Monday Vespers Even Week

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Luminis fons, lux et orígo lucis,
Source of light, THE light and origin of light,
tu pius nostris précibus favéto,
Thou loving (Trinity) favor our prayers
luxque, peccáti ténebris fugátis,
and, the shadows of sin having been chased away,
nos tua adórnet.
let thy Light equip us.

2. Ecce transáctus labor est diéi,
Behold the day's work is complete,
teque nos tuti sumus adnuénte;
and we have been protected by thy gaze;
en tibi grates ágimus libéntes
See, to thee we give glad thanks
tempus in omne.
at all times.

3. Solis abcéssus ténebras redúxit:
The setting sun brings back the darkness:
ille sol nobis rádiet corúscus
Let that brilliant Sun shine for us
luce qui fulva fovet angelórum
the light which warms with reddish glow
ágmina sancta.
the holy crowd of angels.

4. Quas dies culpas hodiérna texit,
The Day covers whatever be the day's faults
Christus deléto pius atque mitis,
Christ, upright and merciful, having wiped away
pectus et puro rútilet nitóre
and may the blameless soul glow brightly
témpore noctis.
through the nighttime.

5. Laus tibi Patri decus atque Nato,
Praise to Thee, Father, and honor to the Son,
Flámini Sancto párilis potéstas,
to the Holy Breath equally powerful,
cuncta qui sceptro régitis suprémo
Thou who rulest over all with highest scepter,
omne per ævum. Amen.
through all time.

I was totally on my own for this one. I have no idea where this hymn comes from. The meter is Sapphic and Adonic. I could find out nothing else about this hymn. I am pretty shaky about most of this translation. I suspect that the first line refers to the Trinity.

• Luminis fons source of light the Father
• lux the Light the Son (Iesus dicens "ego sum lux mundi..."
• et orígo lucis, origin of Light the Holy Spirit...? the only Person left, but I couldn't figure out a reference from Scripture or Tradition identifying the Holy Spirit as the "origin of Light."

Also, these morning and evening hymns are so filled with references to LIGHT that I am starting to wonder about the difference between the Latin words lux and lumen. I know there is a lot of overlap in their meanings (light, day, daylight, etc.) but lumen could mean "torch" or "lamp" even sometimes refering to the sun.

I am going to need lots of help understanding the Vespers hymns this week, the Even Week, so all you legions of readers chime in!!!

Saints and angels, pray for me. All you holy monks and nuns who sang these hymns on earth, whether you completely understood them or not, pray for us who strive to enter into the traditional Mind of Holy Mother Church.

Sunday 2nd Vespers Even Week

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O Lux beáta Trínitas,
O Blessed Trinity-Light
et principális Unitas,
and chief Oneness
iam sol recédit ígneus,
now the fiery sun retreats
infúnde lumen córdibus.
pour light into our hearts.

O Trinity of blessed Light,
O Unity of princely might,
The fiery sun now goes its way;
Shed Thou within our hearts Thy ray.

Te mane laudum cármine,
We glorify Thee in the morning with a hymn of praise,
te deprecémur véspere:
we entreat Thee in the evening
te nostra supplex glória
begging, that Thou, our glory,
per cuncta laudet sáecula.
be praised through all ages

To Thee our morning song of praise,
to Thee our evening prayer we raise;
Thy glory suppliant we adore
Forever and forevermore.

Christum rogámus et Patrem,
Christi Patrísque Spíritum;
unum potens per ómnia,
fove precántes, Trínitas.

This hymn was originally the Vespers hymn for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, celebrated the Sunday after Pentecost. Its text was revised at some point for use every Saturday night under the title Iam sol recedit igneus.

Sunday 1st Vespers Even Week

Rerum, Deus, fons ómnium,
God, the source of everything that is,
qui, rebus actis ómnibus,
who, the cause of every action
totíus orbis ámbitum
the circle of the complete orbit
censu replésti múnerum.
Thou hast completed with a wealth of gifts

2. Ac, mole tanta cóndita,
And, having built so great a complex,
tandem quiétem díceris
Thou at last declarest a rest
sumpsísse, dans labóribus
to have begun, delivering from toils
ut nos levémur grátius.
that we may be thankfully relieved

3. Concéde nunc mortálibus
Grant now to mortals
deflére vitæ crímina,
weeping over lives of sin,
instáre iam virtútibus
that they may now pursue virtues
et munerári prósperis,
and be given success [in that pursuit]

4. Ut cum treméndi iúdicis
That when awesome judge's
horror suprémus coéperit,
greatest shivering (horror) begins
lætémur omnes ínvicem
may we all rejoice in turn
pacis repléti múnere.
filled with the gift of peace.

5. Præsta, Pater piíssime,
Grant this, most loving Father,
Patríque compar Unice,
and the co-equal Unique Son of the Father
cum Spíritu Paráclito
with the Spirit Paraclete
regnans per omne saéculum.
reigning through every age.

This was a tough hymn to translate. It took me a while, but I believe that I have the sense of the hymn, with the exception of the end of the first stanza. I translated censu as "a wealth". But I'm still not sure.

I sure love to sing the hymn. The melody found in the Solemnes Liber Hymnarius is profound, stately, mysterious and beautiful. Soon I will figure out a way to post sound on this blog.

Friday Vespers Odd Week

This hymn tells of the sixth day of creation, when the "brute animals" were created, and then man.

Plasmátor hóminis, Deus,
O God, the creator of man,
qui cuncta solus órdinans,
who alone dost dispose all things,
humum iubes prodúcere
Thou didst command that the earth bring forth
reptántis et feræ genus:
reptiles and beasts:

Maker of man, who from Thy throne
dost order all things, God alone;
by whose decree the teeming earth
to reptile and to beast gave birth:

Qui magna rerum córpora,
who the huge bodies of created beings (things)
dictu iubéntis vívida,
became instinct with life at your (spoken) command
ut sérviant per órdinem
that they may serve in assigned rank
subdens dedísti hómini:
Thou didst give to men, placing them under

The mighty forms that fill the land,
instinct with life at Thy command,
are given subdued to humankind
for service in their rank assigned.

Repélle a servis tuis,
Drive from thy servants
quicquid per immundítiam,
evertything which is dirty/lustful
aut móribus se súggerit,
whether it attaches itself to our morals
aut áctibus se intérserit.
or intertwines itself with our actions.

From all Thy servants drive away
whatéer of thought impure to-day
hath been with open action blent,
or mingled with the heart's intent.

Da gaudiórum praémia,
Grant us the reward of heavenly joys;
da gratiárum múnera:
bestow upon us gifts of grace;
dissólve litis víncula,
rend asunder the chains of strife;
astrínge pacis foédera.
draw closer the bonds of peace.

In heaven Thine endless joys bestow,
and grant Thy gifts of grace below;
from chains of strife our souls release,
bind fast the gentle bands of peace.

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

Grant this, O Father, ever One
with Christ, Thy sole-begotten Son,
Whom, with the Spirit we adore,
one God, both now and evermore.

So this hymn is asking God to place our passions under control just as he once place brute beasts in ordered rank, subdued to human beings. Now I get it!

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!

Wednesday Vespers Odd Week

The fourth-day-of-Creation hymn:

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Cæli Deus sanctíssime,
Most Holy God of heaven,
qui lúcidum centrum poli
who the lightsome regions of the universe
candóre pingis ígneo
Thou dost adorn with fiery brilliancy
augens decóri lúmina,
embellishing them with becoming splendor,

O God, whose hand hath spread the sky,
and all its shining hosts on high,
and painting it with fiery light,
made it so beauteous and so bright:

Quarto die qui flámmeam
Thou, on the fourth day with flame
solis rotam constítuens,
didst light up the disk of the sun
lunæ minístras órdini
didst appoint the orbit of the moon,
vagos recúrsus síderum,
and the wandering courses of the stars,

Thou, when the fourth day was begun,
didst frame the circle of the sun,
and set the moon for ordered change,
and planets for their wider range:

Ut nóctibus vel lúmini
That to nights and days
diremptiónis términum,
a boundary-line of separation,
primórdiis et ménsium
and for the beginning of the months
signum dares notíssimum:
a conspicuous sign Thou mightest give

To night and day, by certain line,
their varying bounds Thou didst assign;
and gav'st a signal, known and meet,
for months begun and months complete.

Illúmina cor hóminum,
Enlighten the heart of men,
abstérge sordes méntium,
wipe away the defilements of our souls;
resólve culpæ vínculum
loosen the chains of guilt;
evérte moles críminum.
overturn the great load of our sins.

Enlighten Thou the hearts of men:
polluted souls make pure again:
unloose the bands of guilt within:
remove the burden of our sin.

Præsta, Pater piíssime,
Patríque compar Unice,
cum Spíritu Paráclito
regnans per omne sæ’culum. Amen.

Grant this, O Father, ever One
with Christ, Thy sole-begotten Son,
Whom, with the Spirit we adore,
one God, both now and evermore.

Again, when I have the metrical translation (today done again by J. M. Neale) most of the English literal translation comes directly from Britt, unless there has been a variation in the text, then I actually look up the words.

Tuesday Vespers Odd Week

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Tellúris ingens Cónditor,
Uncreated creator of the world,
mundi solum qui éruens,
who digging up the surface of the earth,
pulsis aquae moléstiis,
and driving off the troubled waters
terram dedísti immóbilem,
didst firmly establish the land,

Earth's mighty Maker, whose command
raised from the sea the solid land;
and drove each bill'wy heap away,
and bade the earth stand firm for aye:

Ut germen aptum próferens,
That it might bring froth appropriate produce,
fulvis decóra flóribus,
be adorned with golden flowers,
fecúnda fructu sísteret
become prolific in fruits,
pastúmque gratum rédderet:
and yield agreeable sustenance.

That so, with flowers of golden hue,
the seeds of each it might renew;
and fruit-trees bearing fruit might yield,
and pleasant pasture of the field:

Mentis perústae vúlnera
The wounds of the sin-parched soul
munda viróre grátiae,
cleanse by the freshness of Thy grace,
ut facta fletu díluat,
that it may wash way with tears its evil deeds,
motúsque pravos átterat,
and suppress sinful emotions.

Our spirit's rankling wounds efface
with dewy freshness of Thy grace:
that grief may cleanse each deed of ill,
and o'er each lust may triumph still.

Iussis tuis obtémperet,
May it obey Thy commands;
nullis malis appróximet,
may it draw nigh nothing sinful;
bonis repléri gáudeat,
that it may rejoice to be filled with good,
et mortis actum nésciat.
and know not the act of death.

Let every soul Thy law obey,
and keep from every evil way;
rejoice each promised good to win,
and flee from every mortal sin.

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

Hear Thou our prayer, Almighty King!
hear Thou our praises, while we sing,
adoring with the heavenly host,
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

This hymn tells of the third day of Creation from the first chapter of Genesis.