Thursday Office of Readings Even Week diurno

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The felicitous love which thirsts for Truth

1. Amóris sensus érige
Arouse the feelings of love
ad te, largítor véniæ,
toward Thee, O generous Giver of pardon,
ut fias clemens córdibus
that Thou mayest bring about mercy to hearts
purgátis inde sórdibus.
cleansed therein from sin.

5. Extérni huc advénimus
As strangers we come here
et éxsules ingémimus;
and as exiles we groan;
tu portus es et pátria,
Thou art both refuge and fatherland,
ad vitæ duc nos átria.
lead us to Thy palace of life.

6. Felix quæ sitit cáritas
Happy the love that thirsts for Charity
te fontem vitæ, o Véritas;
Thou fountain of life, O Truth;
beáti valde óculi
most blessed the eyes
te speculántis pópuli.
of those who gaze on Thee.

7. Grandis est tibi glória
It is a great glory to Thee
tuæ laudis memória,
the recollection of Thy praise
quam sine fine célebrant
which without ceasing they glorify Thee
qui cor ab imis élevant.
those who raise up their heart from the lowest.

9. Præsta, Pater piísime,
Patríque compare Unice,
cum Spíritu Paráclito
regnans per omne sæculum. Amen.

The author of this (at least) 10th century hymn is unknown. Lentini omitted verses 2-4 and 8 with the comment that they were "less meaningful." I wonder why? Can anyone find these lost verses?

Thursday Office of Readings Odd Week diurno

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Prayer against the passions

Christe, precámur ádnuas
Christ, we pray that Thou wouldst smile upon
orántibus servis tuis,
the prayers of Thy servants,
iníquitas hæc saéculi
lest this iniquity of the world
ne nostrum captívet fidem.
take our faith captive.

Non cogitémus ímpie,
Let us not think wicked thoughts,
invideámus némini,
let us envy no one,
læsi non reddámus vicem,
let us not repay injuries,
vincámus in bono malum.
let us conquer evil with good.

Absit nostris e córdibus
Let (these) be far from our hearts:
ira, dolus, supérbia;
anger, deciet, arrogance;
absístat avarítia,
let greedy avarice depart
malórum radix ómnium.
(greed being)the root of all evils.

Consérvet pacis foédera
Let the bond of peace stay intact
non simuláta cáritas;
with unfeigned charity;
sit illibáta cástitas
let chastity remain intact
credulitáte pérpeti.
with lasting trustfulness.

Sit, Christe, rex piísime,
tibi Patríque glória
cum Spíritu Paráclito,
in sempitérna saécula. Amen.

The author of this 7th-8th century hymn is unknown. This hymn contains verse 4,5,6, & 8 of the hymn Diei luce reddita, most of the rest of which is sung at Lauds on Even Saturdays. Verses 1, 2, 3 & 10. Of the original hymn, verse 7 , "against wine and drunkenness" and verse 9 "against the misuse of goods" were omitted for the modern office. I guess these kinds of passions are either less dangerous to moderns(ha ha), or maybe they still are but the hymn was getting too long.

If anyone wants to work on the Latin subjunctive, let them sing (ha ha) this hymn.

Thursday Office of Readings Even Week noctu

I am bit late posting this today. My son wanted the computer last night at bedtime, and my wife needed the computer early this morning to take a test for her online class. She is studying to become a medical assistant.

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Lentini's title: Rising from sleep to a new life in Christ

Ales diéi núntius
The winged messenger of the day
lucem propínquam praécinit:
proclaims the approaching light:
nos excitátor méntium
to us, the awakener of souls
iam Christus ad vitam vocat.
Christ now calls us to life

The winged herald of the day
proclaims the morn's approaching ray,
and Christ the Lord our soul excites,
and so to endless life invites.

2. «Auférte--clamat,--léctulos
"Take up," he cries, "your bed
aegros, sopóros, désides:
sick ones, sleepy ones, lazy ones:
castíque recti ac sóbrii
you who are chaste, upright and sober
vigiláte, iam sum próximus.»
watch, for I am very near."

2. "Take up thy bed," to each He cries,
"who sick, or wrapped in slumber lies:
and chaste, and just, and sober stand
and watch; my coming is at hand."

3. Ut, cum corúscis flátibus
That, when with quivering breath
auróra cælum spárserit,
the dawn strews the heavens,
omnes labóre exércitos
all who have labored with toil
confírmet ad spem lúminis.
it(the dawn) may strengthen by the hope of light.

3. - (see below to explain omission)

4. Iesum ciámus vócibus
With our voices we invoke Jesus by name
flentes, precántes, sóbrii;
weeping, imploring, though sober;
inténta supplicátio
intense prayer
dormíre cor mundum vetat.
forbids the pure heat to fall asleep.

4. With earnest cry, with tearful care,
call we the Lord to hear our prayer:
while supplication, pure and deep,
forbids each chastened heart to sleep.

5. Tu, Christe, somnum dísice,
Thou, O Christ, dispel our sleep,
tu rumpe noctis vincula,
break Thou the chains of night,
tu solve peccátum vetus
loosen Thou our chronic sin
novúmque lumen íngere.
and cast the fresh light upon us.

5. Do Thou, O Christ, our slumbers wake:
do Thou the chains of darkness break:
purge Thou our former sins away,
and in our souls new light display.

6. Sit, Christe, rex piíssime,
tibi Patrique glória
cum Spíritu Paráclito,
in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

6. All laud to God the Father be;
all praise, eternal Son, to Thee;
all glory as is ever meet,
to God the Holy Paraclete. Amen.

Author: Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, d. 405. Metrical Translation by the great J. M. Neale.

These are verses chosen from the Cathemerinon, or The Daily Round, which is a collection of early Christian hymns. Two other hymns, Wednesday and Thursday Lauds for odd weeks are also taken from this work. (See the Thursday link for more about it.) Today's hymn contains the actual opening lines from the first of two Morning Hymns Prudentius wrote.

In the Roman Breviary, this hymn is used as the Lauds hymn for Tuesdays. Lentini says "it was observed that (the hymn) fits more the Office of Readings." I am guessing this is because of all the references to sleeping and waking. But like the other Lauds hymns, (and unlike the other Matins hymns)there seems to be more references to dawn. Indeed the opening lines of the hymn celebrate the ales, who is clearly the rooster, (symbol of the preacher of the gospel) whom the monks would not hear until way after Matins in finished.

Lentini also introduces verse 3, "a beautiful stanza" which was not traditionally included with this hymn in the past. It is taken from the same Prudentius work as the rest of the hymn. I agree, the images are beautiful, but I think verse 3 steers it once again back in the direction of a morning hymn rather than one to be sung by lamplight at 3 a.m.

In any case, this explains why J.M. Neale did not include this verse in his wonderful metrical translation. At the time he translated, this verse was still buried in Prudentius' work, not part of the hymn Ales diéi núntius.

Thursday Office of Readings Odd Week noctu

I am attempting to include an mp3 of today's hymn which I sang into a cheap microphone (so don't expect great sound). UPDATE: I guess you can't see the link unless you use an RSS reader or something like that. Try clicking on this to hear the mp3 file.

Nox atra rerum cóntegit
Black night conceals
terræ colóres ómnium:
the colors of all things on earth
nos confiténtes póscimus
confessing Thee we ask
te, iuste iudex córdium,
just Judge of our hearts,

The dusky veil of night hath laid
the varied hues of earth in shade;
before Thee, righteous Judge of all,
we contrite in confession fall.

2. Ut áuferas piácula
that Thou take away our sins
sordésque mentis ábluas,
and wash away the stains of the soul,
donésque, Christe, grátiam
and grant us, O Christ, grace
ut arceántur crímina.
that sin may be kept away.

2. Take far away our load of sin,
Our soiléd minds make clean within
Thy sov'reign grace, O Chirst, impart,
From all offence to guard our heart.

3. Mens, ecce, torpet ímpia,
Behold, the wicked soul is numb
quam culpa mordet nóxia;
which noxius error (mortal sin) stings;
obscúra gestit tóllere
It wishes passionately to put away its darkness
et te, Redémptor, quaérere.
and to seek Thee, O Redeemer.

For lo! our mind is dull and cold,
Envenomed by sin's baneful hold:
Fain would it now the darkness flee,
And seek, Redeemer, unto Thee.

4. Repélle tu calíginem
Push back the gloomy darkness
intrínsecus quam máxime,
within to the maximum degree possible,
ut in beáto gáudeat
that it (the soul) may rejoice
se collocári lúmine.
to establish itself in blessed light.

Far from it drive the shades of night,
Its inmost darkness put to flight;
Till in the daylight of the Blest
It joys to find itself at rest.

5. Sit, Christe, rex piíssime,
tibi Patríque glória
cum Spíritu Paráclito,
in sempitérna saécula. Amen.

5. Almighty Father, hear our cry,
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord most High,
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.

Again, Britt was a huge help. Verses 3 and 4 were really tough, and I'm not sure I agree completely with Britt. Let me know what you think.

Thursday Vespers Even Week

I am still reeling from my discovery that many of the hymns I am working with here are *gasp* modern, perhaps even recently written. Not written by a monk with no name or one name (I've been through the desert with a monk with no name, it felt good to be out of the rain...sorry, couldn't resist) but by Dom Anselmo Lentini, OSB, died 1989.

I gotta believe Fr. Lentini would be somehow pleased that I (and perhaps many others) could not tell the difference between his modern Latin hymns, cleverly composed to appear medieval, and the one which actually were composed in the middle ages. I guess living in Monte Cassino itself kind of helps to absorb the ambience and all so you can get the feeling right.

Today's offering however, actually does come from the 7th or 8th century.

Deus, qui claro lúmine
God, who with bright light
diem fecísti, Dómine,
hast made the day, O Lord,
tuam rogámus glóriam
we ask for Thy glory
dum pronus dies vólvitur.
while (we are)prone(kneeling) the day is wrapped up.

Iam sol urgénte véspero
Alreday evening is following hard on the heels of the sun
occásum suum gráditur,
His (light) having fallen, it advances,
mundum conclúdens ténebris,
darkness concealing the world
suum obsérvans órdinem.
His order observing.

Tu vero excélse Dómine,
Thou Lord truly preeminent
precántes tuos fámulos
Thy servants imploring
diúrno lassos ópere
tired from daily work
ne sinas umbris ópprimi,
that you not allow the shadows to oppress,


Ut non fuscátis méntibus
that our minds may not be darkened
dies abscédat saéculi,
let the day depart to the ages,
sed tua tecti grátia
yet covered by your grace
cernámus lucem prósperam.
may we discern the favorable light.

Præsta, Pater, piísime,
Patríque compare Unice,
cum Spíritu Paráclito
regnans per omne saéculum. Amen.

Hmmm. That seemed easier somehow. Way easier than yesterday's, which was modern. But also eaiser than Tuesday's which was also 7th-8th century.

Thursday Vespers Odd Week

The work of the fifth day of creation: when God created the birds and fishes, both of which sprang from a common source, that is, water.

Magnæ Deus poténtiae,
O God of great power,
qui ex aquis ortum genus
who the offspring born out of waters,
partim remíttis gúrgiti,
in part dost send back to the deep
partim levas in áera.
and in part dost raise them aloft in the air.

O Sovereign Lord of Naturés might,
Who bad'st the water's birth divide;
part in the heavens to take their flight,
and part in ocean's deep to hide;

Demérsa lymphis ímprimens,
Thou dost consign(print?) the fishes to the waters
subvécta cælis írrogans,
and liftest up the birds on high
ut, stirpe una pródita,
that (animals) proceeding from one stock
divérsa répleant loca:
might occupy different places:

These low obscured, on airy wing
exalted those, that either race,
though from one element they spring,
might serve Thee in a different place.

Largíre cunctis sérvulis,
Grant to all Thy servants,
quos mundat unda sánguinis,
whom the stream of Thy blood hath cleansed,
nescíre lapsus críminum,
to know not sinful falls,
nec ferre mortis taédium.
nor suffer the loathsomeness of spiritual death.

Grant, Lord, that we Thy servants all,
saved by Thy tide of cleansing Blood,
no more 'neath sin's dominion fall,
nor fear the thought of death's dark flood!

Ut culpa nullum déprimat,
Let guilt depress no one;
nullum levet iactántia,
let pride exalt no one,
elísa mens ne cóncidat,
lest the despondent soul be disheartened,
eláta mens ne córruat.
and the proud soul be ruined.

Thy varied love each spirit bless,
the humble cheer, the high control;
check in each heart its proud excess,
but raise the meek and contrite soul!

Præsta, Pater piíssime,
Patríque compar Unice,
cum Spíritu Paráclito
regnans per omne saéculum. Amen.

This boon, O Father, we entreat,
this blessing grant, Eternal Son,
and Holy Ghost, the Paraclete,
both now, and while the ages run. Amen.

Wow, now that I have looked up some of the vocab and have looked at what the Latin really says, I now understand this metrical translation a lot more...without the Latin meanings this hymn translation was almost inscrutable!

Thursday Lauds Even Week

Iam lucis orto sídere,
The star of light being now risen,
Deum precémur súpplices,
let us humbly beseech God,
ut in diúrnis áctibus
that in our daily actions
Nos servet a nocéntibus.
He may keep us from all harm.

Now in the sun's new dawning ray,
lowly of heart, our God we pray
that He from harm may keep us free
in all the deeds this day shall see.

Linguam refrénans témperet,
Bridling, may He restrain the tongue,
ne litis horror ínsonet,
lest the jarring discord of strife resound;
visum fovéndo cóntegat,
may He lovingly veil our sight
ne vanitátes háuriat.
lest it drink in vanities.

May fear of Him our tongues restrain,
lest strife unguarded speech should stain:
His favoring care our guardian be,
lest our eyes feed on vanity.

Sint pura cordis íntima,
May the inmost rescesses of the heart be pure,
absístat et vecórdia:
and may folly cease;
carnis terat supérbiam
may the pride of the flesh
potus cibíque párcitas.
the sparing use of food and drink wear down.

May every heart be pure from sin,
and folly find no place therein:
scant meed of food, excess denied,
wear down in us the body's pride

Ut cum dies abscésserit,
That when the day has departed,
noctémque sors redúxerit,
and fate has brought back the night,
mundi per abstinéntiam
still pure by virtue of abstinence,
ipsi canámus glóriam.
we may sing His glory.

That when the light of day is gone,
and night in course shall follow on,
we, free from cares the world affords,
may chant the praises that is our Lord's.

Deo Patri sit glória,
eiúsque soli Fílio,
cum Spíritu Paráclito,
in sempitérna saéculum. Amen.

The translation today is all courtesy of Fr. Britt, indeed, this is Hymn #1 in his book. Apparently "Jam lucis orto sidere" was once used at the now-supressed office of Prime. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes the origin of the Office of Prime:

We learn further from Cassian the reason that led to the institution of this office. The office of the night, comprising Matins and Lauds, ended then at sunrise, so that Lauds corresponded to the dawn. After the night offices at Bethlehem, as in the other Palestinian monasteries, the monks might retire to rest. As no other office called them together before Terce, those who were lazy seized the opportunity of prolonging their sleep till nine in the morning, instead of applying themselves to manual work or spiritual reading. To end this abuse, it was decided, in the above monastery, to continue the custom of reposing after the night office, but, to prevent an undue prolongation of sleep, the monks were recalled to choir at the hour of Prime, and after the recital of a few psalms they were to work until Terce (Cassian, "Instit.", III, iv).

Why was Prime supressed? The Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Consilium
state in pargraphs 88 & 89:

88. Because the purpose of the office is to sanctify the day, the traditional sequence of the hours is to be restored so that once again they may be genuinely related to the time of the day when they are prayed, as far as this may be possible. Moreover, it will be necessary to take into account the modern conditions in which daily life has to be lived, especially by those who are called to labor in apostolic works.

89. Therefore, when the office is revised, these norms are to be observed:

a) By the venerable tradition of the universal Church, Lauds as morning prayer and Vespers as evening prayer are the two hinges on which the daily office turns; hence they are to be considered as the chief hours and are to be celebrated as such.

b) Compline is to be drawn up so that it will be a suitable prayer for the end of the day.

c) The hour known as Matins, although it should retain the character of nocturnal praise when celebrated in choir, shall be adapted so that it may be recited at any hour of the day; it shall be made up of fewer psalms and longer readings.

d) The hour of Prime is to be suppressed.

However, the office is still celebrated by Traditional Catholics, especially by those who adhere to the Extrordinary Form of the Mass (also known as the TLM or Traditional Latin Mass.) It is also still celebrated in some form in the Eastern Rite.

Thursday Lauds Odd Week

Once again The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal by Fr. Matthew Britt, O.S.B has a metric (and rhymed) translation of today's hymn Sol ecce surgit ígneus. But there is a problem. According to Fr. Britt, the hymn has a different title: Lux ecce surgit auria (see page 65, hymn #18 in Britt). The first two stanzas have been collapsed into one in the pre-Vatican II version. So I am including a different translation

I found out by reading more carefully that the Odd Tuesday and Wednesday Lauds hymns have a common source. The stanzas are chosen from a longer work entitled Morning Hymn or Hymn at Cock-Crow which is the first of twelve hymns in a larger work called the Cathemerinon, or The Daily Round. That link contains the whole book, with Latin and English translated by R. Martin Pope. That is the source of the metrical, rhyming translation I have included below.

I found an article reviewing a translation of this Prudentius hymn-collection, and here's what it says about Prudentius and his hymns:

Everything known about the life of Aurelius Prudentius Clemens is contained in a 5 verse introduction to his collection of hymns that he published in 405 C.E. When he was 57 years old. Born into a reasonably prosperous Christian family in Spain in 348, Prudentius enjoyed a typical education based on the literature and rhetoric of the classical era. He had a brief career as an advocate and held increasingly responsible positions in the imperial civil service. Tiring of the emptiness of his life, he visited Rome c.401-403. It was while touring Rome, with its combination of monuments both classical and Christian, that Prudentius vowed to spend the remainder of his life writing hymns in praise of God for an audience that was more familiar with the literature of the classical past than with Scripture-based Christianity. Thus, much of the imagery and vocabulary in Prudentius' hymns have more in common with the writings of Virgil and Ovid than the New Testament. Written in conscious imitation of the pagan hymns of Horace, Prudentius' hymns are full of images drawn from the world of nature. Rather than trying to convert his thinly Christianized audience through Scriptural exegesis or christological explanation, Prudentius lets the beauty and interrelated complexity of the natural world draw the mind towards the Creator. In contrast to various systems of gnosticism and Neoplatonism prevalent in his day, Prudentius repeatedly stressed the fact that acceptance of Christianity did not necessitate a rejection of either the created world or the physical body. On the contrary, Prudentius employs a wide variety of images from nature to proclaim God's involvement in the physical world.

This may explain the reference to "bee-glue" or fucis in yesterday's hymn. Looking up the word online reveals that fucus can mean either colored paint, rouge or the glue that bees use to seal up the entrance to their hives. The verse in the hymn says that our senses, smeared over with this substance(which probably symbolizes sin or ignorance or some artifice we use to cover it up), will be purged by Christ the light of the world. Continuing with the article:

The Cathemerinon is a set of twelve hymns included within a much larger collection of hymns by Prudentius. The first six hymns are each written for use at a particular time during the course of the day, thus giving Christians an opportunity to sanctify all the hours of the day.

There is a lot more interesting information in the article, and you should read it despite the fact that it uses the annoying "C.E." in place of "A.D."
-----------------------------
Sol ecce surgit ígneus,
Behold, the sun rises all fiery
piget, pudéscit, paénitet,
it afflicts, shames, makes sorry,
nec teste quisquam lúmine
nor can any witness in this light
peccáre constanter potest.
be able to keep sinning

Soon as the sun rekindles day,
Sin slinks abashed and shamed away
For none can damning light resist
And 'neath its rays in sin persist.

Tandem facéssat caécitas,
and finally let blindness/darkness go away
quæ nosmet in præceps diu
that which we ourselves headlong
lapsos sinístris gréssibus
having slipped/fallen by left(sinister) feet/steps
erróre traxit dévio.
error drags (us) straying

And then at length let darkness flee,
Which all too long held us in fee,
'Mid wildering shadows made us stray
And led in devious tracks our way.

Haec lux serénum cónferat,
May this light serenity bring
purósque nos praestet sibi;
and may it preserve us pure for itself
nihil loquámur súbdolum:
that we may utter nothing deceitful
volvámus obscúrum nihil.
nor roll(meditate) anything dark

We pray Thee, Rising Light serene,
E'en as Thyself our hearts make clean:
Let no deceit our lips defile
Nor let our souls be vexed by guile.

Sic tota decúrrat dies,
Thus may the whole day run its course
ne lingua mendax, ne manus
neither lying tongue nor hand
oculíve peccent lúbrici,
nor inconstant eyes sin
Ne noxa corpus ínquinet.
nor some hurt(sin) stain the body

O keep us, as the hours proceed,
From lying word and evil deed,
Our roving eyes from sin set free,
Our body from impurity.

Speculátor astat désuper,
An Observer assists from above
qui nos diébus ómnibus,
who for all our days
actúsque nostros próspicit
watches our conduct
a luce prima in vésperum.
from first light unto evening

For thou dost from above survey
The converse of each fleeting day:
Thou dost foresee from morning light
Our every deed, until the night.

Deo Patri sit glória,
To God the Father glory be
eiúsque soli Fílio,
and to his only Son
cum Spíritu Paráclito,
with the Spirit Paraclete
nunc et per omne saécula. Amen.
now and through all ages.

THIS IS FUN!!!