast away every carnal delight shall find the sweetest consolation of the Holy Ghost.
Notes on Latin vocab
abdicatis: abl plur neut, abl abs, from ab-dicō (1) āvī, ātus, āre, to disown, disavow, reject: ab-dicō (1) āvī, ātus, āre, to disown, disavow, reject
adunare: pres infin active, from ăd-ūno, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.,to make one, to unite
contabui: 1st pers sing perf indic active, from con-tābesco, tābŭi, 3, v. inch. n., to waste away gradually, to be consumed, pine away (very rare).
errarem: 1st pers sing imp subj active, (cum/because clause), from redūcō, dūxī, ductus, 3, a.: to lead, bring back; restore
ingens: nomin sing fem adj, from ingēns, entis: (adj.), great, freq.; huge, enormous
largiris: 2nd pers sing pres indic active (dep) from largior , ītus sum, 4, dep.: to give largely; bestow, grant,
loquar: 1st pers sing fut indic act (dep), from loquor , locūtus sum, 3, dep. n. and a.: to speak
meritum , ī, n.: a thing deserved; desert; service, favor, merit
nonquid: (in question to which negative answer is expected) is it the case that? , surely ‥ not? .
oblivisci: pres infin active (dep), from oblīvīscor, oblītus sum, 3, dep. n. and a.: to forget, w. acc. or gen. of object
potius : (adv.), preferably; rather
reduxisti: 2nd pers sing perf indic active, from redūcō, dūxī, ductus, 3, a.: to lead, bring back; restore
servĭtūs, ūtis (gen. plur. servitutium) f. id., the condition of a servus; slavery, serfdom, service, servitude (freq. and class.).
silebo: 1st pers sing fut indic act from sileō, uī, 2, n. and a.: to be, keep, remain silent
sponte: f.: abl. of obs. spōns, of which only the gen., spontis, and abl. occur, by or of one's own will, of its own or their own will
spreto: abl sing masc of past participle (here, abl abs) from spernō, sprēvī, sprētus, 3, a.: to sever, remove; (fig.), reject, despise, scorn, disdain
subjecerint: 3rd pers plur future perf indic active, from subiciō, iēcī, iectus, 3, a.: to cast, throw, place or put under
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