Faith’s eye-witness account of God’s Gracious Heart

It glows entirely with love. It swells with longing
to bless all people. It weaves benevolence,
is draped with fruits of wonder-working artistry
and without limit surges joyfully with help and comfort.
Abundant faithfulness and utter goodness.
Desire’s flame ignites Compassion’s passion
that runs and rises to its purpose with no tinge of vanity.

And more! A multitude of ways and means compete:
which shall best serve to save mankind?
The Son’s nativity deserves triumph’s pageantry:
his birth the worthiest means of reconciliation.
The Highest says: I can no longer wait. My aching
heart, enflamed with love and grace, is breaking.

Click here to read this sonnet in the original German.

On Christ’s All-holy first shedding of blood, and the sweetest Name of Jesus

Greiffenberg wrote several sonnets for the new year. This one’s title seems to refer to the fact that, in liturgical churches, January 1 traditionally marked the Circumcision of Christ. Although this feast doesn’t get much attention these days, it’s still in the liturgical calendar, but now it’s called The Naming of Jesus. Luke 2:21 says, “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (RSV).

Lovely morning glow drops crimson pearls
of childhood, and soon the Jesus-sun arises,
in whom God’s brightness mingles with love’s warmth.
His heart’s grace streams from this salvation-light.
Redemption’s vein of gold must flow, love-melted.
This wondrous child cries with desire and longing:
Will the hour of salvation ever come, when he
at last pours out his blood, a blessing-flood, for all?

Eternal godhead wrapped in a little cloud: this child.
Just as, from a great distance, the sun
seems small enough to grasp, so he, as God,
fills everything, yet will himself be cradled.
Peace will have no peace until it stills
all human misery, greed, and hate of God.

This translation is published in Wonder-Work: Selected Sonnets of Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg (CMU Press, 2023). Click here to read the sonnet in the original German.

Comfort from Christ’s All-Conquering Ascension

Away, death and despair! Away with all misfortune!
Defiance to the devil and all his hordes!
I do not fear their might now, not one whit!
They surge against me, great streams of deceit.
When I, with trusting heart, look to my helper,
who sits at God’s right hand, I laugh at danger.
To him, my heart, its need and remedy are known.
A rescue-seeker, I send all my sighs to him.
He guides, like streams of water, every heart beat,
restrains with just one word the strongest waves;
allows, if it will serve, the water’s fall
but will not let it overflow the plain.
He makes the cloudy clear, saltwater sweet;
commands all power from his majestic seat.

This translation is published in Wonder-Work: Selected Sonnets of Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg (CMU Press, 2023). Click here to read the sonnet in the original German.

The Resurrection: Its Fruit and Comfort

Rise even now in me, my Lord, through faith;
rise in my heart’s depth with your power,
that I give witness to the world that you have risen!
Let me, proclaiming you with zeal, use all my breath,
and let your Sun of grace now rise.
Roll every error-stone from heart and mouth,
and I’ll confess you freely, boldly, every hour.
Let no created thing steal my heart’s comfort.
Stay with me in this world, for it is evening.
Give honey from the rock, and sweetness from your wounds.
I feel my heart’s on fire from your words;
you rouse and also satisfy desire. 
My heart, closed to all but you, my Lord, 
rejoices in your risen might and presence.

This translation is published in Wonder-Work: Selected Sonnets of Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg (CMU Press, 2023). Click here to read the sonnet in the original German.

The Seven Signs or Wonder-words that occurred at the death of Christ

The First: The Sun Darkening

Because the Soul- and Angel-Sun, clear light of heaven,
the very God-self radiance, shrouds itself in cloud,
it’s only fitting my sorrowing beams must also hide.
Who would not, when God suffers, suffer too?
They are unworthy of my rays who view Him undisturbed.
This darkness-terror wakens a new Mercy-Sun,
whose heat and flash my ardor and favor cannot match.
No foggy air nor cloud can interrupt that shining.
Ah, I simply cannot watch the Source of my life die,
or hear the noble mouth that spoke me into being, sigh.
I’d rather, for this Light of Light, choose my own dimming.
Oh, you blind people, see the gruesome horror of your sin
whose dark iniquity will darken God’s illumination.
Out of extreme extremity shines out the sun of your salvation.

This translation is published in Wonder-Work: Selected Sonnets of Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg (CMU Press, 2023). Click here to read the sonnet in the original German.