Vespers 1 : St. Ambrose

Walpole: Ambrose probably wrote it for daily use throughout the year and Ambrosian MSS give as rubric simply hymnus uespertinalis. It was adopted into the later hymnary and there assigned to vespers on Saturday. 'Its general use is on Saturdays from that preceding the 1st Sunday after the Octave of the Epiphany to the Saturday before Quadragesima Sunday, both inclusive; and from the Saturday preceding the 1st Sunday in August to Advent.'

 

Walsh & Hutch: This hymn consoled Augustine at his mother's death: “I remembered the very true verses of your Ambrose . . .”  The first two stanzas then follow (Conf. 9.12.32). He recalled that earlier his mother had quoted the final line at Cassiciacum (De beata vita 35). At Arles, Caesarius prescribed it as an evening hymn. It is structured with a fourfold division: invocation to the Creator, who grants the night for necessary rest (SS 1—2); thanksgiving for the day now past (SS 3—4); prayer for faith to sustain us in sleep (SS 5—6); and entreaty to the Trinity to repel the devil's guile in the night hours (SS 7-8).

 

Deus, creátor ómnium (1)

políque rector, véstiens

diem decóro lúmine,

noctem sopóris grátia,

 

Artus solútos ut quies (2)

reddat labóris úsui

mentésque fessas állevet

luctúsque solvat ánxios,

 

Grates perácto iam die (3)

et noctis exórtu preces,

voti reos ut ádiuves, (4)

hymnum canéntes sólvimus.

 

Te cordis ima cóncinant,

te vox canóra cóncrepet,

te díligat castus amor,

te mens adóret sóbria,

 

Ut cum profúnda cláuserit

diem calígo nóctium, (5)

fides ténebras nésciat

et nox fide relúceat.

 

Christum rogámus et Patrem,

Christi Patrísque Spíritum;

unum potens per ómnia,

fove precántes, Trínitas. Amen.

 

O God, Creator of all, Ruler of the sky, vesting the day with beauteous light, night with the grace of rest. That quiet might loosen limbs and restore us for work and relieve weary minds, relax anxious grief. Grateful for the day that has passed and urged by the prayers of night, we sing and offer you a hymn that you would help us keep our vows. May our inmost hearts sing to you, tuneful voice resound, chaste desire love you, sober minds adore you. That when the deep darkness of night covers the day, faith may know no darkness and night may sparkle with faith. We ask this of Christ and his Father and the Spirit of Christ and the Father, one power through all things, O Trinity, favor those who pray. Amen.

 

Lauds : St. Ambrose

 

Ætérne rerum cónditor,

noctem diémque qui regis,

et témporum das témpora

ut álleves fastídium,

 

Præco diéi iam sonat,

noctis profúndæ pérvigil,

noctúrna lux viántibus

a nocte noctem ségregans.

 

Hoc excitátus lúcifer

solvit polum calígine;

hoc omnis errónum chorus

vias nocéndi déserit.

 

Hoc nauta vires cólligit

pontíque mitéscunt freta;

hoc, ipse Petra Ecclésiæ,

canénte, culpam díluit.

 

Iesu, labántes réspice

et nos vidéndo córrige;

si réspicis, lapsus cadunt

fletúque culpa sólvitur.

 

Tu, lux, refúlge sénsibus

mentísque somnum díscute;

te nostra vox primum sonet

et vota solvámus tibi.

 

Eternal Creator of things, you who rule night and day, and give the time of the seasons that you may relieve our boredom. The cock, the watchman through the deep of night, now sounds, a nocturnal light for travelers, separating one from another. By this the morning star is aroused, the sky is parted from the darkness; by this every band of errors  abandons its harmful ways. By this the sailor regains his strength and the raging sea is calmed; by this Peter himself, the rock of the Church, by song washes away his guilt. O Jesus, look upon those who are falling, for by one glance you correct; if you see us, our lapses fall and crime is absolved by tears. You, O Light, shine on our senses, may sleep of our souls depart; our voices sing to you and our promises to you are kept.

 

When the Office of Readings is read in the daytime: Aron 12^th Century?

 

Dies ætásque céteris

octáva splendet sánctior

in te quam, Iesu, cónsecras,

primítiæ surgéntium.

 

Tu tibi nostras ánimas

nunc primo conresúscita;

tibi consúrgant córpora

secúnda morte líbera.

 

Tibíque mox in núbibus,

Christe, ferámur óbviam

tecum victúri pérpetim:

tu vita, resurréctio.

 

Cuius vidéntes fáciem,

configurémur glóriæ;

te cognoscámus sicut es,

lux vera et suávitas.

 

Regnum, cum Patri tráditos,

plenos septéno chrísmate,

in temet nos lætíficas,

consúmmet Sancta Trínitas. Amen.

 

The eighth day is more holy and brighter than other days, which you, O Jesus, consecrated as the first fruits of the resurrection.  First now raise our souls together with you; then may our bodies rise free from the second death. O Christ, may we soon be carried to meet you in the clouds, with you conquering forever: for you are life and resurrection. Seeing your face, may we be transfigured into glory; may we know you as you are: true light and goodness. May the Holy Trinity bring the kingdom to fulfillment: making us glad in Christ, handed over to the Father and filled with the seven-fold anointing.  Amen.

 

Vespers II: St. Gregory the Great ?

 

The five hymns, probably composed by the same author, are taken from the first five days of Creation in Genesis. This, the first, refers to the creation of light.

 

Lucis creátor óptime,

lucem diérum próferens,

primórdiis lucis novæ

mundi parans oríginem;

 

Qui mane iunctum vésperi

diem vocári prǽcipis:

tætrum chaos illábitur;

audi preces cum flétibus.

 

Ne mens graváta crímine

vitæ sit exsul múnere,

dum nil perénne cógitat

seséque culpis ílligat.

 

Cælórum pulset íntimum,

vitále tollat prǽmium;

vitémus omne nóxium,

purgémus omne péssimum.

 

Greatest Creator of light, providing the light of day and fashioning the first beginnings of new light at the beginning of the world; You who bid morning joined to evening to be called day: now dark disorder falls upon us: hear our prayers with tears. Let not our minds heavy with sin be deprived of the rewards of life and bind ourselves to sin with no thought for things eternal. May our soul knock at the door of heaven, carry away the prize of life; let us shun everything harmful, let us purge all that is evil.