Hildegard of Bingen letter 201r to Elisabeth of Schoenau
Commentary by Jesse Sprague

Introduction
:
Elisabeth of Schönau had written to Hildegard describing how she preached that people need to perform acts of penance to escape the wrath of God, but people gossiped about her and told lies about her. Discouraged, Elisabeth was writing to Hildegard for encouragement to help her endure. In her response, Hildegard reminds Elisabeth that she is merely a vessel for god's use, implying that she should submit to god's purpose for her because he is the one who created all and knows all. She recounts the creation story from Genesis 1 and uses imagery that reflects language from John 1 to convey her message to Elisabeth. Her words may seem disconnected sometimes, but the assumption is that Elisabeth would know what Hildegard meant through this language and imagery.

Text:

Ego paupercula et fictile vas, haec non a me, sed de serena luce dico: Homo vas est, quod Deus sibimetipsi aedificavit, et quod sua inspiratione imbuit, ut opera sua in illo perficeret; quia Deus non operatur ut homo, sed in jussione praecepti ejus omnia perfecta sunt. Herbae, ligna et arbores apparuerunt; sol quoque, luna et stellae in sua ministratione processerunt, et aquae pisces, et volatilia produxerunt; precor etiam, et bestiae surrexerunt quae omnia ministrant homini, sicut Deus ea posuit (Gen. I). Solus autem homo illum non cognovit. Nam cum Deus magnam scientiam homini paret, homo in animo suo se erexit, et se a Deo avertit. Deus omnium, illum sic inspexerat, quod cuncta opera sua in illo perficeret. Sed antiquus deceptor illum fefellit, et crimine inobedientiae illum infecit cum delectatione incongrui venti, dum plus quaereret quam deberet. Ah! o vae! Tunc omnia elementa implicuerunt se in vicissitudinem luminis et tenebrarum, sicut et homo fecit in transgressione praeceptorum Dei. Deus autem quosdam homines irrigavit, ne homo ex toto derideretur. Abel bonus erat, Cain autem homicida (Gen. IV). Et multi mystica Dei in luce viderunt, sed alii plurima peccata fecerunt, usque dum venit tempus illud, in quo verbum Dei claruit, ut dictum est: Speciosus forma prae filiis hominum (Psal. XLIV). Tunc Sol justitiae processit et homines cum bonis operibus illuminavit in fide et in opere, sicut aurora primum procedit, et caeterae horae diei subsequuntur, usque dum nox accedat; sic, o filia Elisabeth, mundus mutatur. Jam enim mundus lassus est in omni viredine virtutum, scilicet in aurora, in prima, in tertia, et fortissime in sexta hora diei. Et ideo in hoc tempore necesse est, quod Deus aliquos homines irriget, ne instrumenta ipsius otiosa sint. Audi, o sollicita filia, quia homines istos quos inspiratio Dei ita imbuit, aliquantulum fatigat ambitiosa suggestio antiqui serpentis. Cum enim idem serpens elegantem gemmam viderit, mox rugit, dicens: Quid est hoc? Et fatigat illam multis miseriis flagrantis mentis, supra nubes volare cupientis, quasi dii sint, sicut et ipse facit. Nunc iterum audi: Qui opera Dei perficere desiderant, semper attendant, quod fictilia vasa sunt (II Cor. IV.), quoniam homines existunt, et semper aspiciant quid sint, et quid futuri sint et coelestia relinquant illi qui coelestis est, quoniam ipsi exsules sunt, coelestia nescientes, sed tantum mystica Dei canentes; sicut tuba, quae solummodo sonos dat, nec operatur; sed in quam alius spirat, ut sonum reddat. Sed et loricam fidei induant mites, mansueti, pauperes et miseri existentes, sicut etiam agnus ille fuit, cujus sonus tubae ipsi sunt, mores etiam simplices infantis habentes, quia Deus illos semper flagellat, qui in tuba ipsius canunt, praevidens ne fictile vas illorum pereat, sed ut sibi placeat. O filia, Deus faciat te speculum vitae. Sed et ego quae jaceo in pusillanimitate timoris, interdum sonans aliquantulum velut parvus sonus tubae a vivente lumine; unde Deus juvet me, ut permaneam in suo ministerio.

Text taken from: Hildegard of Bingen, Epistolarium, ed. L. Van Acker, Corpus Christianorum, Continuatio Mediaevalis, vol.91A (Turnholt: Brepols, 1993), 456-57, ep.201r; also in PL 197, c.216-18.

Commentary

[1] Advice from God. Light represents Jesus (John 1).

[1] Ego paupercula et fictile vas haec non a me sed de serena luce dico: Homo vas est, quod Deus sibimetipsi aedificavit, et quod sua inspiratione imbuit, ut opera sua in illo perficeret; quia Deus non operatur ut homo, sed in jussione praecepti ejus omnia perfecta sunt.

Ego: doubly emphatic because of its first position in the sentence and because ego rarely needs to be expressed in Latin. | paupercula et fictile vas: paupercula and fictile vas are two separate appositives to ego, as the gender of paupercula shows. | a me: a/ab takes an ablative of source. | homo vas est: vas is predicate nominative. | quod: relative pronoun: antecedent vas. | sibimetipsi: the pronominal suffix -met attaches to and emphasizes sibi and ipsi for a doubly emphatic 'he himself.' | sua inspiratione: ablative of instrument. | ut ... perficeret: subjunctive of purpose clause: it could be a result clause, and the decision is a matter of interpretation and perhaps theology, not grammar (can we know god's intention/purpose, or merely the result? would a purpose clause give more hope where a result clause might not? does the next sentence help to decide?). Note the connection between perficeret here and perfecta sunt later. | sua: refers back to Deus. | illo: refers back to homo. | quia: causal, justifying the claim of the previous ut clause. | operatur: deponent. | ut homo: comparative ut = 'as.' | ejus: Deus.

[2] If God created all things with a purpose in mind, including Elisabeth, then surely he created her for a purpose. Note that much of this world and what is in it are said to be put there for humans.

[2] Herbae, ligna et arbores apparuerunt; sol quoque, luna et stellae in sua ministratione processerunt, et aquae pisces, et volatilia produxerunt; pecora etiam, et bestiae surrexerunt quae omnia ministrant homini, sicut Deus ea posuit (Genesis I).

Herbae, ligna...arbores: nominative subjects of apparuerunt. | sol...luna...stella: nominative subjects of processerunt. | sua: refers back to Deus. | ministratione: from ministratio, ministrationis, f. a Late Latin noun. | aquae pisces volatilia: nominative subject of produxerunt is aquae and pisces and volatilia are objects. Volatilia is literally 'flying things.' | homini: dative with ministrant: note that Latin uses singular homini for "human" where English might need plural "humans" unless one uses the throwback term "man" as if it referred to all humans. | ea: refers back to the things god created for humans.

[3-7] Hildegard cites Genesis chapter 1 to remind Elisabeth of all the things in the world which God created. Then she details how humans turned away from God toward sin and became a mixed bag of good and evil.

[3] Solus autem homo illum non cognovit. [4] Nam cum Deus magnam scientiam homini paret, homo in animo suo se erexit, et se a Deo avertit.
[5] Deus omnium illum sic inspexerat quod cuncta opera sua in illo perficeret. [6] Sed antiquus deceptor illum fefellit, et crimine inobedientiae illum infecit cum delectatione incongrui venti, dum plus quaereret quam deberet. [7] Ah! o vae! Tunc omnia elementa implicuerunt se in vicissitudinem luminis et tenebrarum, sicut et homo fecit in transgressione praeceptorum Dei.

solus: modifies homo. One might ask, if humans are the only (solus) group that does not recognize god, who are the others who do? Angels come to mind. But the grasses and beasts and birds are not so clear. | illum: refers back to Deus. | cum...paret: subjunctive in a 'circumstantial' cum clause: 'circumstantial' because it describes the circumstances that preceded the main verbs. Here, circumstantial cum = "although." | suo: modifies animo, and as a reflexive, refers back to homo. | se...se: both refer back to homo. | illum ... illo ... illum ... illum: all refer back to homo. | sic: 'accordingly,' or even 'as a result,' probably meant to refer to the tension between god's purpose/trust/hope in humans (the quod clause) and frequent human failure to fulfill it. | quod: a causal quod clause in subjunctive reports a reason without necessarily asserting that it is the real reason (in which case, the verb would be indicative). | crimine...cum delectatione: ablative of instrument plus an ablative of accompaniment with cum (i.e. cum is equivalent to et here). | dum...quaereret ... deberet: dum + subjunctive meaning 'until' takes a subjunctive when 'until' means not just up to a point in time ("I will be here until 10 AM"), but is accompanied by purpose or anticipation ("I will be here until I finish"). | quam: comparative quam; deberet is subjunctive because the clause it depends on is a subjunctive clause. | se: refers back to elementa. | in vicissitudinem: in + accusative = 'into' indicating motion toward: contrast with in transgressione, where in + abl. = 'in' and is motionless. | luminis...tenebrarum ... praeceptorum Dei: luminis and tenebrarum are genitives of quality, as in 'a change of color' or 'a ring of gold.' Contrast this with praeceptorum, an 'objective genitive' because it is the 'object' of the verbal notion in transgressione. Dei, however, is possessive genitive.

[8-10]  Cain represents the humans who chose evil, while Abel those who chose good: god helped some humans even prior to god's becoming human in the form of Jesus. The quotation from Psalm 44 (45 in some numberings) is often interpreted as prefiguring Jesus, as it is here.

[8] Deus autem quosdam homines irrigavit, ne homo ex toto derideretur. [9] Abel bonus erat, Cain autem homicida (Gen. IV). [10]  Et multi mystica Dei in luce viderunt, sed alii plurima peccata fecerunt, usque dum venit tempus illud, in quo verbum Dei claruit, ut dictum est: Speciosus forma prae filiis hominum (Psal. XLIV).

ne...derideretur: negative purpose clause. It is unclear who would be the agent of the passive deridetur or whether one is meant to be conceived.. | ex toto: literally 'out of the whole,' an idiom meaning 'completely.' | erat: another erat is understood with Cain. | homicida: like poeta this first conjugation word is masculine, here a predicate nominative. | Et: et does not usually begin a sentence: here it seems to continue from derideretur at the end of the sentence in §8, which makes the quotation from Genesis virtually parenthetical. | luce: like claruit later in this sentence, light is a metaphor for Christianity and what it can do for humans. | tempus illud: the time of Jesus' life. | claruit: perfect of claresco: the ending -esco marks verbs of beginning or becoming, here 'becoming clarus (manifest, clear).' | ut dictum est: a parenthetical clause introducing the quotation from Psalms: ut meaning 'as' usually takes indicative. | peccata fecerunt: facio + peccatum 'commit a sin.' | Speciosus forma prae filiis hominum: a citation plucked from Psalm 44 (sometimes numbered 45), which has no verb, and grammatically could be taken as in apposition to verbum Dei which 'became manifest' (claruit) in the form of Jesus. speciosus surely refers to Jesus; forma is ablative specifying in what Jesus is speciosus; prae filiis hominum further specification of how Jesus is speciosus. prae takes ablative.

[11] The language here and in the previous sentences reflects the language of John chapter 1 and Genesis chapter 1. John chapter 1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Just as John Chapter 1 reflects the imagery in Genesis chapter 1, H. here attempts to reflect the imagery of the creation story in Genesis chapter 1.

[11] Tunc Sol justitiae processit et homines cum bonis operibus illuminavit in fide et in opere, sicut aurora primum procedit, et caeterae horae diei subsequuntur, usque dum nox accedat; sic, o filia Elisabeth, mundus mutatur. [12] Jam enim mundus lassus est in omni viredine virtutum, scilicet in aurora, in prima, in tertia, et fortissime in sexta hora diei.

Tunc: refers to tempus illud of the previous sentence. | Sol: the sun of justice refers to Jesus, who the New Testament proclaims died to pay for sins but also inspires good works, i.e. who was a force for justice. | processit: the Latin perfect can be translated as an English perfect 'has appeared' or, as it should be here, as an English simple past 'appeared.' | primum: an adverb. Remember that the accusative case is often used to make adverbs. | dum nox accedat: could nox refer to the idea of Christ's predicted second coming? Subjunctive accedat indicates that dum is not the purely temporal 'until' of 'I slept until 8AM,' but the 'until' that anticipates an awaited result or purpose, as in 'I slept until I was rested' or 'Work until you understand this.' | Jam: = iam. Latin usually has no separate i and y or j, but sometimes j is used for the consonant whereas i is used for the vowel. | in omni viredine: viredine is not in most dictionaries; it occurs in medieval Latin as a feminine noun viredo, viredinis  'greenness' (on the model of words such as altitudo, altitudinis) related to vireo 'become green' and viridis 'green.' in omni viredine virtutum is a bit puzzling (are these 'virtues' Christian virtues? then why is the world lassus? and does lassus mean 'exhausted,' 'weak,' or 'drooping' or something else?): likely it creates a metaphor of growth and ripeness and even extends the metaphor begun by Sol. | prima ... tertia ... sexta: understand hora with each one. Each hora corresponds to a day of creation in Genesis chapter 1. The sexta hora is noon.

[13] Hildegard suggests that God strengthens people like H. and E. so that they can fulfill his purpose. But that old snake Satan continues to tempt them. So they must be on guard.

[13] Et ideo in hoc tempore necesse est, quod Deus aliquos homines irriget, ne instrumenta ipsius otiosa sint. [14] Audi, o sollicita filia, quia homines istos (quos inspiratio Dei ita imbuit), aliquantulum fatigat ambitiosa suggestio antiqui serpentis. [15] Cum enim idem serpens elegantem gemmam viderit, mox rugit, dicens: Quid est hoc? [16] Et fatigat illam multis miseriis flagrantis mentis, supra nubes volare cupientis, quasi dii sint, sicut et ipse facit.

hoc tempore: refers to H. and E.'s own time. | necesse est, quod ... : necesse est is 'quasi-impersonal' because in Classical Latin, technically, it has a nominal ut + subjunctive clause as its subject (A&G §569.2: the ut is often omitted). Here, quod performs the function of ut to introduce a noun clause that is the subject of necesse est. | Ne ... sint: negative purpose clause dependent on irriget. | Audi: imperative. | O: particle which accompanies vocative. | homines istos: refers to those whom deus irrigat. Istos is used to refer to things somehow associated with one's addressee, and hence is sometimes translated as "those ... of yours." | aliquantulum: adverb; the ending -ulum is diminutive, 'some small amount,' 'a little bit.' | ambitiosa: a good illustration of a 'false friend': the Latin looks like an English word, but the meaning is quite different. | suggestio: nominative. | cum viderit: subjunctive because this is a circumstantial cum clause: in the sequence of tenses, the main verb rugit, a present, makes this primary sequence, and so the perfect subjunctive viderit reports an action before the main verb. | dicens: participle modifying serpens. | Et fatigat: subject is serpens from the previous sentence. | illam: the gemmam just mentioned, metaphorical for a person, such as Elizabeth. | mentis ... cupientis: participle cupientis modifies mentis, a possessive genitive: it is hard to be sure whose mens is referred to here, but most likely it is the mens the devil assails rather than the devil's mens, as the plural in quasi dii sint and the phrase sicut et ipse facit makes clear. | nubes volare: flying above the clouds must be something like not knowing one's place, e.g. thinking one is like god. | ipse: could be god or the devil. If it is god, then the plural subject of sint, 'they,' would be wanting to do something god actually does. If it is the devil, then this is a more complex metaphor: god is the light, the sun, but the devil, in spite of being bad, is nonetheless somewhere between god and humans and so flies in that in-between realm. Perhaps the next section favors the idea that god is the one who 'flies above the clouds,' not the devil. Either way, it amounts to much the same message to E.

[17] Hildegard now clarifies why she reminded Elisabeth of the sinful nature of humans. She reminds her that humans are fragile vessels with limited knowledge of god, vessels through whom god can bring about good things and deliver messages, but who, on their own, cannot do so.

[17] Nunc iterum audi: Qui opera Dei perficere desiderant, semper attendant, quod fictilia vasa sunt (II Cor. IV.), quoniam homines existunt, et semper aspiciant quid sint, et quid futuri sint et coelestia relinquant illi qui coelestis est, quoniam ipsi exsules sunt, coelestia nescientes, sed tantum mystica Dei canentes; sicut tuba, quae solummodo sonos dat, nec operatur; sed in quam alius spirat, ut sonum reddat.

iterum
: 'again,' referring to the first audi in §14. | audi: imperative. | qui: there is no expressed antecedent. Translate "those who." | attendant ... aspiciant ... relinquant: hortatory/jussive subjunctives (A&G §439: hortatory and jussive are basically the same phenomenon, just applied mostly to 1st or 3rd persons repectively) and main verbs of this sentence: subject is the omitted antecedent of qui. | quod: quod + indicative can mean "(the fact) that ... ." This whole quod clause is the direct object of attendant. | quoniam homines existunt: a causal clause: it makes best sense if homines is a predicate nominative and existunt = sunt. | sint ... futura sint: subjunctive in indirect questions (A&G §586). | relinquant: remember that this is parallel to attendant and aspiciant, and is a hortatory/jussive subjunctive. | illi qui coelestis est: illi is indirect object of relinquant and refers to the celestial God. | ipsi: referring to homines. | nescientes ... canentes: participles modifying exsules. | solummodo and tantum: adverbs, both mean "only." | ut ... reddat: subjunctive result clause

[18] Hildegard expands the metaphor of humans as trumpet, god as trumpet player, and suggests that god will spank those who try to blow their own horn. She concludes with a pious wish for herself and E, that they may be specula vitae, which surely has a profound spiritual meaning.

[18] Sed et loricam fidei induant mites, mansueti, pauperes et miseri existentes, sicut etiam agnus ille fuit, cujus sonus tubae ipsi sunt, mores etiam simplices infantis habentes, quia Deus illos semper flagellat, qui in tuba ipsius canunt, praevidens ne fictile vas illorum pereat, sed ut sibi placeat. [19] O filia, Deus faciat te speculum vitae. [20] Sed et ego quae jaceo in pusillanimitate timoris, interdum sonans aliquantulum velut parvus sonus tubae a vivente lumine; unde Deus juvet me, ut permaneam in suo ministerio.

loricam fidei: fidei is genitive of material: the lorica "breastplate" is the fides. | induant: jussive subjunctive. | agnus ille fuit, cujus sonus tubae ipsi sunt: agnus usually refers to Christ in Christian imagery, and that must be the antecedent of cujus. The subject of sunt must be ipsi, which refers to the mites, mansueti, pauperes et miseri existentes. And tubae must be a predicate nominative (it cannot go with ipsi directly because of the gender difference), which leaves sonus as a genitive singular dependent on tubae. The whole thing is something like 'just as he was the lamb of whose sounding they themselves are the trumpets.' | habentes: participle 1) with direct object mores simplices infantis; 2) modifying ipsi, which refers back to the humans who are mites ... existentes; and 3) with circumstantial force "when/provided they have." | praevidens: modifies deus, and takes the object clauses ne ... and ut ... . | quia ... flagellat: flogging (flagellat) those who attempt to blow god's own trumpet treats them as one would treat a child, and so this parallels the characterization of those who are meek and gentle as having the 'simple character of an infant' in what preceeds. | ne ... pereat and ut ... placeat: nominal object clauses of praevidens: god takes care that the one does not happen and the other does. | fictile vas illorum: at the very start of the letter Hildegard characterized her self as a fictile vas. If humans are being characterized here also as being vasa fictilia, then illorum must be a genitive of material (they just are their vasa), as fidei is a genitive of material with loricam. | sibi: god. | filia: vocative. | faciat: jussive subjunctive. | sed et ego: sed contrasts E. addressed by o filia with H. herself. ego is likely to be expressed in such contrasts, but here, it lacks an explicit verb. Understand something like fiam speculum vitae a Deo. | sonans: participle modifying ego, and itself modified by adverbial interdum and aliquantulum as well as the adverbial phrase velut parvus ... lumine. | unde: relative adverb 'whence' referring back to the previous thought. | juvet: jussive subjunctive. | ut permaneam: result clause subjunctive.

Vocabulary:
aedifico aedificare aedificavi aedificatus (1), create, build
agnus, agni, lamb
aliquantulum, adverb, somewhat
ambitiosus, -a, -um, sollicitous, fawning
animus, animi, m., spirit
antiquus, antiqua, antiuquum, ancient
appareo, apparere (2), appear
aqua, aquae, f., water
arbor, arboris, f., tree
aspicio, aspicere, aspexi, aspectus, consider
audio, audire, audivi, auditus, to hear
autem, but
averto, avertere, averti, aversus, (3), turn away
bestia, bestiae, f., beasts
caeterus, caetera, caeterum, other
cano, canere, cani, canitus, sing
claresco, clarescere, clarui (3), to be illuminated, clear, or evident
coelese, coelestis, heavenly matters
crimen, criminis, n., crime
cunctus, cuncta, cunctum, all
debeo, debere, debui, debitus (2) owe/ought, should
deceptor, deceptoris, m., deceiver, betrayer
delectatio, delectationis, f., pleasure, gaining delight
derideo, deridere, derisi, derisum, scorn, deride, mock
desidero, desiderare, desideravi, desideratus, desire
Deus, Dei, m., God (Christian text)
dico, dicere, dixi, dictus (3)
dum, conj., while
ego, I
etiam, furthermore
existo, existere, existiti, existitus, be, exist; arise, become manifest
exsul, exsulis, exile, banished person
fallo, fallere, fefelli, falsus, (3), deceive, slip by, cheat
fatigo, fatigare, fatigavi, fatigatus, bother, plague, vex
fictilis, -is, -e, earthen
flagello, flagellare, flagellavi, flagellatus, flog
flagro, flagrare, flagravi, flagratus, burn; be annoyed, be vexed
gemma, gemmae, gem
herba, herbae, f., grass
homo, hominis, m., man, human
iam, already
ideo, so, therefore
illumino, illuminare, (1), illuminate
implico, implicare, (1), hem in, interweave
imbuo, imbuere (3), touch, tinge, infect
incongruus, incongrua, incongruum, inconsistent
induo, induere, indui, indutus, put on
inficio, inficere, infeci, infectum, stain, spoil, infect
inobedientia, inobedientiae, f., disobedience
inspicio, inspicere, inspexi, inspectus, (3), consider
inspiratio, inspirationis, f., spirit, breath of life
interdum, sometimes
irrigo, irrigare, (1), nourish, water jussio, jussionis, f., command, order lassus, lassa,
iterum, again
iuvo, iuvare, iuvi, iuvaturus, help, assist
lassum, weary
lignum, ligni, n., wood
lorica, loricae, breastplate, fortification
luna, lunae, f., moon
lux, lucis, f., light
mansues, mansuetis, tame, gentle
ministerium, ministeri(i), ministry
ministratio, ministrationis, f., ministry
ministro, ministrare, (1), *takes dative* minister
mitis, mitis, gentle, mellow, soft
mox, adverb, thereupon, soon thereafter
mysticus, mystica, mysticum, (1), secret, mystic
nescio, nescire, nescivi, nescitus, to not know
O, interjection that accompanies a vocative
omne, omnis, n., all things
operor, operari, operatus sum (1st, Deponent)
opus, opera, n., work
otiosus, -a, -um, idle, unemployed
paro (1), furnish, prepare
pauper, pauperis, adj. poor
pauperculus, -a, -um, poor
pecus, pecora, n., flock
pereo, perire, perivi(ii), peritus, die
perficio, perficere, perfeci, perfectus (3), perfect
perficio, perficere, perfeci, perfectus, bring about
permaneo, permanere, permansi, permansus, remain, endure
piscis, piscis, m., fish
placeo, placere, placui, placitus, please
plus, more
pono, ponere, posui, (3) set up, ordain, command
prae (+ ablative), before, in comparison with
praeceptum, i, n., command
praevideo, praevidere, praevidi, praevisus, provide, take care (in Late Latin: earlier it meant only 'foresee')
precor, precari, precatus sum (1, Deponent) pray
primum, adv., first
procedo, procedere (3) appear, come/go forth
produco, producere, produxi, productus (3), bring forth, reveal
pusillanimitas, pusillanimitatis, faintheartedness
quaero, quaerere, quaesivi, quaesitus, (3) seek after
quasi, just as
quia, because (conj.)
quoniam, since
quoque, likewise, also
relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictus, leave, abandon
rugio, rugire, rugivi, rugitus, roar; call out
sciens, scientis, m., knowledge
scilicet, certainly
serenus, -a, -um, peaceful
serpens, serpentis, snake (Satan)
sic, so
sicut, adv., as
sol, solis, m., sun
sollicitus, sollicita, sollicitum, upset, anxious
solummodo, adverb, only
solus, sola, solum, alone
sonus, sonus, m., noise, sound
stella, stellae, f., star
surgo, surgere, surrexi (3), arise
vas, vasis, n., vessel
ventus, venti, m., wind
vicissitude, vicissitudinis, f., change, alternation
viredo, viredinis, f., green, greenness
volatilis, is, e, equipped to fly, flying