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. You scale the judgement seat at the right hand of the Father, for power, 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.
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