Hymns for Holy Saturday

Ad Officium lectionis: saec. V-VI

Walpole: “This fine if rugged hymn continually reminds us of the Te Deum, upon which it is based, and phrases of which it incorporates…. In the old series the hymn was appointed for Mattins on Friday”.

Christe, cælórum Dómine,

mundi salvátor máxime,

qui crucis omnes múnere

mortis solvísti légibus,

Te nunc orántes póscimus, (1)

tua consérves múnera,

quæ sacra per mystéria (2)

cunctis donásti géntibus.

Tu agnus mitis, ínnocens, (3)

oblátus terræ víctima,

sanctórum vestes ómnium

tuo lavásti sánguine.

Quos redemísti prétio (4)

tui sacráti córporis,

cælo resúrgens ádvehis

ubi te laudant pérpetim.

Quorum nos addas número,

te deprecámur, Dómine, (5)

qui Patri nos ex omnibus (6)

fecísti regnum pópulis. Amen.

1. W: based on Acts 2:4; quem Deus suscitavit, solutis doloribus inferni, juxta quod impossibile erat teneri illum ab eo;  Romans 8:2: Lex enim spiritus vitæ in Christo Jesu liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis; 2. W reads: quae per legem catholica; the catholic law is opposed to the law of death; 3. W reads: tu agnus inmaculatus/ datus es terrae uictima,/qui sanctorum uestimenta/ tuo lauisti sanguine; 4. Not in W; 5. W: te deprecámur, Dómine: from the Te Deum?; r. W: last two lines: una uoce te sonamus, /uno laudamus carmine.

O Christ, Lord of the heavens, highest Savior of the world, who by the gift of the cross loosen all from the law of death. Now we pray you that you preserve the gifts which through the sacred mysteries you have given to all nations. You the gentle, innocent Lamb offered as a sacrificial victim for the world have washed the robes of all the saints in your blood. Rising lead to heaven those whom you have redeemed at the cost of your holy body that they may praise you forever.  Add us to their number, we ask you, O Lord, you who have made us for your Father a kingdom from all peoples. Amen.

Ad Laudes matutinas: saec. V-VI

I have been unable to attain any information about this hymn. It was chosen for Holy Saturday presumably because of the references to Baptism in the second stanza and the harrowing of hell in the fourth stanza.

Tibi, Redémptor ómnium,

hymnum defléntes cánimus;

ignósce nobis, Dómine,

ignósce confiténtibus.

Qui vires hostis véteris

per crucem mortis cónteris,

qua nos vexíllum fídei,

fronte signáti, férimus,

Illum a nobis iúgiter

repéllere dignáveris,

ne possit umquam lædere

redémptos tuo sánguine.

Qui propter nos ad ínferos

descéndere dignátus es,

ut mortis debitóribus

vitæ donáres múnera,

Tu es qui certo témpore

datúrus finem sæculo,

iustus cunctórum mérita

remunerátor státues.

Te ergo, Christe, quæsumus,

ut nostra cures vúlnera,

qui es cum Patre et Spíritu

laudándus in perpétuum. Amen.

To you, O Redeemer of all, we weep and sing a hymn: forgive us, O Lord, forgive us who confess our sins. You who crush the strength of the ancient enemy through the cross of death, by which we, signed on our foreheads, bear the banners of the faith. Vouchsafe always to drive him away from us, so that he may no longer injure those redeemed by your blood. You who for our sake deigned to descend into hell you might give to those charged with death the gift of life. You, who will at the appointed time bring the world to an end, will justly acknowledge and reward the merits of all. You, therefore, we pray, O Christ, that you heal our wounds, who are with the Father  and the Spirit, ever praise-worthy. Amen.

Ad Vesperas: saec. X

This hymn is found in the Anglo-Saxon hymnals, and was used variously at Lauds and Vespers in Passiontide. Milfull: pp. 278-281. The text in the Liturgica Horarum is heavily edited and revised so I have included the original below the current text. It might be concluded that these are two different hymns but the medieval text is the basis of the modern text.

Auctor salútis únice,

mundi redémptor ínclite,

rex, Christe, nobis ánnue

crucis fecúndæ glóriam.

Tu morte mortem díruens

vitámque vita lárgiens,

mortis minístrum súbdolum

devíceras diábolum.

Piis amóris ártibus

somno sepúlcri tráditus,

sedes reclúdis ínferi

patrésque dicis líberos.

Nunc in Paréntis déxtera

sacráta fulgens víctima,

audi, precámur, vívido

tuo redémptos sánguine,

Quo te diébus ómnibus

puris sequéntes móribus,

advérsus omnes ímpetus

crucis ferámus lábarum.

Patri, tibi, Paráclito

sit æqua, Iesu, glória,

qui nos crucis victória

concédis usque pérfrui. Amen.

O only Author of our salvation, great Redeemer of the world, King, O Christ, bestow upon us the grace of the fruitful cross. You have destroyed death by death and granted life by life. You conquer  the crafty devil, the minister of death. Handed over by the skill of love to sleep in the tomb, you open up the habitations of hell and command our fathers to be set free. Now on the Father’s right hand, the resplendent holy sacrifice, hear, we pray, and see those redeemed by your blood. That following you all our days in a pure life, we may bear the standard of the cross against every attack. To the Father, to you, to the Paraclete, O Jesus, equal glory, who grants us to enjoy forever the victory of the Cross. Amen.

AUCTOR SALUTI UNICUS,

Mundi redemptor inclytus,

tu Christe, nobis annuam

crucis secunda gloriam.

Tu sputa, colaphos, vincula

& dira passus verbera

crucem volens ascenderas

nostrae salutis gratia.

                                                       

Hinc morte mortem diruens

vitamque vita largiens

mortis ministrum subdolum
deviceras, diabolum.

                                                       

Nunc in parentis dexrera

sacrata fulgens victima,

audi, precamur, vivido

tuo redemptos sanguine,

quo te sequentes omnibus

morum processu saeculi

adversus omne scandalum

Crucis feramus labarum.

Praesta, beata trinitas

Inge’s translation:

You who are the only source of salvation, glorious redeemer of the

world, Christ, make the annual celebration of the glory of the cross

propitious to us.

You had already endured being spat at, hit with fists and bound and

cruelly beaten and then you willingly mounted the cross for the sake

of our salvation.

Then by your death you destroyed death and gave life by your life

and thus you completely subdued the sly servant of death, the devil.

You who now shine as the holy sacrifice at the right hand of the

Father, hear those who were redeemed by your life-giving blood, we

pray,

so that we may follow you in all our ways, as we proceed through the

world, and bear the standard of the cross against all scandal.