Vespers: Thursday: weeks II & IV

Vespers: Hélisachar:  7^th-8^th Centuries

Deus, qui claro lúmine

diem fecísti, Dómine,

tuam rogámus glóriam (1)

dum pronus dies vólvitur. (2)

Iam sol urgénte véspero (3)

occásum suum gráditur,

mundum conclúdens ténebris,

suum obsérvans órdinem.

Tu vero, excélse Dómine,

precántes tuos fámulos (4)

diúrno lassos ópere

ne sinas umbris ópprimi,

Ut non fuscátis méntibus (5)

dies abscédat sǽculi,

sed tua tecti grátia (6)

cernámus lucem prósperam.

A S Walpole notes:

1.       ‘we pray to thy glory’ 

2.      pronus ‘on its downward course’

3.      vespero = Vesperus = Hesperius = the evening star

4.      ‘and thou, O most high Lord, may the night welcome into its quietthy servants who wearied with the day’s toil now pray’

5.      ‘that this day  (the natural day almost gone)  may not depart leaving our souls darkened but that we shielded by thy grace may see a happy morrow’

6.      tecti = covered as with a shield’

God, who made the day bright with light, O Lord, we pray to your glory as the fall of day comes round.  Now the sun pressed by the evening steps to its setting, observing its order covers the world with darkness.  To you truly, most high Lord, we pray that you not permit your servants weary from daily work to be oppressed by the darkness. That this past day not leave our minds darkened but rather protected by your grace we may see happy light.