Weeks I & III: Office of Readings: nocturne

 

Office of Readings: nocturne

Sunday: 6^th – 7^th Centuries

Primo diérum ómnium,

quo mundus exstat cónditus

et quo resúrgens cónditor

nos, morte victa, líberat.

Pulsis procul torpóribus,

surgámus omnes ócius,

et nocte quærámus pium,

sicut Prophétam nóvimus.

Nostras preces ut áudiat

suámque dextram pórrigat,

et hic piátos sórdibus

reddat polórum sédibus.

Ut, quique sacratíssimo

huius diéi témpore

horis quiétis psállimus,

donis beátis múneret.

On the first day of all days, the world was created and began to exist, and the Creator conquered death, rose again, and delivered us. Sloth has been driven far away, so let us all rise quickly, and in the night seek the Holy one, as in the psalms we know the prophet did. May the Creator hear our prayers and extend to us his right hand, and grant that we purified from uncleanness may be taken to the seats of heaven. That anyone who on this most holy day sings in these quiet hours may be rewarded with blessed gifts.

 Monday: 6^th – 7^th Centuries

Somno reféctis ártubus,

spreto cubíli, súrgimus:

nobis, Pater, canéntibus

adésse te depóscimus.

Te lingua primum cóncinat,

te mentis ardor ámbiat,

ut áctuum sequéntium

tu, sancte, sis exórdium.

Cedant tenébræ lúmini

et nox diúrno síderi,

ut culpa, quam nox íntulit,

lucis labáscat múnere.

Precámur ídem súpplices

noxas ut omnes ámputes,

et ore te canéntium

laudéris in perpétuum.

With our bodies refreshed by sleep, spurning our beds, we rise: we earnestly pray, O Father, that you be present with us who sing.  First the tongue sings of you, then the fervor of the mind beseeches you that  you, O Holy one,  you may be the beginning of the actions which will follow on this day. The darkness falls to the light and night to the Sun, the star of day, that the guilt, which night bore, may fall before the gift of light.  Also we humbly pray that you prune away all nights and that,  by the mouth of those who sing to you, you may be praised forever.

Tuesday: 6th – 7th Centuries

Consors patérni lúminis,

lux ipse lucis et dies,

noctem canéndo rúmpimus:

assíste postulántibus.

 Aufer tenébras méntium,

fuga catérvas dæmonum,

expélle somnoléntiam

ne pigritántes óbruat.

Sic, Christe, nobis ómnibus

indúlgeas credéntibus,

ut prosit exorántibus

quod præcinéntes psállimus.

Partaker of the Father’s light, Light of light and day, we interrupt the night with our singing: help us as we pray. Take away the darkness of minds, put to flight the bands of demons, repel our drowsiness, lest indolence overwhelm us. Thus, O Christ, forgive all of us who believe, that the praise we sing may profit us as we pray.

Wednesday: 6^th-7th  Centuries

Rerum creátor óptime

rectórque noster, réspice;

nos a quiéte nóxia

mersos sopóre líbera.

Te, sancte Christe, póscimus;

ignósce tu crimínibus,

ad confiténdum súrgimus

morásque noctis rúmpimus.

Mentes manúsque tóllimus,

Prophéta sicut nóctibus

nobis geréndum præcipit

Paulúsque gestis cénsuit.

Vides malum quod géssimus;

occúlta nostra pándimus,

preces geméntes fúndimus;

dimítte quod peccávimus.

O great Creator of all things, our Ruler, favorably behold: deliver us, overwhelmed by sleep, from the dangers of the silent night. We pray you, O Holy Christ, forgive us our sins,  breaking the delay of  night, we rise to confess our sins. We raise minds and hands as the prophetic psalmist in the nigh taught us to act and as Paul as well directed our actions. You see the evil we have done, we reveal our hidden sins, with groans we pour out our prayers; forgive those sins which we have committed.

Thursday: 6^th-th  Centuries

Nox atra rerum cóntegit

terræ colóres ómnium:

nos confiténtes póscimus

te, iuste iudex córdium,

Ut áuferas piácula

sordésque mentis ábluas,

donésque, Christe, grátiam

ut arceántur crímina.

Mens, ecce, torpet ímpia,

quam culpa mordet nóxia;

obscúra gestit tóllere

et te, Redémptor, quærere.

Repélle tu calíginem

intrínsecus quam máxime,

ut in beáto gáudeat

se collocári lúmine.

Dark night covers the colors of all things on earth; we pray to you, confessing our sins, O just Judge of hearts, that you take away our sins, wash our mind from uncleanness, and, you, O Christ, that all our sins be routed. Behold  our minds are gripped by harmful guilt and become hard in our ungodliness,  but also they are anxious that our secret sins be borne away and that we  seek you, O Redeemer. Strongly repel the darkness which is in us; that the mind may rejoice to be set in the blessed light.

Friday: 6^th Century?

Tu, Trinitátis Unitas,

orbem poténter qui regis,

atténde laudum cántica

quæ excubántes psállimus.

Nam léctulo consúrgimus

noctis quiéto témpore,

ut flagitémus vúlnerum

a te medélam ómnium,

Quo, fraude quicquid dæmonum

in nóctibus delíquimus,

abstérgat illud cælitus

tuæ potéstas glóriæ.

Te corde fido quæsumus,

reple tuo nos lúmine,

per quod diérum círculis

nullis ruámus áctibus.

You Unity of Trinity, who powerfully govern the world, attend to our hymns of praise, which we sing as we keep vigil. Now we rise from bed in the quiet time of night that we may earnestly pray you for healing of all our wounds. In order that this night whatever wrong we have done through demonic deception the heavenly power of your glory may wash away. We seek you with a faithful heart, fill us with your light, through which in the passing days we may not be ruined by our deeds.

Saturday: 6^th-7^th Centuries

Summæ Deus cleméntiæ

mundíque factor máchinæ,

qui trinus almo númine

unúsque firmas ómnia.

Nostros piis cum cánticis

fletus benígne súscipe,

quo corde puro sórdibus

te perfruámur lárgius.

Lumbos adúre cóngruis

tu caritátis ígnibus,

accíncti ut adsint pérpetim

tuísque prompti advéntibus.

Ut, quique horas nóctium

nunc concinéndo rúmpimus,

donis beátæ pátriæ

ditémur omnes áffatim.

O God of the highest mercy, Creator of the fabric of the world,  who are Three in your gracious divinity, and One in the  strengthening of all things.  Kindly receive our tears with holy hymns that with our heart purged of uncleanness, we may enjoy you more and more. Burn from our loins whatever is needs burning, that our loins girted with the fire of love may be ever ready for your coming. That we who now break the hours of night with our singing may all be enriched completely by the gifts of the blessed fatherland.