Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Octave of Christmas: Lauds

A solis ortus cárdine
From the pole of the risen sun [the East Pole?]
adúsque terræ límitem
all the way to the ends of the earth
Christum canámus príncipem,
let us sing to Christ our supreme Prince
natum María Vírgine.
born of Mary the Virgin.

Beátus auctor sæculi
Blessed Author of the universe
servíle corpus índuit,
takes on Himself the body of his slaves
ut carne carnem líberans
so that freeing flesh by means of flesh
non pérderet quod cóndidit.
He might not lose what He made.

Clausæ paréntis víscera
Into the closed [intact] womb of His mother
cæléstis intrat grátia;
heavenly grace enters
venter puéllæ báiulat
this young woman's belly carries
secréta quæ non nóverat.
the Secret which she had not known.

Domus pudíci péctoris
The humble abode of her chaste breast
templum repénte fit Dei;
has suddenly become the very temple of God;
intácta nésciens virum
untouched, known carnally by no man
verbo concépit Fílium.
by one word of assent she conceived the Son.

Eníxa est puérpera
Brought forth a Child, this woman in labor
quem Gábriel prædíxerat,
Whom Gabriel had foretold,
quem matris alvo géstiens
Who exulted in the womb of His mother
clausus Ioánnes sénserat.
when the enclosed John He had sensed.

Feno iacére pértulit,
To be laid in the straw He allowed Himself
præsépe non abhórruit,
the manger He did not shrink from
parvóque lacte pastus est
and a little bit of milk He was fed
per quem nec ales ésurit.
from Whom even the bird assuages hunger.

Gaudet chorus cæléstium
Rejoices the chorus of heaven
et ángeli canunt Deum,
and the angels sing to God,
palámque fit pastóribus
and in the open appears to the shepherds
pastor, creátor ómnium.
the Shepherd, the Creator of all things.

Iesu, tibi sit glória,
Jesus, to you be glory,
qui natus es de Vírgine,
for you are born of the Virgin,
cum Patre et almo Spíritu,
with the Father and the kind Spirit,
in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.
unto everlasting ages.

Sedulius, d. 450. Alphabetical hymn, the stanzas of which begin with successive letters of the alphabet, continued for four more stanzas in the Vespers hymn for Epiphany

2 comments:

Paweł Pojawa said...

It's good to see you back - again. :-)

Your translations are always helpful.

Geometricus said...

Thanks Pawel! I am grateful that somebody is still checking to see if I am alive. Someday I will get back to this project with more hymns. Keep checking back!