IN ASCENSIONE DOMINI

 

Ad I  & II Vesperas: saec. VII-VIII

Walsh-Husch: “It could be argued that this hymn more appropriately belongs to Holy Week (it was earlier appointed for Nocturns at Easter) than to Ascension Thursday, to which the revised Breviary allots it for First Vespers.” However, Milfull notes that the collector in H (the ‘Leofric Collectar’) assigns it “also to Compline and Matins of the Ascension”.

Iesu, nostra redémptio

amor et desidérium,

Deus creátor ómnium,

homo in fine témporum,

Quæ te vicit cleméntia,

ut ferres nostra crímina,

crudélem mortem pátiens,

ut nos a morte tólleres;

Inférni claustra pénetrans,

tuos captívos rédimens;

victor triúmpho nóbili

ad dextram Patris résidens?

Ipsa te cogat píetas,

ut mala nostra súperes

parcéndo, et voti cómpotes

nos tuo vultu sáties.

Tu esto nostrum gáudium,

qui es futúrus præmium;

sit nostra in te glória (6)

per cuncta semper sæcula. Amen.

O Jesus, our redemption, love and desire, God, creator of all things, man at the end of time. What mercy conquered you that you should bear our sins, suffering a cruel death to rescue us from death.  Penetrating the enclosure of hell, redeeming your captives, victor in noble triumph, sitting at the right hand of the Father.  May that love press compel you to overcome our evils with pardon,  our desires completely satisfied by your presence. Be our joy, you who are our future reward, may our glory be in you ever through all ages.

In officio dominicali et feriali: Rabanus Maurus?

Originally sung at Vespers on Pentecost through the octave, this hymn is now sung between Ascension and Pentecost. Perhaps this is because of the elimination of the Pentecost octave. “No other Latin hymn, except those of the daily office, has been so frequently and widely used as this” (Walpole).

Veni, creátor Spíritus,

mentes tuórum vísita,

imple supérna grátia,

quæ tu creásti, péctora.

Qui díceris Paráclitus,

donum Dei altíssimi,

fons vivus, ignis, cáritas

et spiritális únctio.

Tu septifórmis múnere,

dextræ Dei tu dígitus,

tu rite promíssum Patris

sermóne ditans gúttura.

Accénde lumen sénsibus,

infúnde amórem córdibus,

infírma nostri córporis,

virtúte firmans pérpeti.

Hostem repéllas lóngius

pacémque dones prótinus;

ductóre sic te prævio

vitémus omne nóxium.

Per te sciámus da Patrem

noscámus atque Fílium,

te utriúsque Spíritum

credámus omni témpore. Amen.

Come, O creator Spirit, visit the souls which are yours; fill with heavenly grace the hearts which you have created. You who are called the Comforter, the gift of God most high, the living source, fire and love, and spiritual anointing. You are the sevenfold gift, the finger of the right hand of God, you truly the promise of the Father, enriching throats with speech. Enkindle our thoughts with light, pour love into our hearts, strengthen the weakness of our bodies with your perpetual virtue. Drive the enemy far from us and continually grant us your peace,  so that with you leading us and going before us we may avoid all harm. Through you may we know the Father, and know the Son, and you, the Spirit of both, we may confess at all times. Amen.

Ad Officium lectionis: saec. X

Milfull; “This hymn was sing at Lauds on the Ascension. The collector of H, however, assigns it to Matins”.  Walpole: “The most noteworthy fact concerning [this hymn] is that a short version is found in two of the oldest MSS….One can understand the expansion of a hymn, but abbreviation is very uncommon. It may be that the short form was the original and was afterwards expanded to the form in which the great majority of the MSS give it. The Mozarabic MSS insert further stanzas.

Ætérne rex altíssime,

redémptor et fidélium,

quo mors solúta déperit,

datur triúmphus grátiæ,

Scandis tribúnal déxteræ

Patris tibíque cælitus

fertur potéstas ómnium,

quæ non erat humánitus,

Ut trina rerum máchina

cæléstium, terréstrium

et inferórum cóndita,

flectat genu iam súbdita.

Tremunt vidéntes ángeli

versam vicem mortálium;

culpat caro, purgat caro,

regnat caro Verbum Dei.

Tu, Christe, nostrum gáudium,

manens perénne præmium,

mundi regis qui fábricam,

mundána vincens gáudia.

Hinc te precántes quæsumus,

ignósce culpis ómnibus

et corda sursum súbleva

ad te supérna grátia,

Ut, cum rubénte cœperis

clarére nube iúdicis,

pœnas repéllas débitas,

reddas corónas pérditas.

Iesu, tibi sit glória,

qui scandis ad cæléstia

cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

Eternal and heavenly King most high and redeemer of the faithful, by you death loses its grip on us and is destroyed, victory is given to grace.  You scale the judgement seat at the right hand of the Father, for power from heaven, which is not that of man,  was given to you. That the threefold fabric of the world, created things of heaven and earth and below the earth subdued should bend the knee. The angels tremble when they see the reversal of the lot of mortal men: flesh sins, flesh cleanses, the flesh of God now reigns.  You, O Christ, our joy,  abiding as our endless reward, you who rule the fabric of the world, victorious over worldly joys.  Praying, we ask you: forgive us our sins, raise up our hearts to you by heavenly grace.  When you begin to gleam red carried on the cloud of judgement, you will drive away of just punishment and restore the crowns which we lost. To you,  O Jesus, be glory, who scaled the heavens, with the Father and the Holy Spirit for eternal ages. Amen.

Ad Laudes matutinas: saec. X

Walpole: “Blume Analecta LI. 92 heads this hymn In Ascensione Domini. Ad Vesperas; but he notes (p. 93) that the usage varies. The Ambrosian use assigns it to the eve of the Ascension ; Werner to the first Nocturn. Various stanzas of it are omitted in various MSS”. Milfull: “This hymn was sung at Matins (Nocturn) of Ascension, except in B, the oldest Ango-Saxon hymnal extant”.

Optátus votis ómnium

sacrátus illúxit dies,

quo Christus, mundi spes, Deus,

conscéndit cælos árduos.

Magni triúmphum prœlii,

mundi perémpto príncipe,

Patris præséntans vúltibus

victrícis carnis glóriam.

In nube fertur lúcida

et spem facit credéntibus,

iam paradísum réserans

quem protoplásti cláuserant.

O grande cunctis gáudium,

quod partus nostræ Vírginis,

post sputa, flagra, post crucem

patérnæ sedi iúngitur.

Agámus ergo grátias

nostræ salútis víndici,

nostrum quod corpus véxerit

sublíme ad cæli régiam.

Sit nobis cum cæléstibus

commúne manens gáudium:

illis, quod semet óbtulit,

nobis, quod se non ábstulit.

Nunc, Christe, scandens æthera

ad te cor nostrum súbleva,

tuum Patrísque Spíritum

emíttens nobis cælitus. Amen.

The holy day, desired by the prayers of all, now shines, when Christ, the hope of the world, God ascended  into the highest heavens. Triumphant in the great combat, the prince of this world cast out, presenting to the Father’s face the glory of a fleshly victory. Borne upon a gleaming cloud he brought hope to believers, now opening paradise which our first parents had closed. O immense joy of all that the offspring of our Virgin after spitting, whipping, after the cross, should share the throne of the Father. Therefore let us give thanks to the vindicator of our salvation, for our body now lives on high in the kingdom of heaven. May we with the heavenly hosts share an abiding joy, for he offered himself to those above, for us he is not gone. Now, O heavenly Christ, climbing the heavens, raise our hearts to you, sending upon us the Spirit of the Father. Amen.