Angels never cease to fascinate. I am so grateful for our Angel Guardians. They do so much for us, yet we often don’t think of them as persons, indeed, persons who want nothing other for us than the will of God, which they have been sent to us, by God, to fulfill and then enjoy the happiness of Heaven. Imagine, such sublime creatures, persons without bodies, not limited by space or time, come to serve our best interests which simultaneously beholding the face of God! What a gift.
Let’s drill into the hymn in the Roman Breviary for the Feast of the Guardian Angels.
“Custódes hóminum, psállimus Angelos“, traditionally attributed to St. Robert Bellarmine (but probably not possible – its already in a MSS before his birth), consists of four stanzas (12.12.12.8). This hymn is a little different in its meter than other hymns in the Roman liturgy, because it uses the ancient quantitative syllables, rather than the later simple word stress. It is in a meter used by Horace, Third Asclepiadian, which consists of a three Asclepiads (— — | — — | — u u — | — u u — | u —) and a Glyconic (– – – u u – u –), as in his Ode 3.30 which has the opening line “exegi monumentum aere perennius… I have built a monument which will last more years than bronze,…”. An important feature of Asclepiadians is the caesura, a pause within the line which balances divisions. These pauses give the verse a musical quality.
The opening, Custodes hominum psallimus Angelos, identifies these angels by office they are given by god: “guardians of men.” The next phrase, naturae fragili, is important. Human nature is not treated as evil, but as frail, exposed, and in need of assistance. God the Father therefore addidit these caelestes comites, heavenly companions. There is an echo of Psalm 90(91):11, “He hath given his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways,” and especially of Matthew 18:10, where Christ says that the angels of the little ones “always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” The hymn also belongs to the wider biblical tradition in which angels guard both individuals and peoples, as in Exodus 23:20, Tobias 5–12, and Daniel 10.
In the first stanza we have images of warfare, which is Pauline (6:12). The Guardian Angel is in this context. The second stanza says why the conflict between the angels started. There was a “traitor angel” (cf. Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Luke 10:18, and Apocalypse 12). Satan’s defining passion is invidia, envy. The third stanza is an invocation. The reference to patria, homeland, which expands the angels’ mission to more than individuals. In the fourth, doxology, stanza, I love that machina image for the three-fold ordering of the cosmos: Heaven, Earth and Hell. They are all governed by the numen of the Trinity.
We go from human nature’s frailty, to the descent of the angels so that man can rise.
Custódes hóminum psállimus Angelos,
Natúræ frágili quos Pater áddidit
Cæléstis cómites, insidiántibus
Ne succúmberet hóstibus. | We sing of the angels, guardians of mankind,
Whom the heavenly Father assigned as companions
To our fragile nature, lest it succumb
To the snares of the enemy. | Psalm 90(91):11, “He hath given his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways,” and Matthew 18:10, where Christ says that the angels of the little ones “always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” |
Nam, quod corrúerit próditor ángelus,
Concéssis mérito pulsus honóribus,
Ardens invídia péllere nítitur
Quos cælo Deus ádvocat. | For the traitor angel, having fallen
And been justly cast out from his high honors,
Now burns with envy and strives to drive away
Those whom God calls to heaven. | Wisdom 2:24: “by the envy of the devil, death came into the world.” |
Huc, custos, ígitur pérvigil ádvola,
Avértens pátria de tibi crédita
Tam morbos ánimi quam requiéscere
Quidquid non sinit íncolas. | Come, then, O ever-watchful guardian,
And ward off from the fatherland entrusted to you
Both the maladies of the soul and all things
That doesn’t allow its inhabitants their rest. | cf. Daniel 10: Michael is the heavenly protector of Israel |
Sanctæ sit Tríadi laus pia iúgiter,
Cuius perpétuo númine máchina
Triplex hæc régitur, cuius in ómnia
Regnat glória saecula.
Amen. | May there be ceaseless, devout praise to the Holy Trinity,
By whose eternal will this threefold universe
Is governed, and whose glory reigns
Throughout all ages.
Amen. | NB: machina triplex |
Here’s a lovely musical version:
Finally, I think did this correctly, here is the text with the quantitative markings.
Cūstōdēs hŏmĭnūm psāllĭmūs āngĕlōs,
nātūrǣ frăgĭlī quōs Pătēr āddĭdīt,
cǣlēstīs cŏmĭtēs īnsĭdĭāntĭbūs,
nē sūccūmbĕrēt hōstĭbūs.
Nām quōd cōrrŭĕrīt prōdĭtōr āngĕlūs,
cōncēssīs mĕrĭtō pūlsūs hŏnōrĭbūs,
ārdēns īnvĭdĭā, pēllĕrĕ nītĭtūr,
quōs cǣlō Dĕūs ādvŏcāt.
Hūc cūstōs ĭgĭtūr pērvĭgīl ādvŏlā,
āvērtēns pătrĭā dē tĭbĭ crēdĭtā,
tām mōrbōs ănĭmī, quām rĕquĭēscĕrĕ
quīdquīd nōn sĭnīt īncŏlās.
Sānctǣ sīt Trĭădī lāus pĭă iŭgĭtēr,
cūiūs pērpĕtŭō nūmĭnĕ māchĭnă,
trĭplēx hǣc rĕgĭtūr, cūiūs īn ōmnĭă
rēgnāt glōrĭă sǣcŭlă. Āmēn.
With accent markings so you can see homodyne and heterodyne syllables. Working on it.
UPDATE: WOW! It WORKED! Thank you D’OR!
Try reading it paying attention to the syllable length (how long) and the word stress. Do they always match?
Cū́stōdēs hŏ́minūm psắllimŭs ángĕlōs,
nātū́raē frắgilī quōs Pắtĕr áddidĭt,
caēlḗstīs cŏ́mitēs, insidiā́ntibŭs,
nē succū́mbĕrĕt hṓstibŭs.
Nām quōd corrŭ́erīt prṓditōr ángĕlŭs,
concḗssīs mĕ́ritō pū́lsūs honṓribŭs,
ā́rdēns invĭ́diā, pḗllĕrĕ nī́titŭr,
quōs caḗlō Dĕ́ŭs ádvocăt.
Hūc cū́stōs ĭ́gitŭr pḗrvigĭl ádvolă,
āvḗrtēns pắtriā dē tī́bĭ crḗdită,
tām mṓrbōs ắnimī, quām requiḗscĕrĕ
quīdquīd nōn sī́nĭt ī́ncolās.
Sā́nctaē sīt Trĭ́adī laūs pĭ́ā iū́gitĕr,
cū́iŭs pērpĕ́tuō nū́minĕ mā́chină,
trī́plēx haēc rĕ́gitŭr, cū́iŭs in ṓmniă
rḗgnāt glṓriā saḗculă. Āmḗn.
September 29th, 2026
In Rome the sun, but not I, rose at 07:06 and it set at 18:52.
Eugene on The Old Guardian Angel Prayer…: “The Italian version I learned as a little boy in Italy and is still in use today is an exact…”
