A Salutation of the Virtues

Hail, Queen Wisdom!
May the Lord protect You,
with Your Sister, holy pure Simplicity!

Lady holy Poverty,
may the Lord protect You,
with Your Sister, holy Humility!

Lady holy Charity,
may the Lord protect You,
with Your Sister, holy Obedience.

Most holy Virtues,
may the Lord protect all of You
from Whom You come and proceed.

There is surely no one in the whole world
who can possess any one of You
without dying first.

Whoever possesses one
and does not offend the others
possesses all.

Whoever offends one
does not possess any
and offends all.

And each one confounds vice and sin.
Holy Wisdom confounds
Satan and all his cunning.

Pure holy Simplicity confounds
all the wisdom of this world
and the wisdom of the body.

Holy Poverty confounds
the desire for riches, greed,
and the cares of this world.

Holy Humility confounds pride,
all people who are in the world
and all that is in the world.

Holy Charity confounds
every diabolical and carnal temptation
and every carnal year.

Holy Obedience confounds
every corporal and carnal wish,
binds its mortified body
to obedience of the Spirit
and obedience to one's brother,
so that it is subject and submissive
to everyone in the world,
not only to people
but to every beast and wild animal as well
that they may do whatever they want with it
insofar as it has been given to them
from above by the Lord.