Lauds: 8th
Century? Formerly the hymn for Prime.
Walpole cites an older hymn for Prime: Post Matutinis
Laudibus.
Iam
lucis orto sídere (1)
Deum
precémur súpplices,
ut
in diúrnis áctibus
nos
servet a nocéntibus. (2)
Linguam
refrénans témperet,
ne
litis horror ínsonet; (3)
visum
fovéndo cóntegat, (4)
ne
vanitátes háuriat.
Sint
pura cordis íntima,
absístat
et vecórdia; (5)
carnis
terat supérbiam
potus
cibíque párcitas;
Ut,
cum dies abscésserit
noctémque
sors redúxerit,
mundi
per abstinéntiam
ipsi
canámus glóriam.
1. Lucis . . . sidere: the sun. 2. nocéntibus:
‘from all that may hurt us’. 3. ‘that grating strife may not resound on it’. 4.
‘that his protection may screen our eyes, lest they drink in vanities.’ Averte
oculos meos, ne videant vanitatem ; in via tua vivifica me – Psalm 118:37. 5. vecordia:
folly, madness.
Not that the star of light has risen we humbly
pray to God that in our daily work he would preserve us form what may hurt us.
May he check and restrain the tongue that no fearsome strife may resound. May
he favorably protect our sight that it may not drink of vanities. May our in
most hearts be pure and may foolishness be gone; may moderation of food and
drink wear down the pride of flesh. That when the day has departed and the lot
of night has returned through abstinence of worldly things we may sing his glory.
John Mason Neale
Now that the daylight fills the sky,
We lift our hearts to God on high,
That He, in all we do or say,
Would keep us free from harm today.
May He restrain our tongues from strife,
And shield from anger’s din our life,
And guard with watchful care our eyes
From earth’s absorbing vanities.
O may our inmost hearts be pure,
From thoughts of folly kept secure,
And pride of sinful flesh subdued
Through sparing use of daily food.
So we, when this day’s work is o’er,
And shades of night return once more,
Our path of trial safely trod,
Shall give the glory to our God.
When the Office of
Readings is said in the daytime: 10th Century
Amóris
sensus érige
ad
te, largítor véniæ,
ut
fias clemens córdibus
purgátis
inde sórdibus.
Extérni
huc advénimus
et
éxsules ingémimus;
tu
portus es et pátria,
ad
vitæ duc nos átria.
Felix
quæ sitit cáritas
te
fontem vitæ, o Véritas;
beáti
valde óculi
te
speculántis pópuli.
Grandis
est tibi glória
tuæ
laudis memória,
quam
sine fine célebrant
qui
cor ab imis élevant.
Arouse in us feelings of love for you, O Giver of
pardon, that you may have mercy and cleanse us from stain. We come as strangers
and groan as exiles: you are the gate and fatherland: lead us to the courts of
life. What happy love thirsts for is you, O truth, source of life; blessed
indeed are the eyes of the people who see you.
Yours is great glory: the memorial of your praise, to whom the lowly
raise their hearts without end.
Vespers:
Hélisachar: 7th-8th Centuries
Deus,
qui claro lúmine
diem
fecísti, Dómine,
tuam
rogámus glóriam (1)
dum
pronus dies vólvitur. (2)
Iam
sol urgénte véspero (3)
occásum
suum gráditur,
mundum
conclúdens ténebris,
suum
obsérvans órdinem.
Tu
vero, excélse Dómine,
precántes
tuos fámulos (4)
diúrno
lassos ópere
ne
sinas umbris ópprimi,
Ut
non fuscátis méntibus (5)
dies
abscédat sǽculi,
sed
tua tecti grátia (6)
cernámus
lucem prósperam.
1. ‘we pray to thy
glory’
2.
pronus ‘on its downward course’
3.
vespero = Vesperus =
Hesperius
= the evening star
4.
‘and thou, O most high Lord, may the night welcome into its
quiet thy servants who wearied with the day’s toil now pray’
5.
‘that this day (the
natural day almost gone) may not depart
leaving our souls darkened but that we shielded by thy grace may see a happy
morrow’
6.
tecti = covered as with a shield’
God, who made the day bright with light, O Lord, we
pray to your glory as the fall of day comes round. Now the sun pressed by the evening steps to
its setting, observing its order covers the world with darkness. To you truly, most high Lord, we pray that
you not permit your servants weary from daily work to be oppressed by the
darkness. That this past day not leave our minds darkened but rather protected by
your grace we may see happy light.
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