Chapter One, apparently influenced the metrical system of Celtic poetry.
The metrical pattern used by Otfried, a quatrain of seven-syllable lines with rhymed couplets, is commonly found.[10] Latin influence is at least tentatively acknowledged by scholars in the rhyme and stanza structure of Celtic poetry prior to the eleventh century.[11]
After the creation of the Latin sequence, vernacular poetry is overwhelmingly affected by this new type of hymn. Germanic poets followed the leadership of Notker. The Victorine school, rejecting the strophic system and rhythmic model of the Germans, built the couplet and rhyme, already existing in hymns, into a characteristic structure which proved to be easily transferable to vernacular uses. It has been asserted that the lyric poetry of the Middle Ages, in German, French, Provençal and English was reborn in this conquest of the vernacular by the Latin sequence.[12] At the same time, the possible influence of the vernacular over the Latin must not be ignored. There is a resemblance, for instance, between the narrative elements of sequences written in honor of saints and the ballads of secular poetry.[13] Whatever the conflicting currents may have been in the period of origins, the smooth-flowing stream of the vernacular religious lyric with its many tributaries, refreshed the spirit of medieval man and recalled to memory his religious heritage.
The vitality of this new religious poetry which flourishes in the later centuries, in which the Latin hymn suffered so marked a deterioration, suggests that the future of the hymn, like other media of Latin literature, was to be realized in a new linguistic environment. It was not the verity but the language that was destined to change.
In order to appreciate the variety and interest of that vernacular lyric poetry which arose within the sphere of influence of the Latin hymn, illustrations may be culled from many parts of Europe. _Mary-Verse in Meistergesang_ is the title chosen by Sister Mary Schroeder for her study of one aspect of the German lyric.[14] A very large proportion, perhaps two-thirds of the songs are religious in content, showing to a degree, their dependence upon hymnal poetry, while nearly one-fourth of them are devoted to the praise of the Virgin. Occasionally, a Latin sequence has been freely translated, paraphrased or elaborated.
The Swedish vernacular is represented by the patriotic poem of Bishop Thomas of Strängnäs, who, in the fourteenth century, wrote in praise of the national hero, Engelbrekt. Metrical and stanza form are both of the hymnal type.[15]
The Romance languages afford myriad examples of the sequence form. St. Martial, near Limoges, already cited as a center in the production of the sequence, and Paris, the home of the Victorine school, are both places of origin for vernacular lyrics. A close connection has been traced between the sequence and the French romantic lyric, especially the _lai_, a connection amply illustrated and tabulated for the convenience of the student.[16] More familiar, perhaps, than the _lais_ are the appealing lines of François Villon, “Dame des cieulx, regente terrienne,” which possesses all the charm of the Marian lyric at its best.
About the year 1270, Alfonso X of Castile made a collection of 400 poems in the Galician-Portuguese dialect, the _Cántigas de Santa María_ around which a considerable literature has grown up. All are devotional in subject matter. Alfonso X was a literary patron. Ramon Lull (c. 1315) was himself a poet who wrote in the Catalan tongue although his mystical writings are better known than his poetry. His _Hours of our Lady St. Mary_ was modeled upon the hymn and set to a hymn tune.[17]
The Italian poets of religious verse flourished as writers both in the vernacular and in Latin. St. Francis of Assisi, (1181-1226), whose _Cantico di fratre sole_[18] is known and loved by countless persons in our own day, was among the earliest poets of the _Laudi spirituali_. The origin of the _laudi_ has been traced in part to the ejaculations of the flagellants of northern Italy where bands of these penitents were commonly seen in the thirteenth century. A century earlier, religious societies of singers, the _laudisti_, were in existence in Venice and Florence. Arezzo knew such a group as early as 1068.[19] Included among the known writers of _laudi_ are Jacopone da Todi, (1230-1306), and Bianco da Siena, (c. 1307), both classified today as writers of hymns.
The movement represented by the _laudisti_ spread to France, German-speaking lands, the Low Countries and Poland. Everywhere the vernacular was used with popular unison melodies. As we approach the Renaissance, Florence is still conspicuous for her authors of the religious vernacular lyric, among them Lorenzo di Medici and Savonarola, (1452-1498), better known as the Florentine preacher whose passionate denunciations of the evils of his day brought him into conflict with the Church and resulted in his execution. His _Laude al crucifisso_ has been translated in part by Jane F. Wilde as a hymn, “Jesus, refuge of the weary.”
The English religious lyrics of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries may be read with enjoyment in the collections of Carleton Brown whose appraisement of this poetry was the fruit of great learning and a sympathetic discernment of human values.[20] Here the Latin hymn may be found as it was translated, adapted and imitated in English verse. The Latin sequence, as it increased in popularity, was taken over by English poets with great success. Some of these writers who appropriated the Latin models, like William Herebert, Jacob Ryman and John Lydgate, are known to us by name while others are anonymous. Their poetic themes are varied but Marian verse appears in many forms: hymns, laments, and rhymed petition. Incidentally, a knowledge of the Latin original must be presupposed on the part of the English laity of this period. Chaucer wrote for the layman who must have understood his use of the sequence _Angelus ad Virginem_ in the “Miller’s Tale” and the sequence _Alma redemptoris mater_ in the “Prioress’ Tale.”
English macaronic verse best reveals the Latin hymn. Over and over again, Latin quotations are used, sometimes embedded in the text, sometimes added as refrains, an understanding of which is always vital to the appreciation of the poem.
The carol, although extraneous to true hymnody, because of its non-liturgical character and usage, was related to Latin origins; to some extent, to the _cantio_ and the _conductus_. A form of vernacular lyric, the carol often shares the macaronic features which were common in the blended phraseology of the European languages with Latin in this popular type of late medieval verse. It is relevant here as a religious lyric which bears the unmistakable mark of the hymnic inheritance. Whatever is true of the English carol is equally true of the carol in other lands. To-day these lyrics are of great interest and of increasing usage in the Christian Church at large. Their musical and poetic aspects are both subjects of enthusiastic research. Many persons in our modern society who have never studied the classical languages are able to sing the Latin words and phrases they contain, with understanding, as did their medieval predecessors.
II. Influence and Survival of Latin Hymns since the Middle Ages
The writing of Latin hymns by no means died out with the medieval era in the sixteenth century. The great prestige of Latin studies fostered by the Renaissance alone would have been sufficient to perpetuate the practice. The Church, too, was engaged in a movement to standardize and improve the Latinity of the breviary hymns which resulted in the Trentine cycle as we know it today. A concurrent movement toward uniformity of rites appreciably reduced the number of breviaries and the variety of their hymns, but those breviaries which maintained an independent existence had their own complete cycles. Such were the Cluniac Breviary of 1686 and the Paris Breviary of 1736 for which new hymns were written and sung side by side with those of medieval origin. Among post-Renaissance poets represented in these collections were the Frenchmen Jean-Baptiste de Santuil and his brothers Claude and Baptiste. Freshly inspired by classical studies, the new hymn writers repudiated medieval ruggedness and stylistic neglect in favor of the smooth and finished Latinity affected by contemporary poets. From the substantial body of verse produced in these centuries, _Adeste fideles_, “O come, all ye faithful,” has proved a favorite. Sometimes classified as a hymn, sometimes as a carol, it originated in the English colony at Douay about the year 1740, from the pen of John Francis Wade.[21]
The continuity of the Roman Use, however, was not disturbed. The Roman Breviary had acquired its cycle of hymns in the processes of evolution which have been traced in the preceding chapters. Trentine revisions under the guidance of Pope Urban VIII, (1623-1644), made with the highest motives but often deplored by later scholars, transformed the medieval originals into products of the Renaissance. The Trentine Breviary contains many of the finest medieval hymns which, although they have suffered alterations, have carried the traditional heritage into modern times.[22]
By virtue of its prestige and its world-wide circulation, the Roman Breviary has been the vehicle by which the Latin hymn has penetrated into the modern vernacular languages in translations. It is a subject of frequent comment that the full treasury of hymns has not been drawn upon by the Catholic Church since the hymns of the Roman Breviary have monopolized the field. The historical reason for this is clear and also for the fact that in the Roman Missal only five sequences, each of recognized superiority, have been retained.
The restriction of Latin hymns in Roman Catholic liturgical usage to a relatively small number allows certain exceptions. The Benedictine and other religious orders use their own cycle of breviary hymns and present-day Catholic hymnals in popular use often contain translations of hymns and sequences additional to those of the Roman Breviary and Missal.
Protestant Churches are not limited in their selection of Latin hymns for translation, making their choices from the entire medieval store. The revival of Latin hymns in a translated form, which marked the Oxford Movement in the Anglican Church in the mid-nineteenth century, drew upon the Sarum Breviary as one native to English soil and therefore appropriate to the English Church. That these hymns were largely represented in the Roman Breviary, was well-known but the earlier and unrevised texts were preferred. In his function as a translator, John Mason Neale was preeminently a leader in the task of making known to the adherents of the Church of England their heritage of hymns.
An attempt was made at this time to perpetuate not only the words but the Gregorian Chant as a suitable musical setting for the vernacular. Here the innovators were only partly successful and the chant, although enthusiastically employed at first was gradually abandoned in the English Church as the sole musical vehicle for the Latin hymn in translation. Similarly Latin hymns have been taken over into other modern languages by translators of Protestant as well as Catholic allegiance.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the influence of Latin hymn meters continued to be felt in vernacular hymnody. Metrical versions of the Psalms made by Isaac Watts are often illustrative of old Latin forms which may also be recognized in his own hymns. This may not have been a conscious imitation of Latin originals for by this time hymn meters were ingrained in English poetry, but merely an indirect reflection, for example, of the Ambrosian model.
More subtle has been the influence in modern times of the most ancient canons of hymnic expression; objective presentation of scriptural narrative, doctrinal emphasis and a certain joyful austerity in the praise of God. During the three and a half centuries which have passed since the era of the Protestant Reformation, the Christian hymn has experienced a succession of literary movements, reflecting, for example, the spirit of the Age of Reason and of the Romantic Era. Contemporary musical evolution has, in turn, been vitally important to the growth of the hymn as it has been mated with the melodies of the Genevan Psalter, the chorales of Bach, the musical novelties of instrumental origin, the folk song and latterly the native music of regions open to missionary enterprise.
Throughout this varied experience the stream of medieval Latin hymnody has continued its course. As an accompaniment of Roman Catholic worship this was only to be expected. The conquest by the Latin hymn of areas beyond the limits of the Roman Church is more significant. The most recent hymnals of leading Protestant denominations, to which the Latin hymn in translation has made a modest but genuine contribution, bear witness to the ageless character of this hymnody. Modern investigation of hymn sources, their origins, authorship and influence, has created the study of documentary hymnology as it is known today. In the processes of this inquiry the medieval Latin hymn has been invested with new interest in the minds of a multitude of worshipers, both Catholic and Protestant, who have hitherto been unaware of, or indifferent to, their common heritage.
Illustrative Hymns
I. _Splendor paternae gloriae_
1. Splendor paternae gloriae, De luce lucem proferens, Lux lucis et fons luminis, Dies dierum illuminans,
1. O Splendor of God’s glory bright, O Thou that bringest light from light, O Light of light, light’s living spring, O Day, all days illumining;
2. Verusque sol illabere, Micans nitore perpeti, Iubarque sancti Spiritus Infunde nostris sensibus.
2. O Thou true Sun, on us thy glance Let fall in royal radiance, The Spirit’s sanctifying beam Upon our earthly senses stream.
3. Votis vocemus et Patrem— Patrem perennis gloriae, Patrem potentis gratiae— Culpam releget lubricam,
3. The Father, too, our prayers implore, Father of glory evermore, The Father of all grace and might, To banish sin from our delight:
4. Informet actus strenuos, Dentem retundat invidi, Casus secundet asperos, Donet gerendi gratiam.
4. To guide whate’er we nobly do, With love all envy to subdue, To make all-fortune turn to fair, And give us grace our wrongs to bear.
5. Mentem gubernet et regat, Casto fideli corpore; Fides calore ferveat, Fraudis venena nesciat.
5. Our mind be in his keeping placed, Our body true to him and chaste, Where only Faith her fire shall feed To burn the tares of Satan’s seed.
6. Christusque nobis sit cibus, Potusque noster sit fides; Laeti bibamus sobriam Ebrietatem Spiritus.
6. And Christ to us for food shall be, From him our drink that welleth free, The Spirit’s wine, that maketh whole, And mocking not, exalts the soul.
7. Laetus dies hic transeat, Pudor sit ut diluculum, Fides velut meridies, Crepusculum mens nesciat.
7. Rejoicing may this day go hence, Like virgin dawn our innocence. Like fiery noon our faith appear, Nor know the gloom of twilight drear.
8. Aurora cursus provehit, Aurora totus prodeat, In Patre totus Filius, Et totus in Verbo Pater.
8. Morn in her rosy car is borne; Let Him come forth our perfect Morn, The Word in God the Father one, The Father perfect in the Son.
Tr. Robert Bridges, from _The Yattendon Hymnal_ (edited by Robert Bridges & H. Ellis Wooldridge) by permission of the Clarendon Press, Oxford.
II. _Vexilla regis prodeunt_
1. Vexilla regis prodeunt, Fulget crucis mysterium, Quo carne carnis conditor Suspensus est patibulo.
1. The banners of the king advance, The cross with mystery doth flame, And from the tree the Flesh of flesh, Word Incarnate, hangs in shame.
2. Quo vulneratus insuper Mucrone dirae lanceae, Ut nos lavaret crimine, Manavit unda, sanguine.
2. The lance’s edge hath pierced His side, O look on Him that for our good Cleansed us of the stain of sin, Washed out with water and with blood.
3. Inpleta sunt quae concinit David fideli carmine, Dicendo nationibus: Regnavit a ligno Deus.
3. Now is fulfilled what was foretold By David in prophetic song: Suspended from the rood Our God Will rule. To Him shall nations throng.
4. Arbor decora et fulgida, Ornata regis purpura, Electa digno stipite Tam sancta membra tangere.
4. O glorious and radiant tree In royal crimson richly decked, His sacred limbs to touch and hold Thee did our Lord, fair rood, elect.
5. Beata, cuius bracchiis Pretium pependit saeculi. Statera facta est corporis Praedam tulitque tartari.
5. Thou blessed cross upon whose arms The body of the Savior fell; As with a balance thou didst weigh The Christ that bore us out of Hell.
6. Fundis aroma cortice, Vincis sapore nectare, Iocunda fructu fertili Plaudis triumpho nobili.
6. Thy wood is all a sweet perfume, Thou art like nectar very sweet; Rejoicing in thy fruit thou mak’st A perfect triumph more complete.
7. Salve ara, salve victima De passionis gloria, Qua vita mortem pertulit Et morte vitam reddidit.
7. Altar and sacred victim, hail! In thy passion is our glory. Life from death thou bringest back, Life in death shall be our story.
8. O crux ave, spes unica, Hoc passionis tempore, Auge piis iustitiam, Reisque dona veniam.
8. Hail thou cross, O hail thou only Hope that agony may win; To believers bring salvation, Take the sinner from his sin!
The 8th stanza is a later addition. Stanza 2 omitted.
Tr. Howard M. Jones (Allen, P. S., _The Romanesque Lyric_. Chapel Hill, Un. of N. C. Press, 1928, p. 146-7. Quoted by permission of publishers.)
III. _Aeterna Christi munera_
1. Aeterna Christi munera Et martyrum victorias, Laudes ferentes debitas Laetis canamus mentibus.
1. The eternal gifts of Christ the King, The Martyrs’ glorious deeds we sing; And while due hymns of praise we pay, Our thankful hearts cast grief away.
2. Ecclesiarum principes, Belli triumphales duces, Caelestis aulae milites, Et vera mundi lumina;
2. The Church in these her princes boasts, These victor chiefs of warrior hosts; The soldiers of the heavenly hall, The lights that rose on earth for all.
3. Terrore victo saeculi, Poenisque spretis corporis, Mortis sacrae compendio Vitam beatam possident.
3. The terrors of the world despised, The body’s torments lightly prized, By one brief space of death and pain Life everlasting they obtain.
4. Traduntur igni martyres Et bestiarum dentibus; Armata saevit ungulis Tortoris insani manus.
4. To flames the Martyr Saints are hailed: By teeth of savage beasts assailed; Against them, armed with ruthless brand And hooks of steel, their torturers stand.
5. Nudata pendent viscera, Sanguis sacratus funditur, Sed permanent immobiles Vitae perennis gratia.
5. The mangled frame is tortured sore, The holy life-drops freshly pour: They stand unmoved amidst the strife, By grace of everlasting life.
6. Devota sanctorum fides, Invicta spes credentium, Perfecta Christi caritas Mundi triumphat principem.
6. ’Twas thus the yearning faith of saints, The unconquered hope that never faints, The love of Christ that knows not shame, The Prince of this world overcame.
7. In his paterna gloria, In his voluntas filii, Exultat in his spiritus; Caelum repletur gaudiis.
7. In these the Father’s glory shone; In these the will of God the Son; In these exults the Holy Ghost; Through these rejoice the heavenly host.
8. Te nunc, Redemptor, quaesumus, Ut ipsorum consortio Iungas precantes servulos In sempiterna saecula.
8. Redeemer, hear us of thy love, That, with the glorious band above, Hereafter, of thine endless grace, Thy servants also may have place.
Tr. John Mason Neale, _Hymnal Noted_.
IV. _Nocte surgentes vigilemus omnes_
1. Nocte surgentes, vigilemus omnes, Semper in psalmis meditemur, atque Viribus totis Domino canamus Dulciter hymnos.
1. Father, we praise thee, now the night is over, Active and watchful, stand we all before thee; Singing we offer prayer and meditation: Thus we adore thee.
2. Ut pio regi pariter canentes Cum suis sanctis mereamur aulam Ingredi caeli, simul et beatam Ducere vitam.
2. Monarch of all things, fit us for thy mansions; Banish our weakness, health and wholeness sending; Bring us to heaven, where thy Saints united Joy without ending.
3. Praestet hoc nobis Deitas beata Patris ac Nati pariterque sancti Spiritus, cuius reboatur omni Gloria mundo.
3. All-holy Father, Son and equal Spirit, Trinity blessed, send us thy salvation; Thine is the glory, gleaming and resounding Through all creation.
Tr. Percy Dearmer, from _The English Hymnal_ by permission of the Oxford University Press.
V. _Alleluia_
1. Alleluia piis edite laudibus, Cives aetherei, psallite naviter Alleluia perenne.
1. Sing alleluia forth in duteous praise, Ye citizens of heav’n; O sweetly raise An endless alleluia.
2. Hinc vos perpetui luminis accola, Assumet resonans hymniferis choris, Alleluia perenne.
2. Ye powers who stand before th’ Eternal Light, In hymning choirs re-echo to the height An endless alleluia.
3. Vos urbs eximia suscipiet Dei, Quae laetis resonans cantibus excitat Alleluia perenne.
3. The Holy City shall take up your strain, And with glad songs resounding wake again An endless alleluia.
4. Felici reditu gaudia sumite Reddentes Domino glorificos melos, Alleluia perenne.
4. In blissful antiphons ye thus rejoice To render to the Lord with thankful voice An endless alleluia.
5. Almum sidereae iam patriae decus Victores capitis, quo canor est iugis Alleluia perenne.
5. Ye who have gained at length your palms in bliss, Victorious ones, your chant shall still be this, An endless alleluia.
6. Illic regis honor vocibus inclitis Iucunda reboat carmina perpetim Alleluia perenne.
6. There, in one glad acclaim, forever ring The strains which tell the honour of your king, An endless alleluia.
Stanzas 7, 8, 9 omitted.
Tr. John Ellerton
VI. _Sancti venite_
1. Sancti venite, Christi corpus sumite, Sanctum bibentes, quo redempti sanguinem.
1. Draw nigh, and take the Body of the Lord, And drink the Holy Blood for you outpoured.
2. Salvati Christi corpore et sanguine, A quo refecti laudes dicamus Deo.
2. Saved by that Body, hallowed by that Blood, Whereby refreshed, we render thanks to God.
3. Hoc sacramento corporis et sanguinis Omnes exuti ab inferni faucibus.
3. Salvation’s Giver, Christ the Only Son; By that His Cross and Blood the victory won.
4. Dator salutis, Christus filius Dei, Mundum salvavit per crucem et sanguinem.
4. Offered was He for greatest and for least: Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest.
5. Pro universis immolatus Dominus Ipse sacerdos exstitit et hostia.
5. Victims were offered by the Law of old, That, in a type, celestial mysteries told.
6. Lege praeceptum immolari hostias, Qua adumbrantur divina mysteria.
6. He, Ransomer from death and Light from shade, Giveth His holy grace His Saints to aid.
7. Lucis indultor et salvator omnium Praeclaram sanctis largitus est gratiam.
7. Approach ye then with faithful hearts sincere, And take the safeguard of salvation here.
8. Accedant omnes pura mente creduli, Sumant aeternam salutis custodiam.
8. He That in this world rules His Saints, and shields, To all believers Life Eternal yields:
9. Sanctorum custos, rector quoque, Dominus, Vitae perennis largitor credentibus.
9. With Heavenly Bread makes them that hunger whole; Gives Living Waters to the thirsty soul.
10. Caelestem panem dat esurientibus, De fonte vivo praebet sitientibus.
11. Alpha et omega ipse Christus Dominus Venit, venturus iudicare homines.
10. Alpha and Omega, to Whom shall bow All nations at the Doom, is with us now.
Tr. John Mason Neale, _Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences_, London. Masters, 1867, p. 13.
Neale omits Latin stanza 3.
VII. _Ave maris stella_
1. Ave maris stella, Dei mater alma Atque semper virgo, Felix caeli porta.
1. Hail, Sea-star we name thee, Ever-maid acclaim thee, God His Mother, Portal To the life immortal.
2. Sumens illud Ave Gabrielis ore Funda nos in pace, Mutans nomen Evae.
2. Ave was the token By the Angel spoken: Peace on earth it telleth, Eva’s name re-spelleth.
3. Solve vincla reis, Profer lumen caecis, Mala nostra pelle, Bona cuncta posce.
3. Free the worldly-minded Luminate the blinded, Every ill repressing, Win us every blessing.
4. Monstra te esse matrem, Sumat per te preces, Qui pro nobis natus Tulit esse tuus.
4. Plead, and play the Mother! He will, and no other, Born for our salvation, Hear thy supplication.
5. Virgo singularis, Inter omnes mitis, Nos culpis solutos Mites fac et castos.
5. Maiden meek and lowly, Singularly holy, Loose the sins that chain us; Sanctify, sustain us.
6. Vitam praesta puram, Iter para tutum, Ut videntes Iesum Semper collaetemur.
6. Help us live in pureness, Smooth our way with sureness, Till we also eye Thee, Jesu, ever nigh Thee.
7. Sit laus Deo Patri, Summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto: Tribus honor unus.
7. Doxology.
Tr. G. R. Woodward
VIII. _Ut queant laxis resonare fibris_ (St. John the Baptist)
1. Ut queant laxis resonare fibris Mira gestorum famuli tuorum, Solve polluti labii reatum, Sancte Ioannes.
1. In flowing measures worthily to sing The wonders which of old by thee were done, To lips unclean let Heaven remission bring, O Holy John!
2. Nuntius celso veniens Olympo, Te patri magnum fore nasciturum, Nomen et vitae seriem gerendae Ordine promit.
2. From highest Heaven a herald sent to earth Thy future greatness to thy father told; Thy name and life in order from thy birth Entire unrolled.
3. Ille promissi dubius superni, Perdidit promptae modulos loquelae, Sed reformasti genitus peremptae Organa vocis.
3. Yet doubting of the promise of his Lord His palsied tongue of language lost the power; By thee was all his faltering speech restored Thy natal hour.
4. Ventris obtruso recubans cubili, Senseras regem thalamo manentem, Hinc parens nati meritis uterque Abdita pandit.
4. Thou didst within the narrow womb discern The King in that his chamber lie concealed; Each parent her Son’s dignity in turn To each revealed.
5. Sit decus Patri, genitaeque Proli, Et tibi, compar utriusque virtus, Spiritus semper, Deus unus, omni Temporis aevo.
5. Now whilst Heaven’s citizens proclaim thy praise God ever One and yet coequal Three For pardon we our suppliant voices raise Redeemed by Thee!
Tr. J. D. Chambers. Stanzas 6-13 omitted.
IX. _Veni creator spiritus_
1. Veni creator Spiritus Mentes tuorum visita, Imple superna gratia, Quae tu creasti pectora.
1. Creator-spirit, all-Divine, Come, visit every soul of thine, And fill with thy celestial flame The hearts which thou thyself didst frame.
2. Qui Paraclitus diceris, Donum Dei altissimi, Fons vivus, ignis, caritas, Et spiritalis unctio.
2. O gift of God, thine is the sweet Consoling name of Paraclete— And spring of life and fire and love And unction flowing from above.
3. Tu septiformis munere, Dextrae Dei tu digitus, Tu rite promisso Patris Sermone ditas guttura.
3. The mystic sevenfold gifts are thine, Finger of God’s right hand divine; The Father’s promise sent to teach The tongue a rich and heavenly speech.
4. Accende lumen sensibus, Infunde amorem cordibus, Infirma nostri corporis Virtute firmans perpeti.
4. Kindle with fire brought from above Each sense, and fill our hearts with love; And grant our flesh, so weak and frail, The strength of thine which cannot fail.
5. Hostem repellas longius, Pacemque dones protinus, Ductore sic te praevio Vitemus omne noxium.
5. Drive far away our deadly foe, And grant us thy true peace to know; So we, led by thy guidance still, May safely pass through every ill.
6. Da gaudiorum praemia, Da gratiarum munera, Dissolve litis vincula, Adstringe pacis foedera.
6. To us, through Thee, the grace be shown To know the Father and the Son; And Spirit of them both, may we Forever rest our faith in Thee.
7. Per te sciamus, da, Patrem, Noscamus atque Filium, Te utriusque Spiritum Credamus omni tempore.
7. To Sire and Son be praises meet, And to the Holy Paraclete; And may Christ send us from above That Holy Spirit’s gift of love.
8. Sit laus Patri cum Filio, Sancto simul Paraclito, Nobisque mittat Filius Charisma sancti Spiritus.
Tr. J. A. Aylward
X. _Deus immensa trinitas_ (Mozarabic, Common of Saints)
1. Deus, immensa trinitas, Unita semper gloria, Pater, Christe, Paraclite, Rerum invicte Domine.
1. O glorious immensity And one eternal Trinity, Father and Comforter and Word, Of all that is, unconquered Lord,
2. Qui largitatem muneris Quo praestasti martyri, Cuius festa votissima, Quam celebramus hodie.
2. The saint for whom our chants of praise Consenting on this feast we raise, With princely guerdons thou didst bless: Thy crown, thy palm, thy happiness.
3. Tormenta qui saevissima Ac varia supplicia Victrice tua dextera Mente robusta pertulit.
3. In tortures, great and cruel pain Thou didst with thy right hand sustain Thy servant, who with steadfast heart Bore the tormentor’s every art.
4. Huius, adclines, Domine, Te deprecamur, precibus, Aetherea consortia, Celsa dona fastigia.
4. Thy gracious ear, O Christ divine, Unto thy servant’s prayer incline, To whom thy fairest gifts are given Within the gracious halls of heaven.
5. Qui princeps esse principum Rex mysticus agnosceris, Agnita nostra crimina Large dele clementia.
5. Thee Prince of Princes, we proclaim, The King that bears the mystic name: Blot out in thy great love, we pray, The sins that mar this holy day.
6. Adventus ut cum fulgidus Tuus, Christe, patuerit, Tuo ducante martyre Laeti pergamus obviam.
6. That so when Thou shalt come again, O Christ, in light, on earth to reign, Led by thy martyr, we may dare To rise to meet thee in the air.
7. (added) Deo Patri sit gloria Eiusque soli Filio Cum Spiritu Paraclito Et nunc et omne saeculum.
7. (added) To God the Father glory be, And God the Son eternally, With God the Holy Paraclete Through endless ages, as is meet.
Tr. Alan G. Mcdougall (_Pange Lingua_ _etc._, Burns, Oates & Washbourne, London, 1916. p. 71. Quoted by permission of publishers.)
XI. _Sancti spiritus assit nobis gratia_
1. Sancti spiritus assit nobis gratia,
1. The grace of the Holy Ghost be present with us;
2. Quae corda nostra sibi faciat habitaculum
2. And make our hearts a dwelling place to itself;
3. Expulsis inde cunctis vitiis spiritalibus.
3. And expel from them all spiritual wickedness.
4. Spiritus alme, illustrator hominum,
4. Merciful Spirit, Illuminator of men,
5. Horridas nostrae mentis purga tenebras.
5. Purge the fearful shades of our mind.
6. Amator sancte sensatorum semper cogitatuum,
6. O holy Lover of thoughts that are ever wise,
7. Infunde unctionem tuam clemens nostris sensibus.
7. Of Thy mercy pour forth Thine Anointing into our senses.
8. Tu purificator omnium flagitiorum spiritus,
8. Thou purifier of all iniquities, O Spirit,
9. Purifica nostri oculum interioris hominis,
9. Purify the eye of our inner man,
10. Ut videri supremus genitor possit a nobis,
10. To the end that the Father of all things may be seen by us,
11. Mundi cordis quem soli cernere possunt oculi.
11. He, Whom the eyes of none save the pure in heart can behold.
12. Prophetas tu inspirasti, ut praeconia Christi praecinuissent inclita;
12. Thou didst inspire the Prophets to chant aforehand their glorious heralding of Christ.
13. Apostolos confortasti, uti tropaeum Christi per totum mundum veherent.
13. Thou didst confirm the Apostles, so that they shall bear Christ’s glorious trophy through the whole world.
14. Quando machinam per verbum suum fecit Deus caeli, terrae, marium,
14. When by His Word, God made the system of heaven, earth, seas,
15. Tu super aquas foturus eas numen tuum expandisti, spiritus.
15. Thou didst stretch out Thy Godhead over the waters, and didst cherish them, O Spirit!
16. Tu animabus vivificandis aquas fecundas;
16. Thou didst give virtue to the waters to quicken souls;
17. Tu aspirando das spiritales esse homines.
17. Thou, by Thine Inspiration, grantest to men to be spiritual.
18. Tu divisum per linguas mundum et ritus adunasti, Domine;
18. Thou didst unite the world, divided into tongues and rites, O Lord!
19. Idolatras ad cultum Dei revocas, magistrorum optime.
19. Thou recallest idolaters to the worship of God, best of Masters!
20. Ergo nos supplicantes tibi exaudi propitius, sancte spiritus,
20. Wherefore of Thy mercy hear us who call upon Thee, Holy Ghost:
21. Sine quo preces omnes cassae creduntur et indignae Dei auribus.
21. Without Whom, as the faith teaches, all our prayers are in vain, and unworthy of the ears of God,
22. Tu, qui omnium saeculorum sanctos Tui numinis docuisti instinctu amplectendo, spiritus,
22. Thou, O Spirit, who by embracing the Saints of all ages, dost teach them by the impulse of Thy Divinity;
23. Ipse hodie apostolos Christi donans munere insolito et cunctis inaudito saeculis
23. Thyself, by bestowing upon the Apostles of Christ a gift immortal, and unheard of from all ages,
24. Hunc diem gloriosum fecisti.
24. Hast made this day glorious.
Tr. John Mason Neale, _Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences_, London. Masters, 1867, p. 29.
XII. _Cantemus cuncti melodum nunc Alleluia_
1. Cantemus cuncti melodum nunc, _Alleluia_.
1. The strain upraise of joy and praise, Alleluia.
2. In laudibus aeterni regis haec plebs resultet _Alleluia_.
2. To the glory of their King Shall the ransomed people sing Alleluia.
3. Hoc denique caelestes chori cantant in altum _Alleluia_.
3. And the Choirs that dwell on high Shall re-echo through the sky Alleluia.
4. Hoc beatorum per prata paradisiaca psallat concentus _Alleluia_.
4. They through the fields of Paradise that roam, The blessed ones, repeat that bright home Alleluia.
5. Quin et astrorum micantia luminaria iubilant altum _Alleluia_.
5. The planets glitt’ring on their heavenly way, The shining constellations, join, and say Alleluia.
6. Nubium cursus, ventorum volatus, fulgurum coruscatio et tonitruum sonitus dulce consonent simul _Alleluia_.
6. Ye clouds that onward sweep! Ye winds on pinions light! Ye thunders, echoing loud and deep! Ye lightnings, wildly bright! In sweet consent unite your Alleluia.
7. Fluctus et undae, imber et procellae, tempestas et serenitas, cauma, gelu, nix, pruinae, saltus, nemora pangant _Alleluia_.
7. Ye floods and ocean billows! Ye storms and winter snow! Ye days of cloudless beauty! Hoar frost and summer glow! Ye groves that wave in spring, And glorious forests, sing Alleluia.
8. Hinc, variae volucres, creatorem laudibus concinite cum _Alleluia_.
8. First let the birds, with painted plummage gay, Exalt their great Creator’s praise, and say Alleluia.
9. Ast illinc respondeant voces altae diversarum bestiarum _Alleluia_.
9. Then let the beasts of earth, with varying strain, Join in Creation’s Hymn, and cry again Alleluia.
10. Istinc montium celsi vertices sonent _Alleluia_.
10. Here let the mountains thunder forth, sonorous, Alleluia There let the valleys sing in gentler chorus, Alleluia.
11. Illinc vallium profunditates saltent _Alleluia_.
11. Thou jubilant abyss of ocean, cry Alleluia. Ye tracts of earth and continents, reply Alleluia.
12. Tu quoque, maris iubilans abysse, dic _Alleluia_.
12. To God, Who all Creation made, The frequent hymn be duly paid: Alleluia.
13. Necnon terrarum molis immensitates: _Alleluia_.
13. This is the strain, the eternal strain, the Lord of all things loves: Alleluia. This is the song, the heav’nly song, that Christ Himself approves: Alleluia.
14. Nunc omne genus humanum laudans exsultet _Alleluia_.
14. Wherefore we sing, both heart and voice awaking, Alleluia. And children’s voices echo, answer making, Alleluia.
15. Et creatori grates frequentans consonet _Alleluia_.
15. Now from all men be outpour’d Alleluia to the Lord; With Alleluia evermore The Son and Spirit we adore.
16. Hoc denique nomen audire iugiter delectatur _Alleluia_.
16. Praise be done to Three in One. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
17. Hoc etiam carmen caeleste comprobat ipse Christus _Alleluia_.
18. Nunc vos, O socii, cantate laetantes _Alleluia_.
19. Et vos, pueruli, respondete semper _Alleluia_.
20. Nunc omnes canite simul _Alleluia_ Domino, _Alleluia_ Christo Pneumatique _Alleluia_.
21. Laus trinitati aeternae: _Alleluia, Alleluia,_ _Alleluia, Alleluia,_ _Alleluia, Alleluia._
Tr. John Mason Neale, _Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences_, London. Masters, 1867, p. 43.
Stanzas 10-13 translate Latin 10-21.
XIII. _Heri mundus exultavit_
1. Heri mundus exultavit, Et exultans celebravit Christi natalitia: Heri chorus angelorum Prosecutus est caelorum Regem cum laetitia.
1. Yesterday, with exultation Joined the world in celebration Of her promis’d Saviour’s birth; Yesterday the Angel nation Pour’d the strains of jubilation O’er the Monarch born on earth.
2. Protomartyr et Levita, Clarus fide, clarus vita, Clarus et miraculis, Sub hac luce triumphavit, Et triumphans insultavit Stephanus incredulis.
2. But to-day, o’er death victorious, By His faith and actions glorious, By His miracles renown’d, Dared the Deacon Protomartyr Earthly life for Heav’n to barter, Faithful midst the faithless found.
3. Fremunt ergo tanquam ferae, Quia victi defecere Lucis victi adversarii: Falsos testes statuunt, Et linguas exacuunt Viperarum filii.
3. In a hopeless strife engaging, They like savage beasts are raging, Adversaries of the light; False the witnesses they set; Tongues like swords the rabble whet, Viper brood of darkest night.
4. Agonista, nulli cede; Certa certus de mercede, Perservera, Stephane: Insta falsis testibus, Confuta sermonibus Synagogam Satanae.
4. Forward, champion, in thy quarrel! Certain of a certain laurel, Holy Stephen, persevere! Perjur’d witnesses confounding Satan’s Synagogue astounding By thy doctrine true and clear.
5. Testis tuus est in caelis, Testis verax et fidelis, Testis innocentiae. Nomen habes coronati, Te tormenta decet pati Pro corona gloriae.
5. Lo! in Heaven thy Witness liveth: Bright and faithful proof He giveth Of His Martyr’s blamelessness: Thou by name a Crown impliest; Meetly then in pangs thou diest For the Crown of Righteousness!
6. Pro corona non marcenti Perfer brevis vim tormenti, Te manet victoria. Tibi fiet mors, natalis, Tibi poena terminalis Dat vitae primordia.
6. For a crown that fadeth never, Bear the torturer’s brief endeavour; Victory waits to end the strife: Death shall be thy birth’s beginning, And life’s losing be the winning Of the true and better Life.
7. Plenus Sancto Spiritu Penetrat intuitu Stephanus caelestia. Videns Dei gloriam Crescit ad victoriam, Suspirat ad praemia.
7. Whom the Holy Ghost endueth, Whom celestial sight embueth, Stephen penetrates the skies; There God’s fullest glory viewing There his victor strength renewing For his near reward he sighs.
8. En a dextris Dei stantem Iesum, pro te dimicantem, Stephane, considera. Tibi caelos reserari, Tibi Christum revelari Clama voce libera.
8. See, as Jewish foes invade thee, See how Jesus stands to aid thee! Stands to guard His champion’s death: Cry that opened Heaven is shown thee: Cry that Jesus waits to own thee: Cry it with thy latest breath!
9. Se commendat Salvatori, Pro quo dulce ducit mori Sub ipsis lapidibus. Saulus servat omnium Vestes lapidantium, Lapidans in omnibus.
9. On his Saviour’s aid relying, Sweet to him the pain of dying, ’Neath the fearful rain of stone: Paul amidst the stoning throng, Guarding garments, makes the wrong Of the angry Jews his own.
10. Ne peccatum statuatur His, a quibus lapidatur, Genu ponit et precatur, Condolens insaniae: In Christo sic obdormivit, Qui Christo sic obedivit, Et cum Christo semper vivit, Martyrum primitiae.
10. As the dying Martyr kneeleth, For his murderers he appealeth, And his prayer their pardon sealeth, For their madness grieving sore; Then in Christ he sleepeth sweetly, Who His pattern kept completely, Martyr first-fruits, evermore!
Tr. John Mason Neale, _Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences_, London. Masters, 1867, p. 134.
St. 3, tr. Stephen A. Hurlbut. Quoted by permission of author. Stanzas 11, 12 omitted.
XIV. _Ad perennis vitae fontem_
1. Ad perennis vitae fontem mens sitivit arida; Claustra carnis praesto frangi clausa quaerit anima: Gliscit, ambit, eluctatur exul frui patria.
1. To the fount of life eternal cries the soul with longing thirst, And the spirit, flesh-imprisoned, seeks the bars of flesh to burst; Strives to gain that heavenly country, exiled now and sin-accurst.
2. Dum pressuris ac aerumnis se gemit obnoxiam, Quam amisit, dum deliquit, contemplatur gloriam, Praesens malum auget boni perditi memoriam.
2. Sore beset with care and danger, groans the spirit for release, Still beholds, though lost in Eden, glory forfeited and peace; Former good, in memory dwelling, doth the present ill increase.
3. Nam quis promat summae pacis quanta sit laetitia, Ubi vivis margaritis surgunt aedificia, Auro celsa micant tecta, radiant triclinia?
3. Who can tell how great the joy of that Peace surpassing all, Where of living pearls constructed rise the stately buildings tall, Where with gold the rooftree glitters, shines with gold the banquet-hall.
4. Solis gemmis pretiosis haec structura nectitur; Auro mundo, tamquam vitro, urbis via sternitur; Abest limus, deest fimus, lues nulla cernitur.
4. All of precious stones compacted rise those structures of delight; Purest gold as crystal shining paves the heavenly city bright; Never mire nor filth defiling stains the streets of radiant light.
5. Hiems horrens, aestas torrens illic numquam saeviunt; Flos perpetuus rosarum ver agit perpetuum; Candent lilia, rubescit crocus, sudat balsamum.
5. Chilling winter, burning summer, neither rages in that land, But the crimson bloom of roses doth an endless spring demand; White the lilies, red the crocus, fragrant doth the balsam stand.
6. Virent prata, vernant sata, rivi mellis influunt; Pigmentorum spirat odor, liquor et aromatum; Pendent poma floridorum non lapsura nemorum.
6. Green the pastures, flower-besprinkled, fed by streams with honey filled; All the air is sweet with incense from the odorous herbs distilled; Never fails the ripened fruitage, nor is bloom by winter chilled.
7. Non alternat luna vices, sol, vel cursus siderum; Agnus est felicis urbis lumen inocciduum; Nox et tempus desunt ei, diem fert continuum.
7. Waxeth not the moon nor waneth, need not sun or stars to be, But the Lamb in that blest city shines a Sun eternally; There the daylight is unbroken, night and time have ceased to be.
8. Nam et sancti quique velut sol praeclarus rutilant; Post triumphum coronati mutuo coniubilant, Et prostrati pugnas hostis iam securi numerant.
8. Shine the blessed with a splendor like the splendor of the sun; Crowned in triumph stand they singing that the race of life is run; Now secure, they count the glories of the contest they have won.
9. Omni labe defaecati carnis bella nesciunt, Caro facta spiritalis et mens unum sentiunt; Pace multa perfruentes scandalum non perferunt.
9. Cleansed from every stain of evil, they from carnal strife are free; Flesh made spirit, with the spirit doth for evermore agree, There, released from all temptation, they shall Peace unbroken see.
20. Probes vires inexhausto laboranti proelio, Nec quietem post procinctum deneges emerito, Te que merear potiri sine fine praemio!
20. Strength supply, in heat or conflict, ceaseless struggle to maintain; Grant thy servant, warfare ended, well-deserved rest to gain; Grant that I, Thyself deserving, may Thyself as prize attain!
Tr. Stephen A. Hurlbut. Quoted by permission of author.
XV. _Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem_
1. Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem, Lauda ducem et pastorem In hymnis et canticis: Quantum potes, tantum aude, Quia maior omni laude, Nec laudare sufficis.
1. Praise, O Sion, praise thy Saviour, Shepherd, Prince, with glad behavior, Praise in hymn and canticle: Sing His glory without measure, For the merit of your treasure Never shall your praises fill.
2. Laudis thema specialis, Panis vivus et vitalis Hodie proponitur; Quem in sacrae mensa cenae Turbae fratrum duodenae Datum non ambigitur.
2. Wondrous theme of mortal singing, Living bread and bread life-bringing, Sing we on this joyful day: At the Lord’s own table given To the twelve as bread from heaven, Doubting not we firmly say.
3. Sit laus plena, sit sonora Sit iucunda, sit decora Mentis iubilatio: Namque dies est sollemnis Qua recolitur perennis Mensae institutio.
3. Sing His praise with voice sonorous; Every heart shall hear the chorus Swell in melody sublime: For this day the Shepherd gave us Flesh and blood to feed and save us, Lasting to the end of time.
4. In hac mensa novi Regis Novum pascha novae legis Phase vetus terminat: Iam vetustas novitati, Umbra cedit veritati, Noctem lux eliminat.
4. At the new King’s sacred table, The new law’s new pasch is able To succeed the ancient rite: Old to new its place hath given, Truth has far the shadows driven, Darkness flees before the Light.
5. Quod in cena Christus gessit, Faciendum hoc expressit In sui memoriam: Docti sacris institutis, Panem, vinum in salutis Consecramus hostiam.
5. And as He hath done and planned it— “Do this”—hear His love command it, “For a memory of me.” Learnèd, Lord, in thy own science, Bread and wine, in sweet compliance, As a Host we offer Thee.
6. Dogma datur Christianis, Quod in carnem transit panis, Et vinum in sanguinem: Quod non capis, quod non vides, Animosa firmat fides, Praeter rerum ordinem.
6. Thus in faith the Christian heareth: That Christ’s flesh as bread appeareth, And as wine His precious blood: Though we feel it not nor see it, Living faith that doth decree it All defects of sense makes good.
7. Sub diversis speciebus, Signis tamen et non rebus, Latent res eximiae: Caro cibus, sanguis potus, Manet tamen Christus totus Sub utraque specie.
7. Lo! beneath the species dual (Signs not things), is hid a jewel Far beyond creation’s reach! Though His flesh as food abideth, And His blood as drink—He hideth Undivided under each.
8. A sumente non concisus, Non confractus, non divisus, Integer accipitur: Sumit unus, sumunt mille, Quantum isti, tantum ille, Nec sumptus consumitur.
8. Whoso eateth it can never Break the Body, rend or sever; Christ entire our hearts doth fill: Thousands eat the bread of heaven, Yet as much to one is given: Christ, though eaten, bideth still.
9. Sumunt boni, sumunt mali, Sorte tamen inaequali Vitae, vel interitus: Mors est malis, vita bonis: Vide, paris sumptionis Quam sit dispar exitus!
9. Good and bad, they come to greet Him: Unto life the former eat Him, And the latter unto death; These find death and those find heaven; See, from the same life-seed given, How the harvest differeth!
10. Fracto demum sacramento Ne vacilles, sed memento Tantum esse sub fragmento, Quantum toto tegitur; Nulla rei fit scissura, Signi tantum fit fractura, Qua nec status, nec statura Signati minuitur.
10. When at last the bread is broken, Doubt not what the Lord hath spoken: In each part the same love-token, The same Christ, our hearts adore: For no power the thing divideth— ’Tis the symbols He provideth, While the Saviour still abideth Undiminished as before.
11. Ecce, panis angelorum Factus cibus viatorum, Vere panis filiorum, Non mittendus canibus; In figuris praesignatur, Cum Isaac immolatur, Agnus paschae deputatur, Datur manna patribus.
11. Hail, angelic bread of heaven, Now the pilgrim’s hoping-leaven, Yea, the bread to children given That to dogs must not be thrown: In the figures contemplated, ’Twas with Isaac immolated, By the Lamb ’twas antedated, In the manna it was known.
12. Bone pastor, panis vere, Iesu, nostri miserere, Tu nos pasce, nos tuere, Tu nos bona fac videre In terra viventium. Tu qui cuncta scis et vales, Qui nos pascis hic mortales, Tuos ibi commensales, Cohaeredes et sodales Fac sanctorum civium.
12, O Good Shepherd, still confessing Love, in spite of our transgressing,— Here Thy blessed food possessing, Make us share Thine every blessing In the land of life and love: Thou, whose power hath all completed And Thy flesh as food hath meted, Make us, at Thy table seated, By Thy saints, as friends be greeted, In Thy paradise above.
Tr. H. T. Henry (_Eucharistica_, Dolphin Press, Phila., 1912, p. 39-43. Quoted by permission of publishers.)
XVI. _Stabat mater dolorosa_
1. Stabat mater dolorosa Iuxta crucem lacrimosa, Dum pendebat filius, Cuius animam gementem, Contristantem et dolentem Pertransivit gladius.
1. By the Cross her vigil keeping Stands the Queen of sorrows weeping, While her son in torment hangs; Now she feels—O heart afflicted By the sword of old predicted!— More than all a mother’s pangs.
2. O quam tristis et afflicta Fuit illa benedicta Mater unigeniti, Quae maerebat et dolebat Et tremebat, dum videbat Nati poenas inclyti.
2. Sad and heavy stands beside him She who once had magnified him One—begotten, only—born; While she sees that rich atoning, Long the moaning, deep the groaning Of her mother—heart forlorn.
3. Quis est homo, qui non fleret, Matrem Christi si videret, In tanto supplicio? Quis non posset contristari, Piam matrem contemplari Dolentem cum filio?
3. Who Christ’s Mother contemplating In such bitter anguish waiting, Has no human tears to shed? Who would leave Christ’s Mother, sharing All the pain her Son is bearing, By those tears uncomforted?
4. Pro peccatis suae gentis Vidit Iesum in tormentis Et flagellis subditum; Vidit suum dulcem natum Morientem, desolatum, Dum emisit spiritum.
4. Victim-priest of Jewry’s nation, There he hangs in expiation; Scourge and nail have had their will; Earth and heaven his cause forsaking, Now his noble heart is breaking, Now the labouring breath is still.
5. Eia mater, fons amoris, Me sentire vim doloris Fac, ut tecum lugeam; Fac, ut ardeat cor meum In amando Christum Deum, Ut sibi complaceam.
5. Mother, fount whence love flows truest, Let me know the pain thou knewest, Let me weep as thou hast wept; Love divine within me burning, That diviner love returning, May thy Son this heart accept.
6. Sancta mater, istud agas, Crucifixi fige plagas Cordi meo valide; Tui nati vulnerati, Tam dignati pro me pati, Poenas mecum divide.
6. Mother, if my prayer be granted, Those five wounds of his implanted In my breast I fain would see; Love exceeding hangs there bleeding, My cause pleading, my love needing— Bid him share his cross with me.
7. Fac me vere tecum flere, Crucifixo condolere, Donec ego vixero; Iuxta crucem tecum stare, Te libenter sociare In planctu desidero.
7. Till life fails, I would not fail him, Still remember, still bewail him, Born thy Son, and crucified; By the cross my vigil keeping I would spend those hours of weeping, Queen of sorrows, at thy side.
8. Virgo virginum praeclara, Mihi iam non sis amara, Fac me tecum plangere; Fac, ut portem Christi mortem, Passionis fac consortem Et plagas recolere.
8. Virgin, boast of all creation, Heed my tears, nor consolation In thy bitterness repel; At thy side his livery wearing, His cross bearing, his death sharing, Of these wounds the beads I’ll tell.
9. Fac me plagis vulnerari, Cruce hac inebriari, Et cruore filii; Inflammatus et accensus, Per te, virgo, sim defensus In die iudicii.
9. Wounds of Christ, in spirit bruise me, Chalice of his blood, bemuse me, Cross of Christ, be thou my stay! Lest I burn in fires unending, Sinless Maid, my cause befriending, Shield me at the judgement day!
10. Fac me cruce custodiri, Morte Christi praemuniri, Confoveri gratia. Quando corpus morietur, Fac, ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria.
10. Jesus, when earth’s shadows leave me, Through thy Mother’s prayers receive me With the palm of victory; When my body lies forsaken Let my ransomed soul awaken Safe, in Paradise, with thee.
Tr. Ronald A. Knox (_Westminster Hymnal_, Burns, Oates & Washbourne, London, 1940, no. 37. Quoted by permission of publishers.)
XVII. _Salve, festa dies_ (Sarum Processional)
1. Salve, festa dies, toto venerabilis aevo, Qua Deus infernum vicit et astra tenet.
1. Hail thee, Festival Day! blest day that art hallowed forever; Day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death.
2. Ecce, renascentis testatur gratia mundi omnia cum Domino dona redisse suo.
2. Lo, the fair beauty of earth, from the death of winter arising, Every good gift of the year now with its Master returns.
3. Qui crucifixus erat, Deus ecce per omnia regnat, Dantque creatori cuncta creata precem.
3. He who was nailed to the cross is God and the ruler of all things; All things created on earth worship the maker of all.
4. Pollicitam sed redde diem, precor, alma potestas, Tertia lux rediit; surge, sepulte Deus.
4. God of all pity and power, let thy word be assured to the doubting; Light on the third day returns: rise, Son of God, from the tomb!
5. Non decet ut humili tumulo tua membra tegantur, Neu pretium mundi vilia saxa premant.
5. Ill doth it seem that thy limbs should linger in lowly dishonor, Ransom and price of the world, veiled from the vision of men.
6. Indignum est cuius clauduntur cuncta pugillo, Ut tegat inclusum rupe vetante lapis.
6. Ill it beseemeth that thou by whose hand all things are encompassed, Captive and bound shouldst remain, deep in the gloom of the rock.
7. Lintea tolle, precor, sudaria linque sepulchro, Tu satis es nobis, et sine te nihil est.
7. Rise now, O Lord, from the grave and cast off the shroud that enwrapped thee; Thou art sufficient for us: nothing without thee exists.
8. Funeris exsequias pateris vitae auctor et orbis, Intras mortis iter dando salutis opem.
8. Mourning they laid thee to rest, who art author of life and creation; Treading the pathway of death, life thou bestowedst on man.
9. Redde tuam faciem, videant ut saecula lumen, Redde diem, qui nos te moriente fugit.
9. Show us thy face once more, that the ages may joy in thy brightness; Give us the light of day, darkened on earth at thy death.
10. Eripis innumerum populum de carcere mortis, Et sequitur liber, quo suus auctor adit.
10. Out of the prison of death thou art rescuing numberless captives; Freely they tread in the way whither their maker has gone.
11. Tristia cesserunt infernae vincula legis, Expavitque chaos luminis ore premi.
11. Jesus has harrowed hell; he has led captivity captive: Darkness and chaos and death flee from the face of the light.
Tr. Maurice F. Bell, from _The English Hymnal_ by permission of the Oxford University Press.
Notes