Lauds: Prudentius
Walpole: The poem from which [this hymn] is
taken, Cathemerinon II, is entitled hymnus matutinus and consists of 28
stanzas. Its central thought is the contrast between the night of dark deeds
and the light of Christ. (nec teste quisquam lumine \ peccare
constanter potest). The poet prays that we may be enabled to walk as
children of the light. Rom. xiii. 12 f. might be taken as the text.
Nox
et tenébræ et núbila,
confúsa
mundi et túrbida,
lux
intrat, albéscit polus:
Christus
venit; discédite. (1)
Calígo
terræ scínditur (2)
percússa
solis spículo,
rebúsque
iam color redit
vultu
niténtis síderis. (3)
Sic
nostra mox obscúritas
fraudísque
pectus cónscium,
ruptis
retéctum núbibus,
regnánte
palléscet Deo.
Te,
Christe, solum nóvimus,
te
mente pura et símplici
rogáre
curváto genu
flendo
et canéndo díscimus.
Inténde
nostris sénsibus
vitámque
totam díspice:
sunt
multa fucis íllita (4)
quæ
luce purgéntur tua.
1. discedite] a common
formula, bidding all uninitiated or obnoxious
persons to depart from a sacrifice ; Milfull’s
translation keeps to the
the Latin word order nicely: “ “Night, Gloom and Clouds, confusions
and turmoils of the world, light is entering,
the sky is growing bright, Christ
is coming, depart!”
2. The darkness is regarded
as a substantial ' cloak ' or ' veil ' thrown
over things.
3. 'Under the countenance
of the shining star of day,' viz, the sun.
4. fucus was firstly a sea- weed found off Crete, from which a kind
of red dye was made.
Light enters, the sky grows bright; Christ
comes. Night and darkness and clouds, confusion in the world and turmoil:
depart! The darkness of the earth is cut in two and pierced by the ray of the
sun, color returns to things, faced with the brilliant star of day. Thus our
darkness is rent and the heart realizes its deceit, clouds are ruptured and
opened up, under the rule of God the darkness pales. You, O Christ alone we
know: with a pure and simple mind we learn to ask you on bended knee with tears
and singing. Attend to our thoughts and
consider our whole life: many things are obscured by appearances, which are
purged by your light.
When the Office of
Readings is said in the daytime: 13th-14th Centuries
Scientiárum
Dómino,
sit
tibi iubilátio,
qui
nostra vides íntima
tuáque
foves grátia.
Qui
bonum, pastor óptime,
dum
servas, quæris pérditum, (1)
in
páscuis ubérrimis
nos
iunge piis grégibus,
Ne
terror iræ iúdicis
nos
hædis iungat réprobis,
sed
simus temet iúdice
oves
ætérnæ páscuæ.
Tibi,
Redémptor, glória,
honor,
virtus, victória,
regnánti
super ómnia
per
sæculórum sæcula. Amen.
1. Luke19:10: Venit enim Filius hominis quærere, et salvum
facere quod perierat;
2. 2Matt 25;32: et congregabuntur ante eum omnes gentes et
separabit eos ab invicem sicut pastor segregat oves ab hedis
To the Lord of all knowledge be jubilant praise,
you see our inmost self and care for us by your grace. O Shepherd best, while
you preserve the good, you search out the lost:
join us as well to holy flocks in fertile pastures. May no fear of an
angry judge unite us with condemned goats but by the Judge himself may we be
sheep of the eternal pasture. To you, O redeemer, glory, honor, power, victory,
ruling over all, through the ages of ages. Amen.
Vespers: St. Gregory the
Great?
Walpole: Appointed for Vespers on Wednesday,
based on Gen. i. 14-19, the fourth day of the creation. Note the structure of
the hymn. The first two stanzas contain relative clauses concerning God and the
creation of the sun, moon and stars. The third stanza contains a final
clause, and not until the last stanza is the
prayer uttered to which all the first part of the hymn has been leading up.
Cæli
Deus sanctíssime,
qui
lúcidum centrum poli (1)
candóre
pingis ígneo
augens
decóri lúmina. (2)
Quarto
die qui flámmeam
solis
rotam constítuens, (3)
lunæ
minístras órdini
vagos
recúrsus síderum. (4)
Ut
nóctibus vel lúmini
diremptiónis
términum,
primórdiis
et ménsium
signum
dares notíssimum:
Illúmina
cor hóminum,
abstérge
sordes méntium,
resólve
culpæ vínculum,
evérte
moles críminum.
1.
lucidum centrum shining centre of the
sky 'sun, or to be exact the spot where
the sun is fixed.
2.
'enhancing
it with beauteous light,'
3.
solis rotam 'the disk of the sun’
4.
vagos The fixed stars are
included are included, returning to their stations at the appointed time. They
are regarded as waiting upon the moon, their mistress.
O most
holy God of heaven, who with sparkling fire paint the bright center of the sky,
increasing it with beautiful light. Who on the fourth day created the flaming
rotation of the sun, you established the order for the moon, the wandering
courses of the stars. That night or light might have separate limits and to
give a clear sign of the beginning of the months. Enlighten the heart of men,
wash the foulness of our minds, release the chains of guilt, overturn the mass
of sins.
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