Liber Sapientiae, 17

1. Magna sunt enim iudicia tua et inenarrabilia; propter hoc indisciplinatae animae erraverunt.

1. Great are thy judgments and hard to describe; therefore unintructed souls have gone astray.

2. Dum enim persuasum habent iniqui posse dominari nationi sanctae, captivi tenebrarum et longae noctis compediti, inclusi sub tectis, fugitivi perpetuae providentiae iacuerunt.

2. For when lawless men supposed that they held the holy nation in their power, they themselves lay as captives of darkness and prisoners of long night, shut in under their roofs, exiles from eternal providence.

3. Et dum putant se latere in obscuris peccatis, tenebroso oblivionis velamento dispersi sunt, paventes horrende, et umbris perturbati.

3. For thinking that in their secret sins they were unobserved behind a dark curtain of forgetfulness, they were scattered, terribly alarmed, and appalled by specters.

4. Neque enim, quae continebat illos, spelunca sine timore custodiebat, quoniam sonitus descendentes perturbabant illos, et phantasmata tristi vultu maerentia apparebant.

4. For not even the inner chamber that held them protected them from fear, but terrifying sounds rang out around them, and dismal phantoms with gloomy faces appeared.

5. Et ignis quidem nulla vis poterat illis lumen praebere, nec siderum limpidae flammae illuminare poterant illam noctem horrendam.

5. And no power of fire was able to give light, nor did the brilliant flames of the stars avail to illumine that hateful night.

6. Apparebat autem illis tantum subitaneus ignis timore plenus, et timore perculsi illius, quae non videbatur, visionis aestimabant deteriora esse, quae videbantur;

6. Nothing was shining through to them except a dreadful, self-kindled fire, and in terror they deemed the things which they saw to be worse than that unseen appearance.

7. et magicae artis appositi erant derisus, et in sapientia gloriae correptio cum contumelia.

7. The delusions of their magic art lay humbled, and their boasted wisdom was scornfully rebuked.

8. Illi enim, qui promittebant timores et perturbationes expellere se ab anima languente, hi cum ridiculo timore languebant.

8. For those who promised to drive off the fears and disorders of a sick soul were sick themselves with ridiculous fear.

9. Nam, etsi nihil turbulenti illos terrebat, transitu animalium et serpentium sibilatione commoti, tremebundi peribant, et aerem, quem nulla ratione quis effugere posset, negantes se videre.

9. For even if nothing disturbing frightened them, yet, scared by the passing of beasts and the hissing of serpents,

10. Formidinis enim suae propriae nequitia dat testimonium, cum sit condemnata; semper autem praesumit saeva perturbata conscientia.

10. they perished in trembling fear, refusing to look even at the air, though it nowhere could be avoided.

11. Nihil enim est timor nisi proditio auxiliorum, quae sunt a cogitatione;

11. For wickedness is a cowardly thing, condemned by its own testimony; distressed by conscience, it has always exaggerated the difficulties.

12. et, dum ab intus minor est exspectatio, maiorem computat inscientiam eius causae, quae tormentum praestat.

12. For fear is nothing but surrender of the helps that come from reason;

13. Illi autem per impotentem vere noctem et ab impotentis inferni speluncis supervenientem, eundem somnum dormientes,

13. and the inner expectation of help, being weak, prefers ignorance of what causes the torment.

14. aliquando a monstris exagitabantur phantasmatum, aliquando animae deficiebant proditione: subitaneus enim illis et insperatus timor infundebatur.

14. But throughout the night, which was really powerless, and which beset them from the recesses of powerless Hades, they all slept the same sleep,

15. Itaque, si quisquam illic decidisset, custodiebatur in carcere sine ferro reclusus.

15. and now were driven by monstrous specters, and now were paralyzed by their souls' surrender, for sudden and unexpected fear overwhelmed them.

16. Sive enim rusticus quis erat aut pastor aut agri laborum operarius praeoccupatus, ineffugibilem sustinebat necessitatem, una enim catena tenebrarum omnes erant colligati.

16. And whoever was there fell down, and thus was kept shut up in a prison not made of iron;

17. Sive spiritus sibilans aut inter spissos arborum ramos avium sonus suavis aut numerus aquae decurrentis nimium aut sonus durus praecipitatarum petrarum

17. for whether he was a farmer or a shepherd or a workman who toiled in the wilderness, he was seized, and endured the inescapable fate; for with one chain of darkness they all were bound.

18. aut ludentium animalium cursus invisus aut mugientium ferissimarum bestiarum vox aut resonans de cavitate montium echo deficientes faciebant illos prae timore.

18. Whether there came a whistling wind, or a melodious sound of birds in wide-spreading branches, or the rhythm of violently rushing water,

19. Omnis enim orbis terrarum limpido illuminabatur lumine et non impeditis operibus continebatur;

19. or the harsh crash of rocks hurled down, or the unseen running of leaping animals, or the sound of the most savage roaring beasts, or an echo thrown back from a hollow of the mountains, it paralyzed them with terror.

20. solis autem illis superposita erat gravis nox, imago tenebrarum, quae illos recepturae erant: ipsi ergo sibi erant graviores tenebris.

20. For the whole world was illumined with brilliant light, and was engaged in unhindered work,

21.

21. while over those men alone heavy night was spread, an image of the darkness that was destined to receive them; but still heavier than darkness were they to themselves.