Concerning Violets; to his friend Radegund, the queen who became a nun
If it were the season for lilies, bright ones like you'd expect, or if the roses were shapelier, a pretty blush on them,
The rest of this poem is available exclusively in the printed edition of Dappled Things. Please visit our subscriptions page to become a subscriber now and enjoy Dappled Things to the fullest. We will make the story available online upon the release of our next issue. But really, why deny yourself the pleasure of the printed page?
By St. Venantius Fortunatus, d. ca. 600 AD
Translated from the Latin by Michael Schorsch
Michael Schorsch lives in Iowa City with his wife and daughter. He co-edits The Sign of Peace, journal of the Catholic Peace Fellowship, and eXchanges, the University of Iowa's journal of literary translation.
