Weeks II & IV: Office of Readings: nocturne

 

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens

Sunday: 5^th Century

Médiæ noctis tempus est

prophética vox ádmonet

dicámus laudes ut Deo

Patri semper ac Fílio,

Sancto quoque Spirítui:

perfécta enim Trínitas

uniúsque substántiæ

laudánda nobis semper est.

Terrórem tempus hoc habet,

quo, cum vastátor ángelus

Ægýpto mortem íntulit,

delévit primogénita.

Hæc iustis hora salus est,

quos tunc ibídem ángelus

ausus puníre non erat,

signum formídans sánguinis.

Ægýptus flebat fórtiter

tantórum diro fúnere;

solus gaudébat Israel

agni protéctus sánguine.

Nos verus Israel sumus:

lætámur in te, Dómine,

hostem spernéntes et malum,

Christi defénsi sánguine.

Dignos nos fac, rex óptime,

futúri regni glória,

ut mereámur láudibus

ætérnis te concínere. Amen.

The midnight hour is here, the prophet’s voice warns us ever to sing praises to God the Father and his Son. Also to the Holy Spirit: for the whole Trinity of one substance is always to be lauded by us. This time of night is fearful for us, when the destroying angel brought death to Egypt and destroyed the firstborn. For the just this is the hour of salvation, whom the angel did not dare punish,  fearing the sign of blood.  Egypt deeply wept over the harsh death of so many; Israel alone was glad, protected by the blood of the lamb. We are the true Israel: we rejoice in you, O Lord, spurning the evil host and defended by the blood of Christ. Make us, O great King, fit for the glory of the kingdom, that  we may  come and worthily sing your eternal praises. Amen.

Monday: 5^th Century

Ipsum nunc nobis tempus est

quo voce evangélica

ventúrus sponsus créditur,

regni cæléstis cónditor.

Occúrrunt sanctæ vírgines

óbviam tunc advéntui,

gestántes claras lámpadas,

magno lætántes gáudio.

Stultæ vero quæ rémanent

exstínctas habent lámpadas,

frustra pulsántes iánuam,

clausa iam regni régia.

Nunc vigilémus sóbrii

gestántes mentes spléndidas,

ut veniénti Dómino

digni currámus óbviam.

Dignos nos fac, rex óptime,

futúri regni glória,

ut mereámur láudibus

ætérnis te concínere. Amen.

Now is the time, when according to the voice of the gospel it is believed that the Bridegroom, the Creator of the kingdom of heaven will come. The holy virgins, bearing bright lamps and rejoicing with great glory, will then run out to meet him as he comes. The foolish ones however remain with extinguished lamps, knocking in vain on the closed door of the royal kingdom. Now let us soberly watch, carrying minds brightly lit that we may run to meet the coming Lord. Make us, O great King, fit for the glory of the kingdom that we may  come and  worthily sing your eternal praises. Amen

Tuesday: 8^th-9^th Centuries

Nocte surgéntes vigilémus omnes,

semper in psalmis meditémur atque

víribus totis Dómino canámus

  dúlciter hymnos,

Ut, pio regi páriter canéntes,

cum suis sanctis mereámur aulam

íngredi cæli, simul et beátam

  dúcere vitam.

Præstet hoc nobis Déitas beáta

Patris ac Nati, paritérque Sancti

Spíritus, cuius résonat per omnem

  glória mundum. Amen.

At night let us all rise to keep vigil, let us ever meditate on the psalms and with all our might sing sweetly hymns to the Lord.  That chanting together to the holy King, we may be worthy to enter the halls of heaven with the saints and live a blessed life. Grant this to us, O blessed Divinity, of the Father and of the Son and equally of the Holy Spirit, whose glory resounds throughout the whole world. Amen.

Wednesday: 10^th Century

O sator rerum, reparátor ævi, (1)

Christe, rex regum, metuénde censor,

tu preces nostras paritérque laudes

  súscipe clemens.

Noctis en cursu tibi vota laudum

pángimus; præsta tibi sint ut apta,

nosque concéntu réfove perénni,

  lúminis auctor.

Da dies nobis probitáte faustos

mortis ignáram tribuéndo vitam,

semper ut nostros tua sit per actus

  glória perpes.

Ure cor nostrum, pius ure lumbos

igne divíno vigilésque nos fac,

semper ardéntes mánibus lucérnas

  ut teneámus.

Æqua laus summum célebret Paréntem

teque, Salvátor, pie rex, per ævum;

Spíritus Sancti résonet per omnem

  glória mundum. Amen.

O Sower of all things, who repairs the times, O Christ, King of kings, Fearsome Judge, mercifully receive  both our prayers and our praise. Lo, we sing to you in course of the night  prayers of praise; grant that they may be fitting and in our endless singing restore us, O Author of light. Fittingly grant us prosperous days by granting life which knows not death that through our daily actions  you may have eternal glory.  O Holy one, kindle our hearts and loins with divine fire and make us watchful that we may always keep burning lamps in our hands. Let equal praise celebrate the highest Father and you, O Savior, holy King, through the ages; may the glory of the Holy Spirit resound throughout the world. Amen.

1. Walpole: sator = 'creator' or 'father' lit, 'sower': cf Deus, qui caeli lumen es; 

Thursday: Prudentius

Ales diéi núntius

lucem propínquam præcinit;

nos excitátor méntium

iam Christus ad vitam vocat.

«Auférte — clamat — léctulos

ægros, sopóros, désides;

castíque, recti ac sóbrii

vigiláte; iam sum próximus».

Ut, cum corúscis flátibus

auróra cælum spárserit,

omnes labóre exércitos

confírmet ad spem lúminis.

Iesum ciámus vócibus

flentes, precántes, sóbrii;

inténta supplicátio

dormíre cor mundum vetat.

Tu, Christe, somnum dísice,

tu rumpe noctis víncula,

tu solve peccátum vetus

novúmque lumen íngere.

The winged messenger of the day proclaims the light is near; Now Christ,  who awakens the mind from death, calls us to life. “Cast away your beds” he cries to the sick, the drowsy, and lazy; “You chaste, upright, and sober watch!  I am near.” That, when the dawn sprinkles the sky with its sparkling breath, it may strengthen all those occupied with work. We,  weeping, praying , with sober minds cry aloud to Jesus: my our attentive supplication keep the clean heart from sleep. O Christ, dispel our sleep, break the chains of night, absolve our old sins and pour on us new light.

Friday: Saturday: Gottshalk of Fulfa

“wayward monk and impetuous disputant” FJE Raby A History of Christian-Latin Poetry

Galli cantu mediánte

noctis iam calíginem

et profúndæ noctis atram

levánte formídinem,

Deus alme, te rogámus

supplicésque póscimus.

Vigil, potens, lux venísti

atque custos hóminum,

dum tenérent simul cuncta

médium siléntium,

rédderent necnon mortálem

mórtui effígiem,

Excitáres quo nos, Christe,

de somno malítiæ,

atque gratis liberáres

noctúrno de cárcere,

redderésque nobis lucem

vitæ semper cómitem.

Honor Patri sit ac tibi,

Sancto sit Spirítui,

Deo trino sed et uni,

paci, vitæ, lúmini,

nómini præ cunctis dulci

divinóque númini. Amen.

By the rooster’s song splitting in two the darkness of the night, and the lifting the black fear of deepest night, nourishing God, we ask you and humbly entreat you. Vigilant and powerful Light, Guardian of men, you have come, while all things stand in the midst of silence and give a mortal image of death. Arouse us, O Christ, from the sleep of malice and by grace deliver us from the prison of night, return to us the light, which ever accompanies life. Honor be to the Father and the Holy Spirit,  to God triune but also one, to the God of peace, life, and light, to the sweet Name above all other names and to the Godhead divine. Amen

Saturday: Gottshalk of Fulfa

Lux ætérna, lumen potens,

dies indefíciens,

debellátor atræ noctis,

reparátor lúminis,

destructórque tenebrárum,

illustrátor méntium:

Quo nascénte suscitámur,

quo vocante surgimus;

faciénte quo beáti,

quo linquénte míseri;

quo a morte liberáti,

quo sumus perlúcidi;

Mortis quo victóres facti,

noctis atque sæculi;

ergo nobis, rex ætérne,

lucem illam tríbue,

quæ fuscátur nulla nocte,

solo gaudens lúmine.

O light eternal, light powerful, unfailing day, victor over dark night, Repairer of light, Destroyer of darkness, Illuminator of minds. By whose birth we are awaken, by whose calling, we arise, by whose work we are blessed, by whose leaving we are wretched, by whose death we are delivered, by whom we shine bright. By whose death we are made to be victorious over the  night and the world; wherefore, O King eternal, grant us that light, which is darken by no night, rejoicing in that one light.