The Lady Poverty: A XIII. Century Allegory

Name: The Lady Poverty: A XIII. Century Allegory
Author: Giovanni, da Parma

Giovanni, da Parma

Francis, of Assisi, Saint, 1182-1226; Poverty -- Religious aspects -- Catholic Church

Some comfort from his glorious excellence;
    For he, a youth, his father’s wrath did dare                      58
    For maid, for whom not one of all the crowd,
    As she were death, would pleasure’s gates unbar.
    And then before court spiritual he vowed                          61
    _Et coram patre_--marriage-pledge to her,
    And day by day more fervent love he showed.
    Of her first spouse bereaved, a thousand were,                    64
    And more, the years she lived, despised, obscure,
    And, till he came, none did his suit prefer.
    Nought it availed that she was found secure                       67
    With that Amyclas when the voice was heard
    Which made the world great terror-pangs endure;
    Nought it availed that she nor shrank nor feared,                 70
    So that, when Mary tarried yet below,
    She on the Cross above with Christ appeared.
    But lest I tell it too obscurely so,                              73
    By these two lovers, in my speech diffuse,
    Thou Poverty and Francis now mayst know.
    Their concord and their looks of joy profuse,                     76
    The love, the wonder, and the aspect sweet,
    Made men in holy meditation muse,
    So that the holy Bernard bared his feet,                          79
    The first to start, and for such peace so tried,
    That slow he thought his pace, though it was fleet.
    O wealth unknown, true good that doth abide!                      82
    Ægidius bared his feet, Sylvester too,
    Following the Bridegroom, so they loved the Bride.
    Then went that Father and that Master true                        85
    With that his Bride and that his family,
    Who round their loins the lowly girdle drew;
    Nor was faint heart betrayed in downcast eye,                     88
    As being Pietro Bernardone’s son,
    Nor yet as one despised wondrously;
    But like a king his stern intention                               91
    To Innocent he opened, who did give
    The first seal to that new religion.
    Then, when the race content as poor to live                       94
    Grew behind him, whose life, so high renowned,
    Would, in Heaven’s glory, higher songs receive,
    With a new diadem once more was crowned                           97
    By Pope Honorius, from on high inspired,
    This Archimandrite’s purpose, holy found.
    And after that, with martyr zeal untired,                        100
    He, in the presence of the Soldan proud
    Preached Christ, and those whom His example fired;
    And finding that that race no ripeness showed                    103
    For their conversion, not to toil in vain,
    He to Italia’s fields his labours vowed.
    On the rough rock ’twixt Tiber’s, Arno’s, plain,                 106
    From Christ received he the last seal’s impress,
    Which he two years did in his limbs sustain.
    When it pleased Him, Who chose him thus to bless,                109

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Lady Poverty: A XIII. Century Allegory

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