Brief Life Is Here Our Portion

Bernard of Cluny (also known as Bernard of Morlaix) was a twelfth-century Benedictine monk and one of the greatest Latin hymn writers of the Middle Ages. Although very little is known about his personal life, he is believed to have been born in France early in the twelfth century, possibly at Morlaix in Brittany, though his exact place of origin remains uncertain. Tradition holds that he was of English parentage and spent most, if not all, of his adult life in the famous Abbey of Cluny under the leadership of Peter the Venerable. At that time, Cluny was the most influential monastery in Western Europe, renowned for its magnificent church, elaborate liturgical worship, immense wealth, and large monastic community. It was within this environment of both religious devotion and material splendor that Bernard composed the work for which he is remembered.

Bernard's lasting fame rests almost entirely on his monumental Latin poem De Contemptu Mundi ("On the Contempt of the World"), a satirical and devotional masterpiece of approximately 3,000 lines. Written in an exceptionally difficult form of Latin verse known as Leonine dactylic hexameter, the poem denounces the moral corruption, greed, hypocrisy, and spiritual decay of the medieval world while directing the reader's attention to the eternal glory of heaven. Bernard himself confessed that such a demanding work could only have been completed through the direct help of the Holy Spirit, humbly attributing its composition not to his own skill but to divine wisdom.

The central theme of De Contemptu Mundi is the contrast between the fleeting pleasures of this present world and the everlasting joy awaiting God's people in the heavenly Jerusalem. Bernard vividly portrays the vanity of earthly riches, the certainty of divine judgment, the horrors of hell, and the incomparable beauty of the celestial city. His vision is deeply biblical, calling Christians to live as pilgrims whose true citizenship is in heaven rather than being captivated by the passing attractions of this life. While the poem contains severe denunciations of sin and sobering warnings of judgment, it also offers profound hope by pointing believers to the eternal rest and glory prepared for the redeemed.

Although the complete poem is seldom read today because of its length and repetitive structure, portions of it have become some of the best-loved hymns in the English-speaking church. Through the masterful translations of John Mason Neale, extracts from De Contemptu Mundi gave rise to enduring hymns such as "Jerusalem the Golden," "Brief Life Is Here Our Portion," and "For Thee, O Dear, Dear Country." These hymns beautifully express the Christian hope of heaven, though scholars have observed that Neale's translations emphasize the joyful anticipation of the heavenly city more than the original poem's solemn warnings against sin and worldliness. Consequently, the translations capture Bernard's vision of heaven with remarkable beauty while softening much of the penitential and prophetic tone that dominates the original Latin.

Bernard of Cluny's influence on Christian hymnody is therefore remarkable. Though he wrote only one major surviving work, its impact has extended across centuries of Christian worship. His poetry reminds believers that earthly glory is temporary, that the pleasures of this world quickly fade, and that the Christian's true hope lies in the eternal kingdom of Christ. Through his vivid descriptions of the heavenly Jerusalem and his earnest calls to holiness, Bernard continues to inspire Christians to "set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2), making him one of the most significant devotional poets of the medieval Church.