I did it yesterday, I’ve done it again today.
Let’s have a look at the hymn for Lauds today, which id a “dies non” Friday in the “green” time after Pentecost.
This is the Urban VIII tinkered version from the 17th c. which is in the Breviarium Romanum. The site Thesaurus Precum Latinarum has the variants. The hymn was preserved in the Novus Ordo Liturgia Horarum, with pre-Urban elements restored. The hymn is generally ascribed to the “Ambrosian” style and the 5th c. It is in iambic dimeter, with the classic 8 syllable lines in six quatrains of 4 lines.
Since it a Friday hymn, it is associated with the Passion of the Lord. We ask Christ to give light in our dark, fallen world. Friday’s natural sunrise points toward the supernatural dawn won through the Cross.
| LATIN | ENGLISH | COMMENTS |
| Ætérna cæli glória, Beáta spes mortálium, Summi Tonántis Únice, Castaeque proles Vírginis: | Eternal glory of heaven, Blessed hope of mortals, Only-begotten Son of the Most High Thunderer, And offspring of the chaste Virgin: | Christ is addressed with a series of vocatives. We profess His divine generation and human birth by Mary. I like the “Thunderer”, which recalls “The God of glory thundereth” (Ps 28/29:3) as well as the special VESTING PRAYER FOR THE CLIP ON MICROPHONE (cf Ps 76:19-21, Ezekiel 1:16) |
| Da déxteram surgéntibus, Exsúrgat et mens sóbria, Flagrans et in laudem Dei Grates repéndat débitas. | Give Thy right hand to those who are rising; Let the mind also rise up, sober, Burning even unto the praise of God, And render the thanks that are owed. | Lauds is in the morning, so there is rising imagery. The “da dexteram” suggests Christ’s hand to Peter sinking in the water. “Sober” points to spiritual attentiveness and might also suggest “sobria ebrietas“. The sober mens becomes flagrans. |
| Ortus refúlget Lúcifer, Præítque solem núntius: Cadunt tenébræ nóctium: Lux sancta nos illúminet. | The risen morning star shines brightly, And as herald goes before the sun; The darknesses of the nights fall away: May holy Light illuminate us. | Lucifer is the “morning star” (Venus or sirius at this time of year). There is an echo of John 1:9 and Eph 5:14. The “herald” could refer to John the Baptist who was not the light but gave witness to the light. |
| Manénsque nostris sénsibus, Noctem repéllat saeculi, Omníque fine témporis Purgáta servet péctora. | And, abiding within our senses, May it drive away the night of the world, And through every ending of time Preserve our hearts purified. | Move from physical dawn to interior illumination. “Night of the world” is the fallen state. |
| Quæsíta iam primum fides In corde radíces agat: Secúnda spes congáudeat, Qua maior exstat cáritas. | May faith, sought now in the first place, Drive its roots into the heart; May hope, the second, rejoice together with it, And charity, which stands greater than these. | This is the Pauline: “And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor 13:13). The soul’s progress from faith, through hope, into charity parallels the morning’s progress from darkness to light. |
| Deo Patri sit glória, Eiúsque soli Fílio, Cum Spíritu Paráclito, Nunc et per omne saeculum. Amen. | To God the Father be glory, And to His only Son, With the Paraclete Spirit, Now and through every age. Amen. |
The hymn describes a double awakening. We rise bodily from sleep and spiritually from the world’s night. Christ takes us by the hand, clears our mind, sets our heart on fire. He plants faith in us, joins hope to faith, and completes both with charity.
English version, sung, translated by Knox.
JDBenedictH on What Does The Prayer (Hymn) Really Say? Iesu Redemptor Omnium: “Would love more of these! Especially if you could include the post-V2 versions for comparison—I have and frequently use the…”
