E07847: Venantius Fortunatus, in a poem for the feast day of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050), depicts Martin in heaven with Christ, *Peter (the Apostle, S00036), *Paul (the Apostle, S00008), *Eugenia (virgin and martyr of Rome, S00401), and *Radegund (former queen and monastic founder, ob. 587, S00182), who had died not long before the composition of the poem. Poem 10.7, written in Latin in Gaul, 587/588.

Venantius Fortunatus, Poems 10.7 (Ad Childebercthum regem et Brunchildem reginam, de natali sancti Martini pontificis Toronici, 'To King Childebert and Queen Brunhild, on the feast day of Saint Martin, bishop of Tours'), 13-30

Venantius begins the poem (lines 1-12) by proclaiming the feast day of Martin, and that the whole world – India, the Spanish, the Moor, the Persian and the Briton – knows about his merits. The East and the West, Africa and the North claim possession of him. He then depicts Martin in heaven:

Per cinerem ascendens, per dura cilicia caelos
   stat modo gemmatus, pauper in orbe prius,
quo patriarcharum decus est radiantque prophetae,                15
   quo est sacra turba senum bis duodena patrum,
inter apostolicum numerum rutilante senatu
   quo sedet ipse throno, rex sibi Christus amor,
quo excellit cum clave Petrus, cum dogmate Paulus,
   fulget et in reliquis palma corona fides,                               20
quo loca martyribus vernanti lumine florent
   atque libro vitae est scriptus honore cruor,
quo confessores gemmata palatia complent
   aeternumque tenent aurea tecta diem,
stat quoque post lacrimas ubi nunc Radegundis opima,            25
   forsan et Eugeniam nunc tenet illa manu:
hos inter Martinus habet diademata pulcher
   atque sacris lumbis fulgida zona viret,
cantat et egregios Christi de morte triumphos
   atque resurgenti plaudit amore deo.                                  30

'Having mounted to heaven by ashes and by rough hair shirts, he now takes his place bejeweled, though previously poor in the world, where are found the glory of the patriarchs and the brilliance of the prophets, where too is the holy company of twenty-four elders, and among the group of the apostles, in the presence of the brilliant senate, where sits enthroned the king Christ, their love, where Peter has preeminence with his key and Paul with his teaching, and among the others, palm, crown, and faith shine bright, where the land flowers with the blossoming light of the martyrs, and their blood is inscribed in the book of life in their honor, where confessors crowd the jewel-encrusted palace, and the golden roofs enclose the light of eternal day, where noble Radegund now takes her place after our tears, and perhaps how holds Eugenia by the hand. Among all these Martin in his finery wears a diadem and a sparkling belt shines green round the holy man's waist; there he sings of the glorious triumph of Christ over death, and lovingly acclaims the resurrection of God.'

For the remainder of the poem, depicting Martin as the patron of Childebert and Brunhild, see E05758.

Text: Leo 1881, 239. Translation: Roberts 2017, 669.