QUALITER ETATUM SACRA CONSONA SINT PERARATUM
CERNIS IN HOC OPERE MUNDI PRIMORDIA QUERE
LIMITE SUB PRIMO SUNT UMBRE LEGIS
IN IMO
INTER UTRUMQUE SITUM DAT TEMPUS GRACIA TRITUM
QUE PRIUS OBSCURA VATES CECINERE
FIGURA
ESSE DEDIT PURA NOVA FACTORIS GENITURA
VIM PER DIVINAM VENIENS REPARARE RUINAM
QUE PER SERPENTEM DEIECIT UTRUMQUE PARENTEM
SI PENSAS IUSTE LEGIS MANDATA VETUSTE
OSTENTATA FORIS RETINENT NIL PENE DECORIS
UNDE PATET VERE QUIA LEGIS
FORMA FUERE
QUAM TRIBUIT MUNDO PIETAS DIVINA SECUNDO
* * *
ANNO MILLENO CENTENO SEPTUAGENO
NEC NON UNDENO GWERNHERUS CORDE SERENO
SEXTUS PREPOSITUSTIBI VIRGO MARIA DICAVIT QUOD NICOLAUS OPUS VIRDUNENSIS
FABRICAVIT.
In this work you see how the sacred
and salvific
signs accord with the order of the ages.
Search for the world's beginnings in the first zone;
the veiled shadow images of the law are to be found below;
in the
middle zone discern the advent of grace
extending to the present.
What in early times prophetic song darkly foretold
is illumined by God's new creation coming to heal with holy power
the fall
which drove the first parents into exile by the cunning of the snake.
If you truly think about the commandments of the Old Law
you find little or no beauty in their external form.
This shows they are only the forebodings of the law
divine
pity granted to the next world age.
* * *
In 1181, Wernher, sixth abbot of
the Augustinian
monastery at
Novum Castellum,
consecrated this work by
Nicolas of Verdun
to you Mary, most holy virgin, with a glad heart.
