E05566: Venantius Fortunatus, in a poem written for Gregory of Tours, describes two miracles of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050). Poem 1.5, written in Latin in northern Gaul, 573/576.

Venantius Fortunatus, Poems 1.5 (In cellulam Sancti Martini ubi pauperum vestivit, rogante Gegorio episcopo, 'In the cell of Saint Martin, where he clothed a poor man, [written] at the request of bishop Gregory'), 11-22

In the first part of the poem the poet instructs the traveller to stop at the cell (cellula) of Martin where he clothed a poor man.

Qui tamen altaris sacra dum mysteria tractat,
   signando calicem signa beata dedit:
namque viri sacro de vertice flamma refulsit,
   ignis et innocui surgit ad astra globus,
ac brevibus manicis, fieret ne iniuria dextrae,             15
   texerunt gemmae qua caro nuda fuit:
brachia nobilium lapidum fulgore coruscant
   inque loco tunicae pulchra zmaragdus erat.
Quam bene mercatur cui, dum vestivit egenum.
   tegmine pro tunicae brachia gemma tegit!             20
Tu quoque qui caelis habitas, Martine precator.
   pro Fortunato fer pia verba deo.

'Yet when at the altar he was performing the holy mass, in blessing the cup he revealed blessed miracles, for from
the man’s holy head a flame burst forth and a ball of harmless fire rose to the stars. His sleeves were short, but jewels clothed him where the flesh was bare, to prevent his hand being injured; (17) his arms glittered with the radiance of precious stones, and a beautiful emerald took the place of his tunic. What a happy exchange, for when he clothed the poor man, jewels covered the arms in exchange for the tunic’s covering! So too you who dwell in the heavens, Martin, our intercessor, on behalf of Fortunatus convey to God holy words of prayer.'

The poem ends with a prayer to Martin from Fortunatus and an address to Gregory (of Tours), who had commissioned the work.


Text: Leo 1881, 10. Translation: Roberts 2017, 21 and 23.