From St. Augustine’s Lyre:
In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Breviary,
This hymn is used in multiple places in the Breviary, though divided into
parts. The third verse and the closing doxology is used as the hymn for Lauds
on the the Feast of the Chair of Peter. The fourth verse and the closing
doxology are used as the hymn for Vespers & Matins on the Feast of the
Conversion of St. Paul. The first two and last verse of the body and the
doxology are used for the Vespers hymn for the Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul.
The third & fourth verses and the closing doxology is used for the hymn for
Lauds on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. I have divided them out in the order
listed above below. This hymn is used for Vespers on the Feast of Sts. Peter
& Paul in the Ordinary Form. The entirety of the hymn was used for Vespers
and Matins on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in the Sarum Breviary.
O Light of light, you have filled the whole world
with golden light and rosy beauty, adorning heaven with this illustrious martyr
on this holy day which grants pardon to the guilty. Guardian of heaven and equally doctor of the
world, judges of the age, true lights of the world, one triumphing through the
cross, the other by the sword, crowned with laurels they possess the senate of
life. O happy Rome, stained purple by the precious blood of such great princes,
not by praise of you, O Rome, but by their own merits you surpass all beauty of
the world. Double olive trees grown from a single love, after the death of the
flesh pray that we may live devoted in faith, strong in hope, greatly filled
from the source of your twin love. To the Trinity be eternal glory, honor,
power and jubilation, in unity, to whom belongs authority, then and now in the
ages eternal. Amen.
The book Pange Lingua: Breviary Hymns of Old Uses
with an English Rendering, says of Felix per omnes festum mundi cardines (the
hymn itself is found on page 52 by page number of that document) that: "This
hymn was sung at First Vespers of SS. Peter and Paul according to the use of
the Church of York, which was followed of old throughout the north of England
as that of Sarum was in the south."
The happy feast of the apostles, of blessed Peter
and most holy Paul, proclaims enthusiastically those whom Christ sanctified
with his holy blood, appointed princes of the churches. These two olive trees
before the Lord, one candelabra bright with light, two shining lambs of heaven;
they loosen the strong chains of sinners and open the gates of heaven for the
faithful. Glory to the Father through
endless ages, beauty and authority to you, O Son, honor, power to the Holy
Spirit; to the undivided Trinity blessing though endless ages of ages. Amen.
The suffering of the apostles consecrates this
ordinary worldly day, the noble triumph of Peter, the crown of Paul revealed.
The blood of their victorious death unites these two equal men; following God as their guide, faith in Christ
crowned them. Peter the first of the
apostles, Paul no less in grace, a vessel by holy election, equal to the faith
of Peter. On a cross upside down, Simon gave honor to God, high and suspended,
not forgetting the prophecy about him. From this height Rome raised her
heavenly devotion, founded as she is on such great blood, and by such a mighty
prophet. Some might think that here the
world began, here the people of heaven gather; O chosen head of the nations, seat
of the Gentiles’ master. O Redeemer of these men, we beseech you, that you may
join your servants; prayers to the consort of these princes, for eternal ages.
Amen.
O happy Rome, stained purple by the precious blood
of such great princes, you surpass all the beauty of the world not by praise of
you, O Rome, but by the merits of the saints, whom you killed with bloody
swords. O blessed Peter and Paul, the lily of the world, glorious martyrs, victorious
soldiers of the court of heaven, by your holy prayers guard us from all evils
and carry us up to heaven. Glory to the
Father through endless ages, beauty and authority to you, O Son, honor, power
to the Holy Spirit; to the undivided Trinity blessing though endless ages of
ages. Amen.
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