The Illustrious Virgin Cecilia: A Translation of Passio Sanctae Caeciliae from Medieval Latin to Modern English

This project is a scholarly translation of the Passio (life and martyrdom) of St. Cecilia, now the patron saint of music, from medieval Latin into modern English. Although Cecilia is a significant saint, no published English translation of the full text of her life currently exists. The introduction traces her legend from its murky beginnings in the late 5th century until its collection in an early published work by the 15th-century Italian humanist Mombritius. This text is collated for punctuation and divisions with the most recent (1910) edition of the Passio, by Hippolyte Delehaye. Also in the introductory section are further explanations of some aspects of the legend and its history. Some important images and themes found in the text and addressed here include miraculous crowns of flowers, reference to a phoenix, the hagiographical significance of Cecilia’s virginity, and her outspoken theological arguments. Lastly, this introductory section also addresses the process of translation by focusing on a short passage of the Passio which has been the most controversial and significant section, the key on which Cecilia’s association with music rests. Using this passage, the process of how the translation was approached and edited is explained. This includes choices made concerning format and footnotes, as well how hagiographical tradition and purpose must be taken into consideration and integrated with the development of the legend over time to form a context from within which to finally translate the text. The second section of the project is the actual finished translation, which includes grammatical and thematic footnotes where appropriate.