ristian Hjwms m ^Da-niel Joseph )DYr the sinful world, The king of darkness quells, and opes The gates of heaven to human hopes. Dear Jesus, bring us purity, That thou our paschal joy may'st be; Be with us always; let thy love Illume our spirits from above. To God the Father glory be, The same, O Risen Son, to thee; And to the Paraclete, we raise An equal meed of love and praise. MORNING HYMN FOR ASCENSION DAY Aeterne Rex Altissime (From the Roman Breviary) ETERNAL King and Lord most high, Redeemer robed in majesty, Who didst the world and death o'ercome And rise triumphant from the tomb; Then to thine everlasting height Wast lifted in a cloud of light, Above the stars, through heaven's cope, — Thou art our light, our love, our hope. Earth, sea and sky, the threefold frame Bow down before thy sacred name, 34 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS The ranks of hell in terror see, Feel thy stern power, and bend the knee, Thy angel hosts behold and know The changed estate of man below, The flesh that sinned, made clean again, And God as man take up his reign. Be thou our lasting joy, O Lord, Our love on earth, our high reward; Kind Ruler of the world, inspire Our longing souls with holy fire. To thee we bow our hearts in prayer, Lord, keep us from the tempter's snare; Lift up our souls with heavenly grace, And fit us for thy dwelling-place. So when thou comest in majesty, Among the clouds, our judge to be, We may be freed from guilt and pain And our lost crown assume again. Jesus to thee be glory meet, Triumphant in thy heavenly seat, Unto the Sire and Spirit praise In equal meed through endless days. ST. AMBROSE 35 VESPER HYMN FOR ASCENSION DAY Jesu Nostra RcJcmptio l JESUS, our love, our Saviour, The joy of every heart, Thou bringest light unto our night, For light itself thou art. What wealth of love o'ercame thee That thou shouldst will to die Upon the tree of Calvary To save mankind thereby! The night of sin is broken, The power of hell o'erthrown, The heavenly door made wide once more By thee, most Holy One. 'Twas heavenly love impelled thee Thus to redeem our race, And bless our sight with the sweet light That shineth from thy face. Thou to the stars ascended Hast banished fear, O Lord; Be thine all praise, through endless days, Be thou our sweet reward. 1 The hymn "Salutis Humanae Sator" in the Roman Breviary is an adap- tation of this. 36 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS PENTECOST Jam Christus Astra Ascenderat (From the Roman Breviary) NOW to the stars is Christ, the King, Ascended, whence he came, to bring The heavenly Paraclete, with gifts For the disciples' comforting. The solemn hours approach; we see Accomplished all the mystery; The seven times seven change of days Brings round the heavenly jubilee. The day had lifted up its light Three hours above the orient height, And still the apostles prayed; then came With roar of winds the God of might. In everlasting lustre came The living and abounding flame; It filled each breast with holy speech And love for the Redeemer's name. The hearts of the disciples glow With inspiration; lo, they know And speak in all the tongues of earth The deeds that God hath done below. ST. AMBROSE 37 They cry aloud, all void of fear; Greek, Roman and barbarian hear; The word of God in every tongue They utter, speaking loud and clear. The faithless Jews behold the sign They see the miracle divine; But moved to wrath and fear, they cry: "Lo, these are overcome by wine!" Then Peter, rising up to meet The slanders, speaks with holy heat And Joel as his witness calls, To drive the faithless to retreat. To God the Father glory be, And Christ the risen Son, to thee, Who with the heavenly Paraclete, Reignest one God, eternally. O SPLENDOUR OF THE FATHER'S FACE Splendor Paternae Gloriae (From the Roman Breviary) SPLENDOUR of the Father's face, o Bringer of glory from above, True light, and Fount of every grace, Illume our day with faith and love. 38 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Pour on our way, O Sun Divine, Thy holy truth with rays serene, And let the heavenly spirit shine With purging fires to make us clean. The glory of the Sire we seek, The Father of enduring grace; Lift up our spirits, fallen and weak, And guide us to thy dwelling place. Confirm us in thy love divine, Smooth for our feet life's rugged way; Our wills make ever one with thine, Lest evil lead our steps astray. Be with us still as guard and guide, Keep us in holy chastity, Let our firm faith on thee abide, From fraud and error hold us free. Dear Christ, be still our drink and food, Our hope, our love, our lasting faith; And be our souls each day renewed, Fired by the Spirit's quickening breathe Thus joyful let the day go by; Our modesty like morn shall glow; Our faith be like the midday sky, Nor gloom of doubt nor shadow know. ST. AMBR< 39 Lo, as the dawn brings forth the light, The Virgin brings the birth divine, True God the Son in love and might, True God the Sire, in power benign. To God the Father glory be, The same unto the sole-born Son, And Holy Paraclete to thee, Now and while endless a7 68 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS On lowly bed of hay he lies, His palace but a stable poor; The God that rules the earth and skies Doth all our wants and woes endure. The angel choirs rejoice on high, Through radiant skies their voices ring, The shepherds see the blazing sky, And bow before the Infant King. All praise and power and glory be To Jesus whom the Virgin bore; Father, be equal meed to thee And to the Spirit evermore. HYMN FOR EPIPHANY Crudelis H erodes Deum (From the Roman Breviary) WHY fear the coming of the king, O cruel Herod ? Christ, the Son Asks nought of earth, but comes to bring To all who seek, a heavenly throne. The Magi follow through the night The mystic star that goes before; By light, they seek the Lord of Light, The King and God whom they adore. DULIU8 6q Oh, {Mirer than the morning raw Celestial Lamb, thou comest to bear Our sins, and wash our guilt away, That we with thee, God's love may share. O Fount of Love! O power divine! We how before thy holy might; Thy word makes water pour as wine; Thy love brings day unto our night. Jesus to thee be glory meet, Who shinest o'er earth in light and love, So to the Sire and Paraclete Let earth resound and heaven above. ELPIS \\ it : of the illustrious Roman writer and statesman, Boetius, Elpis was born, perhaps not later than 475, of a noble Sicilian family. In 500, when King Theodoric came to Rome he made Boetius master of the palace. He was chosen consul three times, and his two sons, by Elpis, were made consuls in their nonage, in 523. Her husband was cruelly put to death by the bar- barian king in 525, and his estates confiscated; but these were restored to Elpis, who survived Boetius, by the king's daughter Amalasunta, on the death of Theo- doric, which took place soon after the martyrdom of Boetius. It is not known when the death of Elpis occurred. Elpis was noted as a lady of great learning, wit and beauty. The following hymn is divided, and adapted for three several hymns in the Roman Breviary, one for January 25, the feast of the conversion of St. Paul, the other two for June 29, the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. 7i TO STS. PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES Decora Lux Attcrnitatis ETERNAL glory, with the streaming ray Of holy fire, has filled the golden day, Crowning with light the apostolic chiefs, And opening through the stars their luminous way. The guide of earth, the guard of heaven's gate, Fathers of Rome and lords of every state, Death was their triumph by the sword and cross, The martyr's laurel is their crown elate. Kind Shepherd, Peter, unto thee was given The keys to close and ope the gates of heaven; Strike from our souls the galling chain of crime, And gain the grace for which our hearts have striven O learned Paul, inspire us from above AYith all the graces of the Heavenly Dove; Bring us the faith to see the truth of God, And brighten earth with the sweet reign of love. O happy Rome, that by their martyr blood Art glorified and consecrate; the flood Thy gates emblazon; through the flying years Fairest of earthly cities hast thou stood. 73 74 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Unto the everlasting Trinity All power and praise and jubilation be; One God eternal ruling heaven and earth; Thy name is holy; Lord we worship thee. FORTUNATUS Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus, the chief Latin poet of his time, was born in Italy, not far from Treviso, in the year 530. He studied at Ravenna, and became an able gram- marian and rhetorician. He was the author of a num- ber of books both in prose and verse. He wrote the life of St. Martin of Tours in verse, and compiled biog- raphies, in prose, of a number of saints; but, says Alban Butler, these lives "are barren of facts and filled with relations of miracles. " His prose is stiff and mechan- ical, while most of his poetry is harmonious, animated, and possesses an easy rhythmical flow. He fled from the swords of the barbarians at Ra- venna, and settled at Tours in 565. He was afterwards invited to Poitiers by St. Radegund, the cloistered queen of France, where he became her private secre- tary, was ordained priest, and on the death of Plato, bishop of Poitiers, in 595, he was chosen to fill that See some years after the death of Radegund. His life of St. Radegund, different from his other prose works, is a useful narrative of the actions and virtues of that holy woman. In 566, the Emperor Justin, sent on the queen's re- quest a fragment of the true Cross from Constantinople, adorned with gold and precious stones, to be deposited 76 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS in the Sanctuary of the Holy Cross, which she had erected at Poitiers. It was on that occasion that the hymns, Vexilla Regis, and Pange Lingua were composed by Fortunatus, and these were sung for the first time on the arrival of the relic. Since that time they have been used in the whole church. The Pange Lingua is spoken of by Daniel as one of the most beautiful of the Latin hymns, and Randolph places the Vexilla Regis among the seven great hymns of the Mediaeval Church. The hymn, Ave Maris Stella, assigned by Wackernagel and others to Fortunatus, is perhaps the most popular of all the hymns to the Blessed Virgin. Fortunatus died, probably, December 4, 609, and his name is honoured at Poitiers among the saints on that day. OX THE HOLY CROSS Crux Benedict a Mitet BRIGHT is the benedight cross, where the Lord, in his agony hanging, Washes our wounds in his blood, bathing and healing our souls. Urged by his tender love, he has offered himself as a victim. Yielded his life as a lamb, saving the flock from the wolf. There by his bleeding palms he has saved the nations from ruin; And by his sacred death closed the gate of the grave. Pierced by the merciless nails, here see we the hand that will later Rescue Paul from his crime, rescue Peter from death. Wonderful tree! what wealth of fertility goes to thy springing. That on thy branches thou bear'st fruit of such mar- vellous kind. Marvellous fruit! by whose quickening odor the dead from their graves rise, And unto life return thev that were worn with the da v. 77 78 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Under thy sheltering leaves we feel not the heat of the summer, Neither at noon shall the sun burn, nor the moon in the night. Fair as a tree that is set by the running waters thou standest Spreading thy branches wide, robed in the glory of flowers. Hangs from thine arms that Vine which is weighed as the price of salvation, Rosy the wine that flows, sweet is the cup to our souls. VESPER HYMN TO THE VIRGIN Ave Maris Stella (From the Roman Breviary) HAIL, O star of ocean, Hail, our golden door, Mother of the Mighty, Virgin Evermore. By the angel's "Ave!" Thou didst fain receive, Change our grief to glory, Be our better Eve. FORTUNATUS 79 Break the bonds of sorrow. Bring our souls thy light; By thy tender radiance Guide us through the night. Be indeed our mother. Help us in our need; Lift thy voice to Jesus, He will hear and heed. Virgin of all virgins, Thee our queen we seek; Fire with love our bosoms, Make us chaste and meek. Raise our hearts in rapture, Lead us on the way, To thy Son, Lord Jesus, In eternal day. Praise to God the Father And the Saviour be, With the Holy Spirit, Reigning one in three. 80 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS A HYMN FOR MATINS Quern Terra, Pontus, Sidera (From the Roman Breviary) THE God whom earth and skies proclaim, And all the hosts of heaven adore, The ruler of the three-fold frame, The humble womb of Mary bore. That selfsame power that heaven and earth Have served since dawn of time began, From mortal womb hath wondrous birth, To bear away the sins of man. O Mother bright! thy blessed soul He shaped all pure and undefiled; He holds the world in his control, Yet in thy arms he lies, a child. Bride of the Spirit! Blessed One! Thy name shall sound in psalm and song; Emmanuel comes, the Virgin's Son, For whom the world has waited long. All praise and power and glory meet To Christ whom spotless Virgin bore, And to the Sire and Paraclete Be equal meed forevermore. FORTUNATU8 8 1 A HYMN TO THE VIRGIN Gloriosa I irgtnum (From the Roman Breviary) O GLORY of Virginity, Fairest of stars upon the skies, The Master who created thee An infant on thy bosom lies. The blessings lost by Eva's crime Thy marvellous motherhood restored, And oped for man the gate sublime Where shines the brightness of the Lord. Through thee the halls of heaven we gain, Thou regent of the golden door; We hail thee Virgin, void of stain, And sound thy praise forevermore. Jesus to thee be glory meet, The Virgin-born, our God and King; So to the Sire and Paraclete Let everlasting praises ring. 82 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS THE HOLY CROSS Vexilla Regis (From the Roman Breviary) BEHOLD the standard of the King! The wondrous cross is borne on high Whereon the Saviour willed to die, That out of death new life should spring. O, wounded by the spear, a flood Flows from his side in love sublime, To wash our souls from stain and crime He sheds the water and the blood. Fulfilled is all the prophecy Which David in his holy strain, Sang to the nations; God doth reign; Lo, he hath conquered by the tree. O beauteous tree! O wondrous wood! Dight with the purple of our king, Deemed worthy all our hope to bring, And touch the sacred limbs of God. O blessed balance, where was weighed The price of ages; here was brought The sacred body that hath bought Our life and our salvation paid. F0RTUNA1 US 83 Hail cross, our only hope! in this The paschal-tide give added grace; Let tears of penance bathe each face; O cleanse our hearts and bring us bliss. Salvation's fountain, three in one, Let every spirit praise thy name; Grant that we may the victory claim, And evermore thy will be done. F THE CRUCIFIXION Pange Lingua RAME, my tongue, a song of wonder, Let the noble numbers ring; Sing the glorious triumph crowning Our Redeemer, Christ the King; Sing the sacred immolation That from death revoked the sting. By the tree the crime of Adam Plunged the earth in blighting sin; From the tree man's woe was measured, All the evil lay therein; On the tree, by God's appointment, Christ must die the world to win. Thus the work of our salvation Was by law divine ordained, Thus by good to ill opposing, 84 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Was the tempter's power restrained; Whence the evil, thence the healing, Whence came death true life is gained. In his holy hour the Saviour From the halls of heaven is come, Takes the flesh of human nature; So to save the flesh from doom; Born as man, the world's Creator Issues from a virgin's womb. In a stable poor and lowly, He, a tender child is born, W'ith a manger for a cradle, Our Redeemer lies forlorn; Swathing him in bands, the mother Shields the Babe from shame and scorn. Thirty years are soon completed, And the dav of woe is nigh; Comes the hour of man's redemption, When the Christ is doomed to die; On the cross, a lamb, uplifted, Lo! the Lord of earth and sky! With a crown of thorns they crown him, And they nail him to the wood, With a lance they pierce his body Whence the water and the blood Flow, till ocean, earth and heaven Bathe in the redeeming flood. FOR I in \ I i 85 Faithful cross, a tree bo noble Never grew in grove or wood; Never leaf or blossom flourished Fair as on thy branches glowed; Sweet the wood and sweet the iron Bearing up so dear a load. Ah! relax thy native rigour, Bend thy branches, lofty tree! Melt, O wood, in tender mercy! Christ, the King of Glory, see! Veiled in human sin and sorrow, Slain, from sin the world to free. Thou alone art found all worthy Earth's dread sacrifice to bear; Thus to save the world from ruin, And the way to heaven prepare; By his sacred blood anointed, Thou, O Tree, art wondrous fair. Everlasting praise and glory To the blessed trinity; Glory to the heavenly Father, To the Son like glory be; Glory to the Holy Spirit, God eternal, one in three. ST. GREGORY THE GREAT St. Gregory, a monk of the Benedictine order, and surnamed the Great, on account of his illustrious actions and extraordinary virtues, was born at Rome about 540, and died in the same city on December 12, 604. On the death of Pope Pelagius II. in January, 590, Gregory was unanimously chosen to fill the papacy, al- though much against his wishes. It is said that he opposed his own election with all his power. He was the first monk to ascend the Apostolical See. His humility through life was only equalled by his wonderful ability. He impressed the seal of humility upon the papacy itself by adopting as his title "The servant of the servants of God." Some time before his elevation, he had observed some Saxon youths exposed for sale as slaves in the market place. Struck with their beauty, he asked to what country they belonged; and being told they were "Angles," he replied that they might better be called angels. Then with a sigh he said it was a pity that the prince of darkness should enjoy so fair a prey; and that men with so fine an outside should have none of God's grace for their internal adornment. He resolved at once to undertake the mission to Brit- ain and, having obtained permission from Pope Pelagius, he was already on his way, when the people of Rome, 87 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS among whom the popularity of Gregory was very great, raised so much opposition to his departure, that the Pope felt obliged to recall him. It was not as a mission- ary but as a Pope that he was to win England to the church. He afterwards sent St. Augustine on the mis- sion, who in 597 arrived in Kent with forty monks to preach the gospel to the English. Gregory rendered noble services to the Liturgy. He put in order the work of his predecessors and gave its definitive form to the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The Gregorian Chant is a monument to his skill as a sacred musician. "He had the glory," says Mon- talembert, "of giving to ecclesiastical music that sweet and solemn, and, at the same time, popular and durable character, which has descended through ages, and to which we must always return after the most prolonged aberrations of frivolity and innovation." He established at Rome a school of music to which all Christian nations sent representatives. According to mediaeval legend, it was while consider- ing the fascination exercised by profane music, that Gregory was led to inquire whether he could not, like David, consecrate music to the service of God. One night he had a vision in which the church appeared to him in the form of a muse, writing her songs and gather- ing her children under the folds of her mantle. Upon this mantle was written the whole art of music, with all the forms of its tones, notes, neumes, and various measures and symphonies. He prayed to God to give him the power of recollecting all he saw. After he awoke -l . GR1 GORY THE GR1 AT 89 a dove appeared and dictated to him the musical com- positions with which he has enriched the church. He served in his own school as a teacher of music and singing. Gregory has been falsely accused of possessing a contempt for literature and science, and of having de- stroyed certain ancient monuments and writings. These imputations date no further back than the twelfth cen- tury. The writers of his own time show him as a highly educated and wise man, surrounded by the most learned priests and monks of his day, and as John the deacon, his biographer, says, "he made the seven liberal arts noble pillars of the portico of the Apostolical Chair. " St. Gregory the Great ranks next to St. Ambrose in the number of hymns contributed to the church services. I have placed the Works of Davs among his poems for, although it is customary to count them as Ambro- siana, the better opinion is that most if not all were written by Gregory. THE WORKS OF THE DAYS Lucis Creator Optime (From the Roman Breviary) First day. Genesis i: 1-5 DIVINE creator of the light, Who, bringing forth the golden ray, Didst join the morning with the night And call the blessed union day; We bow to thee, whose mighty word Made time begin and heaven move; Hear thou our tearful prayer, O Lord, And warm us with the light of love. Lord, let no crime our souls oppress, Or keep us from thy law divine; Oh guard us by thy saving grace And make our wills accord with thine. Still may we seek thy heavenly seat, And strive eternal life to gain; Oh, keep us in thy mercy sweet, And cleanse our souls from earthly stain. 9 1 92 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS A Immense Coeli Conditor Second day. Genesis i: 6-8 LMIGHTY Maker of the skies, Thy power the mingled waters clave, And bade the clouds on high to rise And fixed with bounds the ocean wave. So shall the moistening rain and dew Temper the flaming heats of noon; So shall the year its wealth renew Of vernal glow and harvest boon. Grant to our souls, O Lord of Love, The gift of thy perennial grace, Lest evil should our senses move And bring again the old disgrace. Let faith increase the fire of love, And bring the glory of thy light, Let all our dreams come from above, And banish every deed of night. Telluris Alme Conditor Third Day. Genesis i: 9-13 KIND Builder of the earth, thy hand Confined the currents of the sea, And fixed with bounds the stable land Above the raging waters free. ST. GREGORY THE GREA1 93 Then earth brought forth the tender green, The wealth and glow of fruit and flower; ( )Yr all the world thy love was seen, O'er all the world was felt thy power. So clothe, O Lord, my barren soul In brightening beauty of thy grace, Her every hope and deed control, And let no grovelling thought have place. Thy will be hers forever, Lord, And far from evil's poisonous breath Let her rejoice in thy sweet word, Nor ever know r the stroke of death. M Coch Dcus Sanctissime Fourth day. Genesis 1: 14-19 OST Holy God, who dost adorn With shining spheres the brow T of night, And bringest to the rosy morn The tender glow of growing light. Thy fourth day's labour fired the sun, And sent the moon upon her way, And gave each orb its course to run, As guiding signs by night and daw The moon and stars to rule the night, The sun to bring his warming glow, 94 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Thus ever changing, dark or bright, The days and months and seasons flow. Lord, fire our breasts with holy light, That we may know thy law sublime; Drive from our heart all deeds of night, And cleanse the soul of guilt and crime. Magnae Deus Potentiae Fifth day. Genesis i: 20-23 ALMIGHTY God, thy mercy gave The teeming life of sea and sky, The fish to welter in the wave, The bird to sing and soar on high. So for the flowing waters formed, The finny tribe shall multiply; So in the pleasant sunshine warmed, The feathered race shall throng the sky. Grant unto us, thy servants, Lord, Imbathed in thy all-cleansing blood, To cling unto thy saving word, That sin and death may be withstood. Lord, let no weltering thoughts oppress, Nor soaring pride the bosom swell, To wreck the soul with wretchedness, Or lead her unto deeds of hell. ST. GREGORY THE GR1 M 95 Hominis Supcrnc Conditor Sixth day. Generis 1: 24-^1 MAKER of man, thou God of Might, Thy will commanded earth to bring Out of its womb, to life and light, The cattle and the creeping thing. The wonders of thy mighty plan, The wealth and power of land and sea, Are subject, by thy word, to man, His will controls the world for thee. Then Lord, subdue all false desire, From every evil keep us free, Inflame our souls with holy fire, And lift our aims to heaven and thee. O, be thyself our sweet reward, Light up our hearts with saving grace, Bring all mankind to sweet accord, And fit us for thy dwelling place. Doxology Most gracious Father, hear our cry, Hear thou, O Sole and equal Son, And holy Paraclete, on high, Forever reigning, three in one. 96 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS A MORNING HYMN O Sol Salutis Intimis (From the Roman Breviary) SUN of our salvation, rise, o Illume our souls with light divine; Drive night and darkness from the skies, And let thy day of mercy shine. Grant that we may with streaming tears Wash from the heart all stain of sin, And freed from worldly joys and fears, Kindle the fire of love therein. Seal up the fount of sin, and bring The sigh of sorrow and the smart; So shall the rod of penance wring With softening grief the hardened heart. Thy day of glory comes; the glow Shall every hollow fill and height; And we rejoicing, Lord, shall go In safety, guided by thy light. Benignant Trinity, to thee The world shall bow; the weak and strong Shall call upon thy name; and we, Renewed in grace, lift up the song. ST. GREGORY THE GR1 \ I 97 A LENTEN IIV.MN Audi, Bentgne Corah tor (From the Roman Breviary) BENIGN Creator of the spheres! Hear thou the prayers, behold the tears, That in this holy season we With Lenten fastings, pour to thee. Searcher of hearts, we seek thy throne, Man's feeble will to thee is known. We bow in grief and pardon crave, From error, Lord, thy suppliants save. Much have we sinned in deed and word, We bare our hearts before thee, Lord; Thy tender clemency we seek, Oh heal our wounded souls and weak. Grant that we may the bodv cleanse Of sinful stain through abstinence, May lift our fasting hearts to thee, From all defiling evils free. O tender Godhead, three in one! Be ours the will all crime to shun. To know and keep thy laws divine, And be the fruits of fasting thine. 98 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS HYMN TO THE SAVIOUR Salvator Mundi Domine DEAR Jesus, Saviour of the world, Our Saviour be to-day; Protect our hearts in darkness hurled, And guide us in thy way. Haste, tender Christ, our souls to bless; We bow before thy might; Blot from our lives all sinfulness; Be thou our beacon light. With thee for guide w r e fear no foe, No phantoms shall oppress; Our souls no sinful stain shall know, But feel thy blessedness. We pray thee, Lord, our souls to raise, Our bosoms purify, That we may rise and sing thy praise In holy chastity. All glory to the Father be, All glory to the Son, And Holy Ghost, the same to thee While endless ages run. ST. GREGORY 1 m GREA1 99 EARLY MORNING HYMN Rent in Great or Optime (From the Roman Breviary) CREATOR of the earth and skies, Our blessed guide, we call on thee; Look down upon our miseries, From sin and sorrow make us free. Dear Christ, to thee we come for aid, Look not upon our faults, we pray; To thee our grateful thanks are paid Before the night has passed away. We lift our hearts and hands to thee, As prophet bade and Paul hath shown; While darkness yet holds land and sea We seek thee; hear our earnest moan. Thou see'st the evil we have done, Each deed before thee open lies; Thy pardon send, O Holy One! In pity heed our prayers and cries. Father of mercy, unto thee Be glory; to the sole-born Son And Spirit equal honour be, One God forever, three in one. 100 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS A HYMN FOR LENT Ex More Docti Mystico (From the Roman Breviary) BY holy custom taught, we raise Our minds and hearts the Lord to serve, And through the space of forty days The fasts and laws of Lent observe. By ancient rule and prophet's word The sacred custom first was taught; And in the desert Christ the Lord The rite unto perfection brought. Be ours to practice temperance spare, In word, in food, in drink, in sleep; Our pleasures curb, while, bowed in prayer, A guard upon our wills we keep. And let us shun each evil thought That undermines the restless soul, And bring the tempter's power to nought By spirits bound in close control. We kneel before thee, Lord, and weep; Thine ire is just; our judge thou art; We cry with suppliant voice, and keep Our hope in thee, with humbled heart. ■ ST. GREGORY THE GREAT IOI Our deeds insult thee, Lord of love; And yet thy clemency we seek; Pour forth thy mercy from above; Thou know'st our hearts, how base and weak. Remember, Father, we are thine, Preserve us from the stain of sin; Grant us to love thy name divine, To know thy law and dwell therein. Forgive the evil we have done; The blessing that we need, increase; Inflame our hearts all crime to shun, And keep our souls in endless peace. Honour be thine, Eternal Three, Thou single Godhead, just, benign, Let all our lives be turned to thee, And be the fruits of fasting thine. A HYMN FOR MATINS Tu Trinitatis Unit as (From the Roman Breviary) THOU triune God, eternal King, Almighty ruler of the spheres, Hark to the song of praise we bring, And hear and heed our psalms and tears. 102 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS For we, arising out of sleep Amid the darkness of the night Beseech thee, Lord, our souls to keep, And heal our wounds with holy light. Whate'er of evil we have done Lured by the tempter's foul deceit, O w r ash away, thou Holy One, And bring us to thy mercy sweet. Lord, be our bodies chaste and pure, Thy love let every bosom feel, Keep thou our lives from sin secure, And fire our souls with holy zeal. For this, Redeemer, thee we seek, For this we call thee in the night; Uplift and help, for we are weak, And guide us by thy heavenly light. Father of mercy, hear our prayer, And thou, O sole-begotten Son, And Holy Spirit, yield thy care, Eternal Godhead, three in one. ST. GREGORY THE GREAT 103 SUNDAY MORNING HYMN Prima Die Quo Trirutas (From the Roman Breviary) THIS day the blessed Trinity Upbuilded by creative word The earth; this day the risen Lord O'er death a victor, made us free. Then casting ofT all lethargy, Arise and sing in sweet accord; While yet 'tis night be God adored — The prophet bids, — so let it be. Seek we the Lord in humble prayer, That he may stretch his hand and save, And lift each soul above the grave, The living joys of heaven to share; With hymns and orisons prepare, Ere yet the dawn is on the wave; Sing out the praise of him that gave All blessed gifts, and crave his care. Yea, now, O Fount of living light, Thy tender guidance we require; Keep from our hearts the fleshly fire, And lead us from the deeds that blight. Oh be our bodies in thy sight So purified from foul desire, That, all appeased thy righteous ire, Thou bring us to thy holy height. 104 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Redeemer of the world, thou Sun Of justice, thee do we entreat; Oh wash our hearts from stain complete, And be our souls to glory won! To God the Father and the Son Be praise and love and glory meet, And unto thee, O Paraclete, Eternal Godhead, three in one. AT MATINS Nocte Surgentes (From the Roman Breviary) FROM slumber's bonds, before the day, Uprising, let us watch and pray; Let all on psalm and sacred word Now meditate, and in accord Praise God with consecrated lay. So, joining with the choirs on high, The songs shall sound through earth and sky, In praise of our eternal King; O Father! let thy mercy bring Our souls to endless ecstasy. Be with us, Lord, by day and night, The Father's Godhead, power and might, So of the sole-begotten Son And Holy Ghost; as ages run One praise shall fill the world with light. ST. GKI.cjokv THE GR] A l I0 5 AT MATINS' (Another Verskm) RISE wc, now, crc dawn, and begin our watching, Lift our hearts in psalms, and in meditation; And with voices tuned to the Lord, in music Sing his sweet anthems. Let us join our songs with the choirs supernal, In unending praise to the King of mercy. So our souls may come to the halls of splendour Shining eternal. Be thou blessed, O God, in thy might tremendous, Spirit, Sire and Son, thou art God eternal, One forevermore; let thy praise and glory Sound through the ages. AT DAYBREAK Ecce Jam N Oct is (From the Roman Breviary) LO, now the shadows of the night Are passing bv; the changing light Purples the skies of morn; and we Our suppliant voices lift to thee In Prayer and song, O God of might! 1 In the Sapphics of the original. 106 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Let all thy mercies, Lord, increase Upon our erring hearts; surcease Of sorrow bring; and make us free From sin and shame and misery, And grant us everlasting peace. Unto the Father glory raise With love and joy, in hymns of praise; So to the sole-begotten Son, And Holy Spirit, three in one, Resounding to the end of days. AT DAYBREAK 1 (Another Version) LO, the night goes by with its gloomy shadows, And the skies grow fair in the light of morning, Lord, we come to thee and our suppliant voices Lift up before thee. Be thy mercy shown to our feeble nature, Sin and shame and woe from our bosoms banish; Everlasting peace, in thy halls of splendour, Grant us, O Saviour. Be thou with us, Lord, and be thine all glory, God eternal, Sire, with the Son and Spirit, Heaven and earth shall ring with unending praises Dow y n through the ages. 1 In the Sapphics of the original. ST. GREGORY THE GREAT IO7 A HYMN FOR PENTECOST Veni Creator Spiritus (From the Roman Breviary) COME, Spirit of the mighty word, We need thy presence and thy aid; Be thy supernal graces poured Into the breasts which thou hast made. Well art thou called the Paraclete, Thy mercies comfort and condole, The fount of life, the love, the heat, The soothing unction of the soul. Bearer of sevenfold blessedness, Finger of God to guide and teach, Shedding from heaven the promised grace, Enriching tongues with holy speech; Kindle our senses with thy light, Thy love into our bosoms pour, Sustain each weakness with thy might, And raise our souls forevermore. Drive from our path the evil one; Bring gentle peace to crown our dav; With thee before us leading on, We shall not into error stray. 108 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Grant, that we may the Father know, And feel the love of Christ the Son, Through thee; and in thy holy glow Forever see the Three in one. Be glory to the Father given, And to the risen Son, and thee, O Holy Ghost; let earth and heaven Ring with one praise eternally. EUGENIUS The date of birth of Eugenius is not definitely known. It is believed to have occurred in the later part of the sixth century. He was a theologian of note, and counted among the most learned men of his age. At the time of his death in 657, he was archbishop of Toledo, which See he had held for twelve years. He was a prelate of eminent sanctity and the author of several pious epigrams. His most noted poetical production was called the "Hexaemeron," being a de- scription of the six days of creation. The following poem is now translated for the first time into English. It is valuable, not only for certain poetical merits, which it possesses, but as a good ex- pression of the ideal of a Christian gentleman and scholar of the early years of Christianity. I have attempted to imitate the hexameters of the original. 109 THE PRAYER OF EUGENIUS Rex Deus, Immcnsi MONARCH of infinite majesty, Maker and Lord of creation, Feeble and vile at thy feet I dare to implore thee for favours; — Give me the vigour to govern my will like a king in his kingdom; Soften my spirit with kindness, and open my mind to thy glory; Let me live in thy faith, all sects and falsehoods resisting, Make me in deed and desire a servant worthy thy ser- vice. Grant that love may be mine; make me truthful, humble and prudent; Silent when wisdom requires, and always cautious in language. Bless me with faithful companions, with friendships fast and enduring, And with a servant chaste and kind and careful and willing. Give me not over to poverty's pains, nor to languor's allurements; in 112 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Only the needful I crave, but health as a constant com- panion. Keep me from riches and envy; from arrogance, quarrel and law suits, Gluttony's foul desires, and luxury's gratifications. No one by crime let me harm, from no one by crime let me suffer, — Let not my will from justice turn, nor my thoughts toward evil; Nothing unworthy be found in will or in word or in action; Utterance, spirit and deed, let them sing thee, desire thee and show thee; Grant, I beseech, such power, as shall overcome all temptation, While in the race of life my running shall gain me the trophy. Then when the hour of death shall come, and my spirit soars upward, Let thy mercy awake, and bless me, O Lord, with thy pardon. Glory be thine forever, of heaven and earth the creator, Triune God that reignest, alone over all through the ages. PAUL THE DEACON Paul was born in Italy in 735, and died in 798. He was known as a historian and a poet, and was one of the learned men whom Charlemagne invited to aid him in establishing the great school of the Emperor's palace. His famous hymn on St. John the Baptist has been divided in the Roman Breviary into the following three, for Vespers, Matins and Lauds. This hymn is noted as having afforded Guido of Ar- rezzo the names of the notes of the musical scale. The hymn was a great favourite in the Middle Ages. It was thought that its recitation would induce pure musical tones. VESPER HYMN TO ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Ut Queant Laxis AS we thy servants will to bring Thy deeds before the world and sing Thy name, St. John, as should be sung, Cleanse thou the lips and loose the tongue, That so thy praise may fitly ring. When Gabriel from God's presence came, And stood before the altar flame, With tidings of thy coming birth And of thy deeds of heavenly worth, He brought from God thy holy name. Thy Father's faith was sorely wrung; Doubting the message tied his tongue; And dumb, till past thy natal hour, Thy name restored his vocal power, And filled his soul with flowing song. While closed within thy mother's womb Thou didst perceive the Christ to come, And give thy mother to disclose The unborn King, ere yet he rose To wrest the world from death and doom. "5 Il6 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS HYMN FOR MATINS Antra Deserti FOR years thy spirit found it well Within a desert cave to dwell, To fly the crowds, that so no vain Or evil deed thy life should stain, Nor idle thought thy tongue should tell. Thy limbs were clothed in camel's hair, A leathern girdle didst thou wear, Thy drink was water from the flood, And the wild honey of the wood, With the shrill locust, all thy fare. The prophets sang, in sacred lay, The brightness of the coming day; Thy soul the glory saw, and calm Proclaimed the presence of the Lamb, Who came to bear our sins away. The world shall ever sing thy worth, Great Saint; it knows no holier birth Than thine, whose hands the water poured Upon the forehead of thy Lord, The Lamb of God, who cleansed the earth. All glory to the Father be And sole-begotten Son, to thee, PAUL THE DEACON I I 7 While to the Holy Ghost we raise An equal meed of love and praise, One God, one rule, eternally. HYMN FOR LAUDS Nimis Felix GREAT Saint, thy worth is heavenly high; No stain is on thy purity; Most potent martyr, lo, we bring The seemly song of praise, and sing With voices sounding to the sky. Of crowns thrice ten the angels weave For other martvrs; some receive A double glory; but to thee Three hundred shining wreaths shall be Of fruit and flow r er, in sacred sheaf. Enrich our souls with strength, we pray; Pluck from our breasts all faults away; O, smooth our rugged road, and be Our guide, that we the light may see Across the hills, of God's white day. So through thy prayers the Lord shall bless And light our souls with holiness, Shall lift our heavy hearts, and deign To wash away all worldly stain, In the clear fountain of his grace. Il8 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Now, with the heavenly choirs we raise To thee, O Trinity, all praise, We bow in prayer before thy throne, Redeem and save us, Holy One, And fill with light our lonely ways. ST. PAULINUS OF AQUILEIA One of the most illustrious and holy prelates of the eighth century, St. Paulinus, was born about the year 726, in a country farm not far from Friuli, and died in Aquileia, January II, 804, although his feast is held in some places on January 28. He was one of the saintly and learned men whom Charlemagne invited to assist in building up his great school of the Palace. He was appointed in 776 as Patriarch of Aquileia, which dignity had then but recently been annexed to that See. He was honoured by Charlemagne with the titles "Master of Grammar," and "Very Venerable, " and the Emperor required his presence at all his great councils. The Church has adapted in the Roman Breviary the fourth stanza of the following hymn for the feast of St. Peter's chains, and the fifth stanza for the feast of St. Peter's chair at Rome. 119 THE APOSTLES, PETER AND PAUL Felix Per nines F est urn THROUGH earth's wide bounds the honoured festival Of blessed Peter and of Holy Paul Is kept in happy memory, and maintained To grace whom Christ's redeeming blood ordained Among the apostles princes over all. Two olives they on God's eternal height, Two candlesticks that gleam with heavenly light, Resplendent stars that glorify the skies; The words that ope the gates of Paradise, And break the bonds of sin by gentle might. Their word has power to close the golden bar, Or bare the thresholds, where the angels are; Their tongues are keys that guard the golden light Of God's high justice; they uphold the right, And drive all falsehood from the earth afar. Peter most wondrously, at Christ's command, The iron fetters broke from foot and hand, And so came forth, defender of the fold, The teacher of God's people, calm and bold, A tower of strength to guard the little band. 122 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Whate'er on earth he bindeth, by decree Is bound among the stars eternally; And what his will shall loose on earth, behold! 'Tis loosed forever in the halls of gold; The judge of all the ages he shall be. No less in glory is the teacher Paul, Who, persecuting, heard the Saviour call; Lamps of the Church, and equal in renown, Partners in death, and sharers of one crown, Amid the skies their light surpasseth all. O Happy Rome! that art empurpled by The precious blood of princes; thou canst vie In beauty with the world; not by thine own, But by their merits, is thy glory known, Whose blessed bones beneath thy pavement lie c O blessed Peter, and O Paul, the flower Of earth, triumphant chiefs in holy power, Look on the world in pity, heed our cares, Protect us from all evil by your prayers; Guide and uplift us to the heavenly tower. Unto the Sire eternal praises sing, And let the chorus to the Son outring, And to the Holy Spirit, one in three; An everlasting song of glory be To God the everlasting Lord and King. THEODULPHUS Theodulphus was educated in the school of the Palace of Charlemagne, and according to the custom of that age, and particularly of that school, assumed, for himself the title of Pindar. This was on account of his supposed lyric power. He became bishop of Orleans about the first part of the ninth century and died while occupying that See in 821. For some reason, which does not clearly appear, he is said to have been confined for a time by Louis the Debonair, son and successor of Charlemagne, in a prison at Angers, during which time the following hymn is said to have been written. The story states that the Bishop sang the new hymn from his dungeon window as the emperor was passing to the Cathedral on Palm Sunday, in the year 821, and that as a result the bishop was liberated from his captivity. The hymn is still used in the church as a processional hymn on Palm Sunday. I2 3 HYMN FOR PALM SUNDAY Gloria, La us et Honor ALL glory, praise and honour To thee, O Christ, we bring, And sing like Sion's children, Hozannas to our King. For thou art King, Lord Jesus, Of David's royal line, And blest are all who serve thee And call thy name divine. The saints and holy angels Exalt in heaven thy name, And men on earth forever Thy glory shall proclaim. As came the Jews to meet thee With palms upon the way, So we with prayerful voices Lift up our songs to-day. As they loud praises paid thee Upon the road of pain, So we with sounding music Salute thy endless reign. I2 5 126 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS As their devotion pleased thee, So be our offering, — The song, the prayer, the praises, We bring thee, gentle King. RABANUS MAURUS One of the most learned and holy men of his age, Rabanus Maurus was born in Germany about the year 800. While Abbot of Fulda, he made that house the great- est nursery of science in Europe. He was Archbishop of Mentz from 847 to 856, when he died on February 4, on which day his name appears in certain private German martyrologies, though he has never been publicly honored among the saints. Most of the hymns for the feasts of saints and angels are believed to have been composed by Rabanus. All the following hymns are found in the Roman Breviary. 127 VESPER HYMN FOR ALL SAINTS PI a care Christe Servulis O SOOTHE thy servants' woes, and bring Our souls to thee, most clement King; We seek before thy mercy seat The Virgin's intercession sweet. And ye, O blessed ones, who move In circles near the throne of love, Shield us from all iniquity, Or past, or present, or to be. Ye prophets and apostles, hear; Lift up before the Judge severe Our tearful prayers, and give your voice, That he may bid our souls rejoice. Ye noble martyrs of the Lord, And white-robed preachers of the word, Behold us exiled, bowed in gloom; Oh guide us to our heavenly home. Ye holy bands of virgins chaste, And godly dwellers of the waste, Now glorified with God, look down. And help us to the heavenly crown. 129 I30 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Lord save us from the poisonous breath Of heresy, that bringeth death; So all thy people, joined as one, Shall bow before thy heavenly throne. To God the Father glory be, And sole-begotten Son to thee. And to the Spirit, three in one While everlasting ages run. MORNING HYMN FOR ALL SAINTS Salutis Aeterne Dator O SAVIOUR, Fount of heavenly life, Assist us in our earthly strife; Thou pitying Virgin, hear our cries, And raise us from our miseries. Angelic hosts our needs attend; Ye holy patriarchs, defend; Ye choirs of prophets, by your prayers, Protect us from unholy snares. Herald of Christ, we call on thee; And thou that hold'st the golden key; Apostles all, your voice we claim, Dissolve the bonds of sin and shame. Triumphant martyrs of the Lord; Ye holy preachers of the word; RABANUS MAURUS I }1 And virgins chaste; to you wc pray; Wash all our sinful stains away. All ye among the halls of heaven, To whom the light of love is given, In pity hear our cries, — that we The glory of God's face may see. All praise and honour, power and love To God the Sire who rules above, Unto the Son like glory be And Holy Ghost eternally. HYMN TO THE ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL Tibi Christe Splendor Patris JESUS, unto thee, the splendour Of the Father's face, we sing; Mighty, meek, forgiving, tender, All our hope from thee we bring; Praise with angel choirs we render, Glad hozannas to our King. Voicing songs of veneration, All the heavenly chiefs we praise, Lift our hymns in loud laudation; But to Raphael we upraise Special love and jubilation, Guide and friend from ancient days. I32 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS By his care be darkness driven From our souls, with sin and shame; Light our bosoms, Lord, from heaven, Cleanse us by thy purging flame; So by tender love forgiven, God shall be our home and aim. Then with psalm and song sonorous, Praise the Sire from shore to shore; Praise alike in swelling chorus Son and Spirit evermore; While with cross upraised before us We one living God adore. HYMN TO THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL Te Splendor et Virtus Patris THEE the Father's power and splendour, Jesus, thee we praise in song, Bless thy name, O Shepherd tender, Joining with the angel throng. 'Mid the myriad host before thee, Ranged along the radiant sky, Michael holds the cross of glory, Our salvation's hope, on high. By that sign he drives in terror Satan and his godless powers, . RABANUS MAURUS I33 All the rebel ranks of error. Headlong from the heavenly towers. Blessed Michael, be our leader, In our war on sin and pride; Be with Christ our interceder, That the crown be not denied. Glory to the Father ever, Glory to the sole-born Son, Glory to the Spirit; never Cease the song while ages run. O JESUS, JOY OF ANGEL CHOIRS Cbnste, Sanctorum Decus O JESUS, joy of angel choirs. Thou Sire and Saviour of the race, Illume our souls with pure desires, And lead us heavenward by thy grace. Let Michael, messenger of peace, Visit our temples, day and night; For in his presence wars shall cease And love shall fill the world with light. Let Gabriel's arm of flame and power Protect us from the ancient foe, And be to us a shielding tower To guard us in our strife below. 134 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Let blessed Raphael's healing hand Uplift us; him we need and seek To guide us to the heavenly land, To raise the faint and nerve the weak. And Virgin Mother of the Light, Thou hope of souls, thou heavenly Queen, Assist us by thy gentle might And light us home in rays serene. So God shall heed and help our needs, The Sire, the sole-begotten Son, And Spirit who from both proceeds, Forever reigning three in one. HYMN FOR THE APOSTLES Exultet Orbis Gaudus LET all the world exult in song, Let praises through the heavens ring, Let earth and skies the hymn prolong, The great apostles' glory sing. Ye judges of the centuries, And beacons of the world, we dare Appeal to you on bended knees, Oh, heed and hear our suppliant prayer. O ye, whose word may close or ope The sacred temple of the Lord, RAB \m S MAURU8 1 ^5 Restore our souls with heavenly hope. And break the chain of sin abhorred. Both life and death your will obey. At your command all evils fly; From our frail hearts take guilt awav\ And frame our lives with love on hi^h. So when at last the Christ shall come To judge the world, our deeds may be Worthy to make his heaven our home, Co-heirs with you eternally. Unto the Father glory be, And equal glory to the Son, The same, O Paraclete to thee, One God, while endless ages run. HYMN FOR THE FEAST OF A CONFESSOR Jesu Redemptor Omnium JESUS, Redeemer of mankind And crown of guides who lead for thee, Turn on our souls thy glances kind; We ask thy love on bended knee. Lord, thy confessor's holy fame, Whose solemn feast we keep to-day, Still glorifies thy sacred name; Through him our vows to thee we pay. 136 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS No earthly joys he sought or won, Pleasures he spurned as things of nought, He prized thy tender love alone, Thy heavenly light was all he sought. Send us, dear Lord, thy rays sublime That we his beaten path may see; And purged from every stain of crime, May find our endless home with thee. Christ, King of love, be glory meet To God the Father and to thee, And to the Spirit Paraclete, Now and through all eternity. HYMN FOR A CONFESSOR Iste Confessor Domini THE people thy confessor praise to-day, Lord, over all the world, and tributes bring; This day he rose to walk the heavenly way, Where angels sing. Meek, prudent, humble, modest on the earth, A sober life he led without a stain; He lived for thee, O Lord; his deeds of worth For thee remain. The sick and dying, through his holy hand, Were oft upraised to health by thee, O Lord; RABANUS MAURI 8 \yj And suffering ones to-day from every land, Are still restored. And so we sing our choiring songs of praise, W\ bring our palms to crown his holy day; And beg that for our needs he may upraise His voice and pray. All honour, power and glory let us sing Unto the living God who reigns alone; Ruler of all the worlds, the Lord, the King, The three in one. In case the day celebrated is not the day of the Saint's death, the following may be sung instead of the third and fourth lines of the first stanza: Unto his honour lift the joyous lay, And praises sing. NOTKER A native of northern Switzerland, Notker Balluilus was born about 840, and died in 912 on the sixth of April, on which day he is commemorated as a saint in the monastery of St. Gall, where he had been one of the most noted followers of the founder of that great house. He compiled a life of St. Gall in verse, and left a martyrology, chiefly collected from Rabanus Maurus and St. Odo of Cluny. He was a man of gentle and contemplative nature, accustomed to find spiritual and poetical suggestions in the common sights around him. His name is chieflv important in the history of eccle- siastical music as the inventor of sequences, which may be regarded as marking the beginning of the later medi- aeval epoch of Latin hvmnody. The Xotkerian se- quence is, in form, a rhythmical prose something like the psalms of David. The sequence was a chant of praise to be sung be- tween the epistle and the gospel at the Mass. One of the best known and most remarkable of the Notkerian sequences, is that brief antiphon, translated in the burial service of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, ''In the midst of life we are in death. " The following selection, ranked as one of the seven 139 I40 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS great hymns, is a good example of the Notkerian se- quence. It has been attributed by some writers to Gotschalk, another monk of St. Gall, who died in 950. It is known as the " Alleluiatic Chorus," or the " Alle- luiatic Sequence." THE ALLELUIATIC SEQUENCE Cant cm us Cuncti COME, let us all sing out the song of praise, Swelling in thanks to our eternal Lord, Alleluia! Let the rejoicing choirs of heaven unite, And lift their golden voices to the strain, Alleluia! Sounding along the fields of Paradise Shall ring the music of the blessed throngs, Alleluia! The jubilee of everlasting stars Shall give their shining answer to the song, Alleluia! Let cloud, wind, lightning and the rolling thunder, Mingle their tones in solemn harmony, ' Alleluia! River and ocean, rain and gale and calm, Summer and winter, field and grove shall sing, Alleluia! The birds of every plumage first shall raise Loud praises to their Maker in sweet songs. Alleluia! Then all the beasts shall lift their various voices, And give eternal answer to the praises, Alleluia! 141 142 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Thou, too, O deep of ocean, shout in joy, Nor silent, you, ye continents, remain, Alleluia! Let every man exulting, sing sweet psalms, While thanks unending rise to God on high, Alleluia! So as we shout the canticles of joy, The praise shall bring delight unto his ear, Alleluia! And so the heavenly tunes that we upraise Be pleasing to the Saviour's tender heart, Alleluia! Then, brethren, lift your voices and rejoice, And you, ye little children, answer forth, Alleluia! Now to the Father Alleluia sing, To Jesus Alleluia, and the Spirit, Alleluia! Sing praises to the eternal Trinity, Sing in the cleansing baptism of the Lord, Alleluia! ST. ODO OF CLUNY The son of a nobleman of the first rank, Odo was born at Tours in 879, and from his childhood was much given to piety and prayer. At nineteen years of age he received the tonsure, and from that time he put away learning and devoted himself to religious exercises. He was admitted to the monastic habit by S. Berno, Abbot of Beaume, in 909. The monastery of Beaume stands in a lonely spot among barren rocks at a great height. The great Abbey of Cluny was founded by William, Count of Auvergne, in 910, and placed in the care of St. Berno. In 927 St. Odo was made abbot of the three monas- teries of Cluny, Massay and Deols. He made his res- idence at Cluny, where the reputation of his sanctity and discipline drew to his house many illustrious men. He died at Tours November 18, 942. 143 FOR ST. MARY MAGDALENE Sum mi Parentis Unice (From the Roman Breviary) JESUS, sole son of God most high, Look on our souls with pitying eye, Thou who didst call the Magdalene To holy love and light serene. The coin that had been lost and mourned, Is to the treasure house returned; New-found and cleansed, thy gem divine Now fairer than the stars outshine. Oh, balm of every wounded heart, The sorrowing sinner's hope thou art; Dear Jesus, by sad Mary's tears, Wash out our sins and chase our fears. Mother of God, our prayers receive, All weak and weeping sons of Eve; Calm by thy word the waves of strife, And guide us to the port of life. Be love and glory evermore To the sole God whom all adore, Who heals us by his plenteous grace And lifts us to his holy place. H5 ROBERT L, KING OF FRANCE Son and successor of Hugh Capet, Robert I. was born at Orleans in 971, and died at Melun in 1031. He is sometimes, but improperly, cited as Robert II., the first of that name being taken to mean Robert, duke of France, who died in 923. In history he is surnamed the Pious. While wholly different from his warlike father, he lacked neither physical advantages nor moral virtues. He was said to be versed in all the sciences, a good phi- losopher, an excellent musician, and so devoted to sacred literature that he never passed a day without reading the Psalter. He composed several hymns, which he set to music and deposited upon the altar of St. Peter, while on a pilgrimage to Rome. The following hymn, which is sung in the Mass for Whitsuntide, is known as the "Golden Sequence, " and represents the transition from the rhythmical prose of Notker to the metrical form. It is one of the most popular of the hymns of the Middle Ages, and has a place among the seven great hymns. H7 HYMN FOR WHITSUNDAY / em Sancte Spintus HOLY Spirit, come and shine On our souls with light divine, Warm us with thy rays of love; Come, O Father of the poor, Make thv gifts to man secure, Fire our bosoms from above. Tender Comforter and best. Of the soul most precious guest, Soother of all trembling fears, Rest for labour's wearing strains, Temperer of burning pains, Solace to the soul in tears. Holy radiance, most benign! Into every bosom shine With the blessed light of faith; Without thy divinity Nothing good in man can be, All is dark and worthy death. Wash away whate 'er is vile, Make our souls like gardens smile, Heal all bitter wounds, we pray; 149 150 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Bend our stubborn wills to thine, Melt our souls with love divine, Guide us lest we go astray. All thy sevenfold gifts impart Unto every faithful heart Meekly trusting in thy love; Grant that without sin or stain We a holy death may gain, And eternal joy above. HERMANN CONTRACTUS The son of the Swabian Count Woltrat of \ oringen, Hermann was born in IOI3, and died in 1054. He was surnamed Contractus, or the Lame, on account of a physical defect. Educated at the monastery of Reichenau, and after- ward admitted as a member of the fraternity, he added greatly to the reputation of that house, which had been noted for its learning from the time of St. Berno. He is famous as a chronicler of his time. He also devoted himself to mathematics and music, and con- structed watches and instruments of various kinds. He wrote a number of hymns, besides producing a didactic poem on "The eight chief vices/' The "Alma Redemptoris ,, and the beautiful anthem "Salve Regina," found in the Roman Breviary, are his, although the last words of the latter were added by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The Vesper hvmn, "Ave Regina Coelorum," is probably of a later period. '5 1 VESPER HYMN TO THE VIRGIN A 1 771 a ReJemptoris Mater (From the Roman Breviary) MOTHER of majesty, God's love adorning, Thou that hast oped for man Heaven's high door, Star of the ocean wave, Gate of the morning, Look on our wanderings, Thee we implore. Born without stain of sin, Formed for the Holy, Gabriel's Ave still Rises to thee. Virgin and Mother pure, Tender and lowly, Hear us and plead for us, Bowed at thy knee. A VESPER PSALM Salve Regtna (From the Roman Breviary) HAIL, holy queen, Mother of Mercy sweet, Life of our souls, 154 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Our hope, our refuge be; Children of Eve, Bending at thy dear feet, Out of the gloom, Tearful we cry to thee. Born without stain, Plead for our souls we pray, Turn unto us Thy pitying eyes of love; So while our lives Pass from the earth away, Bring thou our souls Safe to thy Son above. O clement Maid, Merciful advocate, Virgin, most sweet, Hear thou our constant prayer, Thee do we call, Thou that art heaven's gate, Lift up our hearts, Save us from sin and care. HERMANN CONTRACTUS '55 H VESPER HYMN Ave Re gin a Coclorum AIL, thou Virgin Queen of Heaven, Mistress unto Angels given, Root of Jesse, golden portal, Whence was poured the light immortal. Holy Virgin, high in glory, Heaven and earth shall sing thy story, Heed us, mother, bowed before thee, Plead with Jesus, we implore thee. PIERRE ABELARD Pierre Abelard, philosopher, theologian and monk, was born near Nantes in 1079. His false doctrines were condemned in the Council of Soissons in 1121 and in the Council of Sens in 1140. He died in the Abbey of St. Marcel in 1142. i57 THE EVERLASTING SABBATH O Quanta Qualia OWHAT a blessed state Is that sweet Sabbath-time Which the saints celebrate, High in the halls sublime, There, for the weary, rest, There for the brave, reward, Comes to the spirits blest, W here they enjoy the Lord. Who is the monarch there ? What court and Kingly throne ? What peace untouched by care, What wondrous joy is shown ? O could those souls above Bring these before our eyes, Raised upon wings of love We would the world despise. Truly Jerusalem Call we that blessed shore, Vision of peace, its name, Glorious evermore. Wish and fulfilment there Ever in mercy meet; i59 l6o EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Instant the soul in prayer Finds her reward complete. There from all finite ills Riseth the spirit free, Singing o'er Sion's hills One endless jubilee; And everlastingly Thanks for the gifts of grace Thy people bring to thee, Lord in thy dwelling place. There an unending day Shines for all souls at rest; Glories ne'er pass away; Young are those spirits blest. Ceaseless the holy song Choirs of the ransomed sing; We too shall join the throng, Praising the Lord our King. Ours is the duty now Upward our souls to raise, Low at God's altar bow, Seek him through love and praise. And to Jerusalem From this far Babylon, Turn with increasing flame, God's peace to look upon. PIERRE at, I LARD l6l Praises eternal bloom, God, for thy garland fair, Through whom, and out of whom And in whom all things are. From whom — is God the Sire Through whom — is God the Son, In whom — the Heavenly Fire — Three and forever one. THE EVERLASTING SABBATH (Another Version) OWHAT a blessed station, Sweet goal of all desires, That everlasting Sabbath Among the heavenly choirs. There rest comes to the weary, And to the brave, reward; For there the ransomed spirits Enjoy their living Lord. Who reigneth there as monarch ? What court and Kingly throne, What peace untouched by sorrow, What wondrous joy is shown ? O, could the holy angels Bring these before our eyes, On wings of love borne upward, Our souls would earth despise. l62 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Jerusalem, most truly We call that blessed shore; Of peace it shines a vision In glory evermore. The wish and its fulfilment Meet instant in the prayer, Desiring and its object Come both together there. There from all finite evils The spirit riseth free, And o'er the hills of Sion Keeps heavenly jubilee. Lord, everlasting praises And thanks for gifts of grace Rise from thy ransomed people Through all thy dwelling place. There one unending Sabbath Shines out for souls at rest; The glow of youth forever Adorns the spirits blest. A holy song and ceaseless The angel choirs outsing, — O, we shall join that singing, And praise the Lord, our King. But here it is our duty Our souls to fire and raise; To bow before God's altar PIERRE A HI I.ARI) J' j And sing his love and praise; And toward the heavenly Sion, From this far Babylon, Turn home, like weary exiles, God's peace to look upon. Let everlasting glory To God eternal rise For whom, through whom, and in whom Are earth and sea and skies; From whom — is God the Father, Through whom — is God the Son, In whom — is God the Spirit, Forever Three in One. ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX The son of noble Burgundian parents, Bernard was born at Fontaines, a castle near Dijon, in 109 1. His mother, a woman of great piety, consecrated him to the service of the Church as soon as he was born, and from that day considered him as not belonging to her but to God. In 1 1 13 Bernard with his brothers and nearly thirty other noblemen and gentlemen,' who were led by his example, entered the monastery of Citeaux, and as- sumed the monastic habit in the following year. On account of the great progress he had made in the spiritual life, Bernard was appointed abbot, and ordered to go with twelve monks, among whom were his brothers, to found a new house in the diocese of Langres. They walked in procession, singing psalms, with the new abbot leading, and settled in a desert called the Valley of Wormwood. With wonderful skill and industry the new monastery was established; and in a short time the reputation of the house and of the sanctity of the abbot became so great that the number of monks in it amounted to one hundred and twenty, and the people changed the name of the place to Clairvaux, or the Valley of Light. This famous monastery was founded in 11 15. St. Bernard was particularly devoted to the Blessed 165 l66 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Virgin. In one of his missions into Germany, in the great church at Spire, he repeated as in a rapture, "O Clemens! O Pia, O Dulcis Virgo Maria!" and these words the church added to the anthem "Salve Regina." As to his poetical writings St. Bernard has been called the father, in Latin hymnody, of that warm and passion- ate form of devotion which seems to apply the language of human affection to divine objects. This tendency has become very popular both in Catholic and Protes- tant churches. Erasmus characterizes St. Bernard as "cheerful, pleasant and vehement in moving the passions." He is counted among the ablest doctors of the church. After a life of wonderful activity and good works he died on August 20, 1153, and was buried before Our Lady's altar at Clairvaux. The following hymns are all taken from a poem of fifty four-line stanzas. The first three are used in the Roman Breviary for the office of the most Holy Name of Jesus, the Second Sunday after Epiphany. The last hymn is an entirely new cento. VESPER HYMN TO JESUS Jesu Dulcis MimoriQ JESUS, thy memory divine To every heart is heavenly wine; But sweetness more than sweetest things Thy presence in the bosom brings. Such gladness ne'er hath poet sung. Such joy ne'er pleasured ear or tongue, To man no dream, so sweet e'er came, Dear Son of God, as thy blest name. True hope of all repenting hearts, What tender joy thy love imparts! Thou givest thy seekers here below Such bliss as only they can know. O Lord, if we but claim thy love, Our souls are lighted from above, And feel such wondrous happiness As tongue or pen can ne'er express. Be still our joy and stay, dear Lord, Our guide, our hope, our sweet reward; Let praise and love and glory be Sung to thy name eternally. 167 l68 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS HYMN TO THE HOLY NAME, FOR MATINS Jesu Rex Admirabilis O JESUS, admirable King, Whose love did our salvation bring, To sing thy praise needs tongue of fire; Our joy, our hope, our whole desire. When thou art present in the breast, It shines with radiance true and blest, The world's vain glories fade away, And love illumines like the day. Our hearts with love thy law controls, O Fount of life and Light of souls; Thou fill 'st the breast with such pure joy, All earthly pleasures pale and cloy. How showers thy sweetness from above! Let every soul desire thy love; Let every bosom burn to feel The wondrous joys thy laws reveal. To thee, O Lord, our songs we raise; Let all our works express thy praise; Thee shall our prostrate hearts adore In tender love forevermore. ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX 169 MORNING HYMN TO JESUS jesu Decus Angelicum O JESUS, joy of angel choirs! Thy name is all the soul desires; Unto the tongue a taste divine That soothes like draft of heavenly wine. Who tasteth, hungers e'er for thee, Who drinketh, thirsts most yearningly, Who knoweth, burns with holy fire, Thou fount of love, our sole desire. Jesus, my best of bliss thou art, The hope that cheers my sighing heart; W 7 ith tears of guilt I bow the knee And send repenting cries to thee. Remain with us, dear Lord, and shine Upon our souls with light divine; Drive every evil cloud away And bring the sweetness of thy day. Flower of the Virgin Mother blest, The love of every loving breast, Honour and praise and blessing be To thy sweet name eternally. 170 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS HYMN TO THE SAVIOUR Jesu Mi Bone, Sentiam O TENDER Jesus, let me feel Thy love with ever growing zeal, And by thy presence bring to me The power thy glorious truths to see. Upon my lonely couch at night Thy love shall fill my heart with light; In crowded throngs, or all alone I'll seek the glory of thy throne. As Mary sought thee at the tomb, So in the morn to thee I'll come; And worship with that warm desire Which lights the soul with living fire. Upon the ground my tears shall flow, Thy w T ounds shall bow my head in woe; While prostrate at thy sacred feet, I'll cling to thee in love complete. I '11 follow where thy steps have trod, And kiss with tears the sacred sod; That in thy love my soul shall live, That grace and favour thou may'st give. THOMAS OF CELANO Very little is known of the author of the Dies Irae, in many respects, the greatest of all hymns. Even his family is wholly unknown. He takes his name from Celano, a small tow T n in the Abruzzo Ulteriore. He was born probably near the end of the twelfth century and died about 1255. He was one of the early disciples of St. Francis of Assisi, and held the office of Gustos in various Fran- ciscan houses from 1221 to the time of his death. He wrote a biography of St. Francis, w T hich is incor- porated in the Acta Sanctorum. His famous hymn has been translated into nearly all civilized languages, and received no less than 150 Eng- lish renderings, and at least 100 German translations. Scott has made an imitation of a part of it in the Lay of the Last Minstrel, and Goethe in Faust has made use of several lines. It has been very popular with the musicians. It is one of the few poems, which, like music, conveys to the hearer who is ignorant of the language, a general idea of its meaning. It has a prominent place among the seven great hymns of the mediaeval church. 171 THE LAST JUDGMENT Dies Irae DAY of ire, that direful day! Earth in fire shall pass away, As both saint and Sibyl say. How the guilty world shall quake, When the Judge his seat shall take, Sentence swift and sure to make. Then the trump with wondrous tone, Sounding through the graveyards lone, All shall force before the throne. Death and nature, wondering, see How the dead, arising, flee Swift to hear the dread decree. Forth the written book is brought, Bearing every deed and thought, Whence reward and doom are sought. So before the Judge full plain Shall appear each hidden stain; Unavenged shall nought remain. i73 174 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS What shall be my woful plaint ? Whither seek a saving saint, When the just with fear are faint ? King of mighty majesty, Saving free who saved would be, Fount of pity, save thou me. Jesus, think of me, I pray, Me, who caused thy crucial way, Lest thou lose me on that day. Seeking me in wearing pain, Sorrows sharing, thou wert slain, — Be such labours not in vain. Righteous and avenging King, Of my sins remission bring, Ere the day of reckoning. Bowed in grief upon the sod, Flushed with guilt, I feel the rod, — Spare thy supplicant, O God. Who from sin didst Mary free, And the thief upon the tree, Thou hast given hope to me. Without worth are prayers of mine; Turn to me thy face divine, Lest in endless fire I pine. j hum \s 01 ( ii ANO Give me grace, God, to stand With the sheep on thy right hand, Guarded from the cursed band. \\ hen the wicked in defeat. Fast in flames thy judgment meet, Call me home with blessings sweet. Humbled down to earth in prayer, \\ ith a contrite heart, I dare Beg, O Father, for thy care. Day of weeping, day of sighs, When from ruin shall arise Guilty man, with soul laid bare, Spare him, Lord, in mercy spare! Gentle Jesus, with the blest Grant the faithful endless rest. 'o ST. BOXAVENTURE THE great light and ornament of the Order of St. Francis, and known to the Church as the Seraphic Doctor, St. Bonaventure was born at Bagnarea in Tus- cany in the year 1221. He was given the name of John in baptism, but received the name Bonaventure by rea- son of his recovery from a severe and dangerous illness, which recovery his mother believed to be due to the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. The great saint, seeing the child raised from his sickness, and seeming to have a prophetic vision of his future greatness, cried out in rapture, "O buona ventura," O happy chance. The devout mother in gratitude consecrated the child to God, and always afterward he bore the name of Bonaventure. When twenty-two years of age he entered the order of St. Francis at Rome. He studied at Paris under famous teachers, and soon became a masterful proficient in scholastic philosophy and in the most sublime parts of theology. St. Thomas Aquinas is said to have visited him one day and asked him in what books he had learned his sacred science. St. Bonaventure pointed to his crucifix and said: "This is the source of all my knowledge. I study only Jesus Christ and him crucified. " He became general of the order of St. Francis in 1256, although he accepted the office with great fear and reluct- m I78 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS ance. At the time of his election there was consider- able division of sentiment among the friars of the order on the question of discipline. As soon as the young general appeared among them all trouble at once van- ished and a wonderful condition of peace and charity grew up in the order. He was taken ill at the Council of Lyons, and died in that city July 14, 1274, in the fifty-third year of his age. THE PASSION' OF OUR LORD In P (is si our Dornini LORD, thy death upon the tree Brings uplifting thoughts to me, Calm of mind and holy fire, Love of God and pure desire. O to bear in memory All thy grief and obloquy, Holy Christ, thy thorny wreath, Spear and nails and crucial death! All these blessed wounds of thine, \\ itness of thy love divine, Cruel scourging and distress, O the mortal bitterness! Lord, the thought is of such dole, So intoxicates the soul, That we bow in tearful prayers; But what glorious fruit it bears! Low, before thee, Crucified, Sink all selfishness and pride; Loud to thee, dear Christ, we cry; Join us with thy saints on high. l8o EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Honour, praise and glory bring Unto Jesus, heavenly King, Who, all pure and faultless, gave His sweet life our lives to save. ON THE HOLY CROSS Recordare Sanctae Cruets WOULD'ST thou dwell in joy abounding, All thy life with light surrounding, Make the cross thy constant care; On the rood of thy Redeemer Be thy soul an ardent dreamer, Bear it with thee everywhere. Be thou toiling, be thou sleeping, Be thou smiling, be thou weeping, Deep in grief or ecstasy; Be thou coming, be thou going, Pale with pain, with pleasure glowing, Let the cross thy comrade be. Every sin and every sorrow, Every ill that life can borrow, In the cross will gain surcease; In the cross, though sore and grieving, He that humbly seeks relieving, Findeth refuge, findeth peace. ST. BONAVENTURE 1S1 'Tis the open door of heaven, Whence the streaming light was given To the Saints to conqiu r shan 'Tis the world's eternal heal Whence the Lord, his mercies dealing, Worketh wonders to his name. Health of souls, salvation's portal, Guiding light to bliss immortal, Charm to soothe the hardened heart; Life of saints in benediction, Treasure house of all perfection, Fraught with living joy thou art. Virtue's glass and manhood's mirror, Leader guiding souls from error, Hope of all who hold the faith; To the bold in Christ a glory, As the symbol and the stoiy. Of their war on sin and death. 'Tis the tree of holy seeming Through the blood of Christ, and teeming With that fruit, the food of might, Which to struggling souls has given Strength to climb the hills of Heaven, Out of darkness into light. Saviour, on the cross extended, Be my soul with grace amended, 1 82 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Evermore to mourn thy pain; Feel the tortures that efface thee, And with prostrate soul embrace thee, On the cross where thou art slain. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS St. Thomas AQUINAS, the great Dominican, known in the Church as the Angelic Doctor, was horn of a royal family, at Belcastro, the seat of his father, Landulf, Count of Aquino, in the kingdom of Naples, near the end of 1226. He received his elementary education at the Mon- astery of Casino, after which he spent six years at the University of Naples, lea\ing that institution in his sixteenth year. Thomas was the admiration of his whole family. It is said that the serenity of his counte- nance, the constant evenness of his temper, his modesty and sweetness made him remarkable among the youths of his time. He learned rhetoric under Peter Martin, and philos- ophy under Peter of Hibernia, one of the most learned men of his age. His progress in these studies was so remarkable that he repeated the lessons, which were then given in the form of lectures, more clearly than the masters had explained them. The order founded by St. Dominic, who had then but recently died, abounded with men of great spiritual force. Thomas became seized with an ardent desire to join the order. But his family bitterly opposed his choice of a profession, and even persecuted the young man for about two years. He was finally allowed, hov "«3 184 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS ever, through the influence of Pope Innocent IV., to as- sume the habit. The general of the order, John the Teutonic, took the saint to Paris and then to Cologne where Albertus Magnus, the most famous teacher of his age, lectured on philosophy and theology. Thomas soon became the most illustrious teacher of his order. Pope Urban IV. in 1261 called him to Rome, and he was appointed to teach in that city. The Pope pressed him to accept an archbishopric, but Thomas declined the appointment. While in Rome he compiled, at the request of Urban, the office of the Blessed Sacrament, which the church uses to the present day on the feast and during the Octave of Corpus Christi. The following hymns were written for that purpose. The hymn "Adoro Te Devote," and "O Esca Viatorum," are used chiefly for private devotions. The two final stanzas of each of the first two hymns are now used as separate hymns at the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. He died while on his way to attend the Council of Lyons, March 7, 1274, and was canonized by Pope John XXII. in 1323. HYMN FOR THE BLESSED SACRAMENT / l [NA8 189 HYMN FOR PRIVATE MEDITATION Adoro 1 1 Devote DEVOUTLY I adore thee, O my Lord, Who art concealed in figures at the board; To thee my heart bows down in voiceless faith; I see thee not, but I believe thy word. Sight, touch and taste are easily deceived; Thy word alone can safely be believed; I grant, O Son of God, whate'er to me Thou sayest; in thee have I all faith achieved. Upon the cross was thy divinity Concealed, nor here thy human form we see, Yet I, in faith confessing, seek thee, Lord, Like the repentant thief upon the tree. I do not ask, as Thomas did, dear Lord, To see thy wounds; sufficient is thy w 7 ord; O, fill my soul with firmer faith, that still In hope and love with thee it may accord. O sweet memorial of the Saviour's death, True bread that bring'st to man the living breath, Grant that my soul thy holy law may know, And live with thee in everlasting faith. A pitying pelican, dear Jesus, be; Save by the blood thou sheddest on the tree, IQO EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS My starving soul, — thy precious blood, whereof One drop from every crime the world can free. Jesus, whom here in figures I behold, I hunger for the time to see unrolled The veil from thy sweet features; let me be Blest with the vision in thy halls of gold. HYMN FOR HOLY COMMUNION O Esca Viatorum OFOOD of life eternal! O bread of choirs supernal! O manna from on high! Fill all that hunger for thee; To seekers, who adore thee, Thy sweetness ne'er deny. We seek thy holy dwelling, O fount of love, outwelling From Jesus' tender heart; Lord, bring thy cup of healing To all before thee kneeling; Our hope, our life thou art. O Jesus, Saviour tender, To thee, the Bread, we render All reverence and all love; ST. THOMAS A'.jl INA8 I (; I Lord, lead our lives before thee, To sec thee and adore thee In vision clear above. SEQUENCE FOR CORPUS CHRISTI Laud a Si on SING aloud, O Sion, praising Christ, thy Royal Shepherd, raising Hymns of love and songs of joy; Let the music sound forever, Never ceasing, tiling never, All thy powers of praise employ. Lo, the theme of all thanksgiving, Vivifying bread and living, On the holy altar shown! Yea, the selfsame bread of heaven, At the sacred supper given To the twelve by Christ the Son. Sing aloud in song sonorous, Sing his praise in swelling chorus, Sing in love and sweet accord; Men of every race and nation Hold the feast of Christ's creation, Founded by his holy word. Lo, the King upon his table Lays a pasch more new and stable, Ending every ancient rite; I92 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Older laws give place to newer, Shadows fly, and worship truer Cometh with the wondrous light. And to-day, as Christ ordaineth, To his memory still remaineth Joy, descending from above, Still remain for our salvation Bread and wine in consecration, Making earth a home of love. To the faithful Jesus giveth, In his love, this truth that liveth, — To his blood is changed the wine; Bread unto his body turneth; Man by living faith discerneth All the mystery divine. Here, two different species under, Hides in signs awaking wonder, Christ's best gift, most excellent, — From his flesh and blood he giveth Food and drink; in each he liveth Whole within the sacrament. Never by partaking groweth Less the gift which he bestoweth, Comes to all the sweet reward; \\ hether single or in union, Few or thousands at Communion, Every soul receives the Lord. ST. Thomas AQUINAS I93 And the good and had receive him, They who doubt and who believe him; But with what a different end! To the worthy soul, salvation; To the impenitent, damnation, — Death to foe and life to friend. Though the sacrament ye sever Into fragments, fear ye never, In each part remaineth ever What the whole contained before; In the sign alone obtaineth Change; but as the Lord ordaineth, He, the Signified, remaineth Whole and perfect evermore. Lo, the bread of angels, bearing Strength to souls in sorrow wearing, With the sons of mercy sharing, Not the unregenerate; Food prefigured and foretold in Sacred signs and symbols olden, Bringing unto man the golden Hour of glory consecrate. Gentle Jesus, Shepherd tender, Bread of life, in mercy render Peace, and blessed hope engender; Saviour be our sure defender, Make us worthy of thy love; 194 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Thou all-knowing and all-heeding Save thy flock with care and feeding; Let us follow in thy leading, Hear us in our earnest pleading, Guide us to the fold above. JACOPONE DA TODI Jacopone da Todi, or as he is often called Jacopo dei Benedetti, was born of a noble family, at Todi in Umbria, in the early part of the thirteenth century, and died, it is said, at about the age of ninety years, in 1306. In his early life he was a humourist and satirist, and w r as not particularly attached to the moral virtues. He married a woman said to be noted for her virtue and beauty, whose death was caused by the falling of a stage at a public show 7 . On removing her garments she was found to wear sackcloth next her skin for pen- ance. Jacopone forsook the world immediately upon the death of his wife, and spent the remainder of his long life as a Franciscan friar, writing during his spare time many spiritual songs and hymns. He is said to have been a friend of Dante. Little besides the following hymn remains of his work. This hymn has been ascribed to others, even Mone and Wackernagle believing that a portion of it was written by Pope Innocent III., who died in 1216, and that Jacopone only supplemented and brought to its present form the more crude production of Innocent. This hymn is counted among the seven great hymns, and deservedly so. But another hymn called the Mater Speciosa, which is a mere parody, has also been ranked *95 I96 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS in the same class, and attributed to Jacopone. The Mater Speciosa is far from great, and there is no satis- factory proof that it is by Jacopone. It is certainly entirely unworthy of the author of the Mater Dolorosa, which has well been called "the most pathetic of all hymns." THE SORROWFUL MOTHER it Mater Dole WAITING by the cross atoning Stood the woful mother moaning, Tearful near her dying Son; Through her gentle soul, unfailing In her sympathy and wailing, Passed the sword of Simeon. Never 'neath such woes another Bowed, as did that blessed mother Of the sole-born Son and Lord; Who while keeping watch unsleeping, Tender mother, 'mid her weeping, Bore the pangs of her adored. Lives there one can see untearful Christ's fond mother, in such fearful Torments, grieving all alone ? Lives there one whose heart with anguish Fills not, thus to see her languish, Agonizing with her Son. For the guilt that doomed his nation Saw 7 she Jesus in prostration 'Neath the scourges meekly bent; ■97 I98 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Saw her precious Son forsaken, Spurned, defied, in torture shaken, While his spirit forth he sent. Mother, fount of love and sorrow, Grant to me the power to borrow Grief, that I may weep with thee; Grant that in my burning bosom Love for Christ the Lord shall blossom As to him shall pleasing be. Mother, every wound and tremor Of the crucified Redeemer, Firmly fasten in my soul; Every shame which thou art sharing, O, divide with me unsparing, — Every pang and pain and dole. Grant that I my tears may mingle With thine own in sorrow single, Weeping with the Crucified; Near the Cross beside thee kneeling, Fill my soul with love and feeling, Worthy in thy love to bide. Virgin of all virgins fairest, Share with me the pains thou bearest, Be thy crushing sorrows mine; Be the Saviour's cross my burden, Be his bitter grief my guerdon; Be my feelings blent with thine. JA( OPONE DA TOD1 I 99 By his wounds, let me be riven, By Ins cross to rapture driven; Be his blood a cleansing fire; Be that fire to me extended, Virgin, by thy love defended, In the dreadful day of ire. When mv soul shall he upyielded, Bv thy Virgin Mother shielded, Saviour, grant the victory; When by death my frame is broken, Then unto my soul be spoken \\ ords of endless peace with thee. THOMAS a KEMPIS Thomas HAMMERCHEN, the son of a poor peasant, was the real name of the author of " The Imitation of Christ." He was horn in [380 in the town of Hempen, between the Rhine and the Meuse, in the archdiocese of Cologne. Hence the name a Kcmpis. He became a monk: of the Augustinian Order, and devoted his long life, outside of the time spent in his religious exercises, to copving manuscripts, writing chronicles, biographies, hymns and tracts on monastic life. "The Imitation of Christ" is his most important work, and has made his name familiar to all Christians. It has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible. Although Thomas lived in one of the stormiest periods in European history, yet nothing of the stir or trouble of the outside world appears in his writings. W e obtain from those writings, however, a life-like portrait of the writer, and a vivid picture of convent life in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Thomas was received in the Convent of Mount St. Agnes, where his brother John was prior, in 1399; he professed the vows in 1407, and was ordained priest in 1413; became sub-prior in 1425, and died at the age of ninety-one years, August 8, 1471. MEEKNESS Adverse M unci i Tolera BE meek, and hear adversity In Jesus' sacred name; There's danger in prosperity; It brings a scorching flame. SUFFER WITH HUMILITY Quum a Malis M olc starts WHEN thou art oppressed with pain, Think that 'tis no loss, but gain; Suffering with humility Yields a shower of good to thee. Thou shalt honour thus the Lord, Duplicate thine own reward, Please the Angel hosts on high, And thy neighbours edify. LIFE Labor Parva est SMALL is life's labour; Soon comes the close; Great the reward is, — Endless repose. Oft as thou bearest With patience the rod Thy spirit becometh A martyr to God. 203 204 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS THE FRUITS OF PATIENCE Patiendo Fit Homo PATIENCE under suffering Will to man these graces bring, — A beauty more than of gold, A clearness more than of glass, A worth that can ne'er be told, A rank that no ranks out-class; A spirit that riseth light O'er every taint of sin; A mind to hold with the right And Christ's approval win. More saintly that man shall grow, Better each day to the end; Fiercer to Satan, his foe, And dearer to Jesus, his friend. TRUST IN GOD In Domino Semper Spera ALWAYS place in God thy trust, Will and do What's right and true; Let thy soul be brave and just; Show thy Lord a humble mind; Thou shalt thus his favour find; Love but few and simple things; Simple life much comfort brings. CARDINAL SILVIO ANTONIANO Born at Rome in 1540, Cardinal Antoniano became noted as a theologian and a scholar. He died in 1603. The following hymn was inserted in the Roman Breviary by order of Pope Urban VIII. 205 FOR FEASTS OF HOLY WOMEN Fort cm / irdi I\ < ton WITH manly voice exalt in song The saintly woman brave and strong Whose noble virtue shineth forth In glory through the bounds of earth. With soul inflamed by holy fire She cast aside all low desire; Unsoiled by evil, night and day She toiled along her heavenward way. By stringent fasts and guarding care She tamed the flesh; in constant prayer Her spirit soared unto the skies And gained the joys of Paradise. Dear Jesus, King of wondrous might, Our hope art thou, our love and light: We ask thy Saint to intercede; In mercy hear the prayer and heed. To God the Father glory be, The same, Lord Jesus, unto thee, And to the Spirit equal store Of praise and honour evermore. 2C7 CARDINAL ROBERT BELLARMIN The author of the following hymns, known usually by his Italian name, Roberto Bellarmino, was born at Monte Pulciano, near Florence, October 4, 1542, and died in Rome, September 17, 1621. He was nephew of Pope Marcellus II., and at the age of eighteen years entered the Society of Jesus. He was a powerful writer and controversialist, and was famous as one of the most holy and most learned men of his age. In 1598 he was raised to the Cardinalate by Pope Clement VIII. In 1601 he became Archbishop of Capua, where he administered the affairs of that See, until 1605 when he became Librarian of the Vatican. The following hymns are taken from the Roman Breviary where they were placed by Pope Urban VIII. 209 HYMN FOR THE FEAST OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE Pater Super ni Luminis O FATHER of the light serene, Thou lookest on the Magdalene, And lo, she burns with holy fire While melts her soul with pure desire. She runs, her store of ointment sweet To pour upon thy blessed feet, Bathes them in tears of penance rare, And wipes them with her loosened hair. Beside the cross of pain she stands, She clasps thy tomb with trembling hands. Unl righted by the guard severe; For holy love has banished fear. So look, O Lord, on us we pray; In pity purge our crimes away; Into our hearts thy graces pour, To be thine own forevermore. To God the Father and the Son, And Holy Spirit, three in one, All praise and love and glory be Through time and through eternity. 212 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS HYMN FOR THE FEAST OF THE ANGEL GUARDIAN Aeterne Rector Siderum MAKER and Lord of wondrous might And dweller in the dread Immense, Thy power and rule are infinite, And infinite thy Providence! i We come before thee, bowed in tears, We seek thy love, our sweet reward; Now as the morning light appears, Light thou our souls anew, O Lord. And be thy angels with us still To guide and guard us all the day, To hold us subject to thy will, And keep the stain of crime away. Dear Lord, from out our bosoms tear Each thought or dream that leads to sin; So may we shun the tempter's snare, So learn thy law and dwell therein. Keep war and famine from our shore, Build up our homes in sunny peace, Be ours thy love forevermore, Thy tender mercies never cease. CARDINAL ROBERT BELLARMIN >i$ To God all praise and glor} be, Who sends his angel ho I to guide Whom Christ redeemed on Cal And whom the Spirit sanctified. HYMN TO THE ANGEL GUARDIANS Gust odes 1 1 omnium Psallimus PRAISE in song those angels holy Whom our heavenly Father gave As our guides to watch and jniard us From the cradle to the grave. Sore we need their tender service, For with fraud the cruel foe Strives to lead our souls to ruin And to work eternal woe. Hover near us, watchful spirits, Shield us 'neath the sheltering wing, So that neither woe nor danger From the tempter's power shall spring. Everlasting praise and honour To the glorious One in Three \\ hose eternal presence reigneth Over heaven and earth and sea. URBAN VIII. Maffeo Barberini, author of the following hymns, was born in Florence of a wealthy family in 1568, and died in Rome July 29, 1644. He was elected Pope August 6, 1623, after having spent many years under Gregory XIV., and Clement VIII., in most important ecclesiastical offices. He was a patron of sciences and arts, and left a vol- ume of Italian poetry, including seventy sonnets. From his knowledge of Greek he was called the " Attic Bee." Under his pontificate the Roman Breviary received many changes; the ancient hymns were in many cases subjected to metrical emendations and new ones in- serted. The following were first introduced in the revision made at that time. 215 HYMNS TO ST. THERESA I Regis Suferni A untia GOD'S messenger, Theresa, Thou leav'st Thy father's home To bring mankind to Jesus, Or gain sweet Martyrdom. But milder death awaits thee, And fonder pains are thine, God's blessed angel wounds thee With fire of love divine. Sweet virgin, love's pure victim, So fire our souls with love, And lead thy trusting people Safe to the realms above Give glory to the Father, The Spirit and the Son, One Trinity, one Godhead, While endless ages run. II Haec est Dies BEHOLD the blessed morning, When, like a snow-white dove, Thy soul arose, Theresa, To join the choirs above. 217 2l8 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS The Bridegroom calls: "From Carmel Come, sister, unto me, Partake the Lamb's high nuptials; — Thy crown awaiteth thee." O Jesus, tender Bridegroom By holy virgin throngs Be evermore surrounded, Be praised in endless songs. HYMN TO ST. ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL Domare Cordis Impetus TO rule thy heart, Elizabeth, To curb all motions vain. Seemed better to thy godly soul Than as a queen to reign. And lo, enthroned among the saints, Above the gleaming skies, Thou hast received thy rich reward, The joys of Paradise. Thy reign is with the angel choirs, The stars beneath thy feet, The Blessed Vision is thy prize And heaven thy queenly seat. All pow T er unto the Father be, All glory to the Son, And honour to the Holy Ghost While endless ages run. URBAN VIII. Zig HYMNS FOR THE FEAST 01 ST. MARTINA I Mart in fir Crlrhri Plauditc YE citizens of Rome, aloud proclaim The saintly glory of Martina's name; Sing her white love, her pure virginity, Her martyrdom for Jesus, — sound her fame. The splendours of the world adorned her birth, Her life was graced with all the joys of earth, Yet all that wealth with lavish hand could give Her pure soul spurned as things of little worth. The joys and profits of the world she trod Beneath her feet, and gave her soul to God; Distributing among the poor of Christ Her earthly heritage, she walked his road. No deed of torture and no cunning word Could move her heart from Christ, her loving Lord, Till angels came from heaven and led her forth To feast with God at his celestial board. They cast thee to the beasts, O virgin sweet; The savage lion fawned and licked thy feet; But man, more savage, slew thee with the sword, And thy pure spirit found her heavenly seat. 220 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS So evermore, thine altar redolent With incense, unto thee our prayers are sent, For intercession, where thy name shines out Among God's chosen ones, an ornament. Drive evil from our souls, O triune Lord, Who bring'st thy martyrs to their sweet reward; Grant to thy servants peace and that true light That leads thy people into sweet accord. II Tu Natale Solum Protege PROTECT thy native soil; to Christian lands Gain by thy prayers true peace; hold up our hands; The sound of arms and raging war suppress; Teach us to honour Christ and his commands. And virgin martyr, 'neath his banner bring Mankind to march, as warriors of the King; Thy sacred blood shall be our strength; the foe Shall fall beneath that blessed offering. O glorious saint, be unto us a tower; Honours and votive prayers to thee we pour; Accept our love, and through thy gentle aid Upon our souls let heavenly blessings shower. \N VIII. 221 O THE TRANSFIGURATION Lux Alma 'J'.u Mint i urn JESUS, when thy tender light Is in the soul, the world grows bright; Then flies the mist of earthly ills, And heavenly love the bosom fills. What joy thy visits bring to me, O Son of God! thy light I s< Forevermore with me abide, Sweet hope, to carnal sense denied. Thou glory of the heavenly home, Thou power unfathomable, come, And with thy presence from above Pour on our souls a flood of love. To Jesus who to babes revealed His glory, from the proud concealed, And to the Sire and Paraclete, Forevermore be praises meet. HYMN TO ST. JOSEPH Te Joseph Cclcbrent Agmina Coelitum THE hosts of heaven, Joseph, honour thee, And in thy prayers all Christian choirs resound; All chaste among the chaste, thy name shall be In holiness renow T ned. 222 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS When thou in doubt didst look upon thy bride Great with the Holy One of God, behold! A blessed angel standing at thy side, The heavenly wonder told. Thou, as a tender sire didst rule thy Lord, Saving by flight his life in early years; Found 'st in the temple him whom all adored, Mingling thy joy with tears. Others are raised by happy death, but thou Wert born to wear on earth a crown of grace; Comrade of God in life, thou dwellest now In marvellous blessedness. Most holy Trinity, to us who kneel Before thy throne, through Joseph's merits raise Our souls unto thy stars, that we may feel And fitly sing thy praise. TO ST. JOSEPH Coelitum Joseph Decus O JOSEPH, joy among the saints, and light To guide our lives to heaven, thou pillar bright Upholding earth, we lift our songs to thee, Let them ascend unto thy sacred height. The shaper of the skies selected thee His stainless virgin's holy spouse to be, URBAN vin. The Foster Sire of Christ, and minister Of that salvation that hath made us free. Thou saw est in the manger born thy Lord, Of whom the prophets sang, the sacred Word; Rejoicing thou beheld 'st with prostrate soul, The tender Babe as living God adored. The Lord of heaven and earth, the King of Kings, Whose will is law that prone obedience brings, Whose light the demons Tear, whose word they fly, Made himself subject to thy questionings. All praise unto the heavenly Trinity Bringing, bright saint, thine honours unto thee; Grant, through thy merits and thy pitying prayers That we the joys of blessed life may see. MORNING HYMN TO ST. JOSEPH Jste Quern Laeti Cohmus GLAD honours unto thee to-day we bring, In holy faith, O Joseph, of thy glory And triumph gained, in holy joy we sing, And sound thy story. O happy saint! O marvellously blest! At whose last hour, as watchers, self-appointed, The virgin saw thee sinking to thy rest, And God's Anointed. 224 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS And thou didst rise, from clinging flesh unbound, In placid sleep, unto the throne eternal, Didst take thy flight, and by God's hand wert crowned With palms supernal. So unto thee, O reigning saint, we pray: Assist us in our needs; be thy voice given For our salvation; that at last we may See thee in heaven. We lift our voice in love, we honour thee, O heavenly Ruler, crowning with thy glory Thy faithful servant; in his praises we But sing thy story. HYMN FOR THE FEAST OF A CONFESSOR Jesu Corona Celsior JESUS, crown of heavenly glory, Holiest truth on high adored; Souls that fearless preach thy story Gain from thee a sure reward. Hear, O Lord, our meek petition, Let our hearts thy mercy find; Grant from staining crimes remission, Break the galling chains that bind. Now the holy morn returning Breaks with light the ebon bars, URBAN VIII. 225 When thy saint with bosom burning Found his home among the stars. He on earth all wealth and pleasure Cast in scorn beneath his feet, Love of thee his only treasure, So he sought the heavenly seat. Thee, O Christ, as King confessing, Thee he preached, he loved thee well, All unworthy hopes suppressing, Spurning all the wiles of hell. Powerful in thy holy praising, All his faith in thee alone, All his powers from pride abasing, Now he dwells beside thy throne. Loving Jesus, mild and tender, Be his holy virtue ours, And be thou our firm defender From all vain and evil powers. Glory to the Sire supernal, Glory to the sole-born Son, And the Paraclete eternal, God of ages, three in one. HYMNS BY UNKNOWN AUTHORS All but the first three of the following selections are found in the Roman Breviary, some of them being quite modern. Those on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, for instance, are as recent as the reign of Pope Pius VII., when they were written and inserted in the Breviary on the institution of that feast in honour of the Pope's release from imprisonment at Savona under Napoleon. Two are taken from the poem, "Flos Pudicitiae, ,, a thirteenth century manuscript found in the British Museum, and written in a variety of metres, two of which are here preserved. Most of the other hymns are centos, or adaptations of older poems. The translations are added to the pres- ent volume so as to make it fairly complete. The two hymns on the dedication of a church are the polished Breviary adaptations of the beautiful and famous, but rugged seventh century poem, "Urbs Beata Hierusalem," which has become the parent of many of the "New Jesusalem," songs of later ages. 227 HYMN'S TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN Flos Pudicttiae* A Cento FLOWER of white Virginity, Chamber bright of clemency, We before thy throne rejoice, And implore thy favouring voice. Tender Virgin, most serene, Thee we hail as Heaven's Queen; Unto thee, on bended knee, Trusting, call for charity. Bride of beauty, lily white, Chosen by the God of Light, Like the sun, the sevenfold grace Shineth from thy heavenly face. Holy spouse, Eternal Love Crowns thee Queen of saints above; Mirror of all purity, Christ the Son is born of thee. Be our hope and refuge sweet, Humbly bending at thy feet; By thy prayers our bosoms cleanse, Bring us tears of penitence. 229 23O EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Solace grant to all our grief, To our pains a sweet relief; Purge our souls of guilt and guile, Make us worthy of thy smile. Flos Pudicitiae. A Cento MARY mild, undefiled, Help of all the lowly, O, despise not our cries, Spring of hope most holy. Glorified as the Bride, Gabriel's Ave warns thee, And the Word, Christ the Lord, For his birth adorns thee, Shine afar, Morning Star, Christ, the sunlight, leading; Lend thine ear, Mother dear, To our prayer and pleading. Lift our eyes to the skies, Raise our hearts and bring them, Through thy might to the light Of the heavenly Kingdom. Aurora Quae Solem Paris THOU mother of the Sun, sweet morn, And daughter of his radiance bright, HYMNS OF I \k\<>\\ N All HORfl Upon this daw when thou wcrt born Thou bring 'st to man serene delight. Thee, robed in glory by the Sun, The moon and stars revere; for thee, High-seated on thy heavenly throne They form a crown eternally. The choirs of angels sing to thee. The throngs of saints before thee fall; Christ shrines in his divinity The Mother of the Lord of All. Thy power is heavenly, Virgin mild; The hosts of darkness fly thy face; Those arms, where God reposed, a child, Can shield our souls and bring us grace. Thy heel has crushed the serpent's head, His poisonous fang we fear no more; The sorrow of the past is dead, Thy love we seek, thy aid implore. Sweet Virgin, teach our spirits still To follow Christ, the Lord of Light, Who dwelt with thee, and worked thy will, Thy loving Son, the King of Might. To God the Sire, all praise and love, Like praise and love unto the Son, And to the Spirit, Heavenly Dove, Through whom the Virgin's crown was won. 231 232 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS HYMNS ON THE DEDICATION OF A CHURCH Coelestis Urbs Jerusalem JERUSALEM, Celestial Home, Sweet port of peace divine, The stones of which thy walls are laid Are souls of saints benign; A thousand thousand angels sing The glories that are thine. Thou art a Queen most beautiful, In wedlock sweetly won, Dowered with the glory of the Sire, The mercies of the Son, — Like Christ, thy spouse, thy rule shall be Eternal as his throne. A crown of pearls is on thy brow, Thy gates are opened wide; The ages bow before thy throne, And hail thee as the Bride, That moves mankind to deathless love Of Christ the Crucified. With many a stroke of shining steel, With many a sounding blow, The stones were laid and fitted well Within thy walls below, Till, io, thy glory evermore Above the stars shall glow. HYMNS 01 i NKNOWN M I HORS All praise throughout the bounds of earth, To ( fod the Father bi Like praise be sung to Christ the Son, Our Lord and Heavenly King, And unto God the Paracl The selfsame praise shall ring. Alto Ex Olympi Vcrticc FROM Heaven's high dome, the Lord of Love, The sole-begotten Son, Came down to build his temple fair, And be its corner stone; He joined it to the stars above, Till earth and heaven are one. So evermore the holy walls Resound with heavenly lays; And men unite with angel choirs, The Three in One to praise; The songs of Sion, loud and sweet, With gladsome voice we raise. Dread King of Heaven, before thy throne We bow and beg thy light; Receive thy people's prayers, O Lord, Be with us day and night; And guide us onward in thy love, To thy Celestial height. 234 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Here shall our voices evermore Ascend before thy throne, Beseeching thee for gifts we need Till earthly days are done; Till we shall reach the blessed seats Where holy joy is won. Then let all earth resound with praise To God our heavenly King; And to the Christ, his only Son The selfsame praises bring; So to the Spirit, three in one, All earth and heaven shall ring. THE PRAYER ON MOUNT OLIVET A spice ut Verbum Patris LO, from the Father's flaming throne, The ever-living Word, the Son, Urged by sweet love and saving grace, Comes down to raise our fallen race. He looks upon our miseries In mercy; all our need he sees; He wills our ruin to repair, And sues the Sire in prostrate prayer. Bowed 'neath the load of sin, he saith, "My soul is sorrowful to death; HYMNS OF UNKNOWN AUTHORS 2^5 Though fain the cup would I decline, Father, thy will be done, not mine/' The woe of all the world he feels, While taint upon the ground he kneels; His great heart trembles with the pain, Till blood-drops ooze from every vein. Swift passes from his soul the storm, An angel lifts the prostrate form; With strength renewed he goeth forth The King and Saviour of the earth. Venit e Coelo THE Christ, our Saviour comes, behold, By prophet and by bard foretold; Daughter of Sion weep no more, Salvation shines upon thy shore. From out the ancient garden came, By disobedience, death and shame; But from the new come life and light W here Jesus prayeth in the night. Appeasing God's avenging ire, He holdeth back the threatening fire; His sacred life delivereth To lift our souls from sin and death. 236 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS The snares of hell his hand destroys; He calls our souls to heavenly joys, The golden gates reopening; There reigns our Victim, God and King. Praise to the Father, and the same To thee, O Christ, whose holy name Shall conquer earth; like praise to thee Blest Paraclete eternally. HYMNS ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD Moerentes Ocuh OUR eyes should fall in grief, our tears should flow. And from our deepest hearts the groan of woe Should rise, when we remember all the pangs The Saviour suffered, and the mortal blow. Came Judas from the priests, and, armed with staves And swords, a cringing multitude of slaves; They struck the tender Christ, and mocking cried, "Others he saved; see if himself he saves!" The savage throng the gentle Saviour brings Before the scornful priest's false questionings; Delivered to the soldiers, lo, they dare Raise impious hands against the King of Kings. Ye people, see! the God of earth and skies; The cross upon his bleeding shoulder lies, HYMNS 01 UNKNOWN A\ I H< - Zyj Silent he bears the lictor's cruel blow, And never to the jeering crowd replies. And walking, lamb-like, to his cruel death, Upon his head he wears a thorny wreath; The rage of Israel stinging insult brings; He hows a sacrifice and sufiereth. And so he cometh unto Calvary And dieth nailed upon the shameful tree, He dieth burdened by all human woe, And yieldeth his pure life, to make men free. Yea, for our miseries the cruel pain He bore; to bring new 7 life his life was slain; So let his glory ring through earth and heaven, Our living God and King of endless reign. Aspice Infami Deus BEHOLD where hangs in cruel infamy The God of Ages on the bloody tree, Behold his tender hands nailed to the cross, He dies in shame, from shame to make us free. Lo, like a worker of most wicked deeds, Between tw T o thieves he hangs; his body bleeds To gratify the rage of Israel; His life is spent to cure our cruel needs. Ah, pallid grows his face; his head is bowed, His eyes are closed upon the scornful crowd, 238 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS With a loud voice he sends his spirit forth, And o'er his body settles death's dark cloud. O heart that hears and weeps not, hard as brass Thou art; for lo, 'twas all thy sins, alas! That brought thy Saviour here, all innocent, To cleanse thy guilt, and ope the heavenly pass. To thee, Eternal God, all glory be, Who gave thyself to die upon the tree, By thy all precious blood to wash away Our crimes, and lift us evermore with thee. Saevo Dolorum Turbine WHAT cruel storms of grief and pain The gentle Jesus must sustain! He bears his cross to Calvary, And there they place him on the tree. With nails they nail him to the wood, Our thorn-crowned King; his holy blood O'erflows from every wound; forlorn He hangs the sport of spite and scorn. He weeps, he prays, aloud he cries, And yielding up the ghost, he dies; The mother feels the cruel blow, Her stainless heart is pierced with woe. The rocks are rent, and quakes the earth, From out the tombs the dead walk forth; HYMNS OP UNKNOWN AUTHORS Dread darkness covers land and main; The temple's veil is torn in twain. Sun, moon and stars in gloom arc hurled, The heavens moan, and groans the world; O sinful man, in shame ari Behold, for thee the Saviour dies. Here with his mother, stand and weep. In tears his wounded members steep. See, hand and foot and bleeding side, And think, for love of man he died! Victim of love! lo, thou art slain, From sin and shame our souls to gain; To wash us in the sacred flood Of thy regenerating blood. Our peace, our joy, be thou, O Lord, Our life, our hope, our sweet reward, Our guide, our light upon the way, To lead us unto endless day. OX THE CROWN OF THORNS Exite, Sion Fihae O DAUGHTERS of Jerusalem, Chaste virgins of the roval throne, Go forth and see the diadem That Sion weaves for Christ, her Son. *39 ^ 24O EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Behold the blood upon his hair, His tender forehead rent and torn, The thorny crown that he must wear, While death is on his face forlorn. O hard and harsh the soil that gave So foul a crop of thorns severe; More hard and harsh the cruel slave That forced them on a head so dear. The thorns empurpled by the blood More fair than roses grow to be; The crown, touched by the sacred flood, Becomes a wreath of victory. The barbs that rend thee, Christ, to-day Are the sharp thorns of human sin; O pluck them from our breasts, we pray, And plant thy living love therein. Legis Figuris Pingitur THE crown, O Saviour, that adorns Thy head is shadowed in the law; Here shines our God among the thorns, As in the bush that Moses saw. The ark that did the law enclose, The sacred table of the bread, The altar where the incense rose, Were bound with crowns, like Christ's dear head. HYMNS OF UNKNOWN AUTHORS 241 Bur partner of his pains, behold! His blood this wreath doth glorify; More beautiful than gems and gold, More fair than starry crowns on high. Praise, honour, power and glory he To God the Father and the Son, And Holv Paraclete, to thee Forever reigning, three in one. ON THE SPEAR AND NAILS Quaenam Lingua Tibi WHAT tongue can e'er return to thee, O spear, The gratitude we owe thy service dear, For thou didst ope the vivifying side Of Jesus, whence his church doth first appear. Like Eve arising from the side of man, While bound in sleep, the Church's life began; Hers was the better Adam; pure she sprang Out of the side whence blood and water ran. And equal thanks, O Nails, to you we owe, For in the death of Christ, whose mortal woe Ye wrought upon the cross, was blotted out In his sweet blood the curse on man below. Kind Jesus, whom the powers proclaim on high The Prince of Peace and Ruler of the Sky, 242 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Thy wounds in hand, foot, side, all glorified, Reign with the Sire and Spirit eternally. Salvete Clavi et Lance a HAIL piercing nails, hail cruel spear, But late in mean esteem ye stood; The flesh of Christ has made you dear, The purple of his healing blood. Selected by the faithless Jew, As instruments of horrid crime, The God of love has made of you The ministers of grace sublime. The tender flesh ye rent, but lo, The wounds in side, in hands, in feet, Are fountains of his love, whence flow Celestial streams of blessings sweet. O wounded Saviour, unto thee, We bow in love, thy name adore; Unto the Sire and Spirit be Like praise and glory evermore. Tinctam Ergo Christi O BLOODSTAINED barbs that Christ endures, Turn, turn your torture unto me; Heart, hand and foot, the crime is yours, Be yours the bitter penalty. hymns 01 UNKNOWN AUTHORS 243 Yea, Jesus, all the fault w;is mine. That caused thy bitter woe and pain; Pour on my soul thy blood divine And make it whole and pure again. So shall my feet ne'er move to sin. My hand from every wrong be free, So clean my bosom that therein No shade of evil thought shall be. O, wounded Saviour, unto thee We bow in love, thy name adore; Unto the Sire and Spirit be Like praise and glory evermore. ON THE WINDING SHEET Gloriam Sacrae Celebremus THE glory of the sacred winding-sheet, In song and hymn to-day we celebrate, That monument of love and mercy sweet, In pious memory we cultivate. For lo, imprinted plain upon each fold The marks of bleeding hands and feet we see; Ah, Christ, the Sindon, surely, we behold That wrapped thy body taken from the tree. And on the stains while gazing we recall The cruel griefs the tender Saviour bore, 244 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS To raise us out of Adam's woful fall — His holy death that we in tears adore. The cloven side we see, the hands and feet By nails of cruel iron pierced and torn, And clearly printed on the snowy sheet, Pressed on the drooping head, the crown of thorn. What eye unstained of tears can these behold ? What ear can hear without a rending groan ? Let every soul to whom these truths are told Fall to the ground in adoration prone. Dear Christ, our crimes alone thy torments brought Our evil lives took thy sweet life away, Our mortal stains thy mortal sorrow wrought Our lives are thine, O Lord, — receive thy pay. To thee, O Son of God, be power and praise, Who didst the world redeem from sin and shame, Unto the Father equal glory raise, And to the spirit's ever-living flame. Mysterium Mir a bile WONDER of wonders, we behold The Christ, the son of God most high! We see the winding-sheet enfold His prone and awful majesty. HYMNS OF UNKNOT -RS 245 Robing his form in all our From all our \v< The pangs of death to uml He hangs upon the shameful tree. And printed on that winding-sheet Which wrapped his body on the bier, The marks of bleeding hands and feet, The traces of his death appear. These are the signs of triumph won, Over the world, the grave and hell, The trophies of God's warrior Son, Our leader, Christ, invincible. Under this sign of o-race we fi^ht, This banner of the holy stains, Against the powers of death and night, All Satan's wiles and galling chains. And casting our old life away. We robe our souls in raiment new, And following Jesus night and day, The glorious hopes of heaven pursue. To God the Father glory be, The same to Christ his only son, And Holy Paraclete, to thee, Forever reginine; three in one. 246 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS y?su Dulcis Amor Mens LOVING Jesus, sweet and tender, Be my bosom's fond defender, Love for love my soul shall render, Prostrate at thy holy feet. Lo, I see thee naked, wounded, By thy trembling friends surrounded, Staring on thee, sore astounded, Folded in thy winding-sheet. Hail, dear head so torn and gorv; Face, whose roses blanched and hoary, So have lost their wondrous glory That the angels quake to see. Hail, O heart of man's salvation, Prone I bow in adoration; Hail, meek wound, thou dark carnation Bringing healing unto me. Holy hands, all perforated By the slaves yourselves created; Let me ne'er with love be sated, Kneeling near the sacred feet. To the Father's power supernal Love and praise and reign eternal, So to Christ, the Coeternal, And the living Paraclete. HYW >R8 247 OUR LADY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS Saefe Dum Cbristt Populus Cruentu OFT when the flock of Christ were driven By bloodv sword and cruel foe, The tender \ irgin came from heaven, With loving aid to heal their woe. So was it in the days of old, As many a temple lifted high Proclaims; and gifts of richest gold, With grateful blessings testify. New thanks for help to-day we bring To Mary Queen, with gladsome voice; In strains of holy joy we sing, And all the bounds of earth rejoice. O happy hour! O glorious day! Behold the Master on the throne! The years of fear are passed away, The Chair of Faith receives its own. Let gentle youths and virgins chaste Uplift to heaven rejoicing lays; While priests and people proudly haste To join in songs of thanks and praise. Sweet Virgin, hear us in our need; Mother of Christ, thy gifts increase, 248 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Help thou our Guide, his flocks to lead To pastures of eternal peace. O Triune God, let all our days Be glorified with love of Thee While songs of faith and heavenly praise Resound through all eternity. Te Redemptoris Dominique Nostri GLORIOUS Virgin, thee we sing, Mother of our Lord and King, Loving aid in all our woes, Bringing solace and repose. Though the powers of evil rage, And their fiercest battles wage, Though the ancient foe assail, 'Gainst thy help shall nought prevail. Fury's shafts shall harmless be To the pure that call on thee, Seek thy intercession sw T eet, Bending at thy blessed feet. Virgin, in thy fostering care, Wrongs shall cease, that wound and wear, Crime shall fail and evil fly, God shall guard us from on high. hymns 01 UNKNOWN AUTHORS 240 By thine aid the church shall be Lifted high and firm and free. Shielded h\ thy help, a tower Strong against the tempter's power. Thou hast saved us from the rod By the strong right hand of God; Yield us still thy tender care, Shield us by thy powerful prayer. To the glorious Trinity Endless love and power shall be, Heaven and earth thy praise shall sing, Everlasting God and Kino-. ON THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD Festivis Resonent Compita LET cheerful voices sound along the way, Let every brow the light of joy display, Let men and boys the flaming torches fire, And march with singing voice in glad array. The dying Christ upon the cruel tree Poured from his wounds the blood that made us free; But while his pangs our holy freedom bought, A tear at least should grace their memory. The ancient Adam's crime brought heavy woe, With death and darkness to the world below; 250 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS The newer Adam's blamelessness and love Restored unto our souls the heavenly glow. The Father sitting on the lofty throne Heard the loud cry sent by his bleeding Son; And by that cry appeased, and by that blood, He opens heaven to every seeking one. Washed in this blood, as is a garment white, A rosy glory like angelic light, The soul assumes, from every foulness free, As angel pleasing to the God of might. So like an angel take thy holy place, Nor swerve nor falter in thy godly race, Press onward to the utmost bound; the prize Each noble soul attains by God's sweet grace. Father of might to thee our orison We lift, bought by the blood of thy sole Son; Renew us in the spirit's living flame That to our souls thy treasures may be won. Ira Justa Conditoris O'ER the world the world's Creator Poured in wrath the drowning flood, In his justice Noah saving From the justice so bestowed; Then the earth the loving Saviour Bathed in his redeeming blood. HYMNS 01 UNKNOWN Ai llloRS 251 How it lists up in glory, \\ atered by the saving ram ; \\ here bur thorns before abounded, Onlv roses now remain, All the flowers ol bitter seeming Soothing taste and odour gain. And the serpent's power and danger Over all the world decline, He must lose his fangs of poison And his rule on earth resign; This our gain, O wounded Saviour, This our victory, w r as thine. O the height of heavenly wisdom, How beyond our power to see! O the sw r eetness of the Saviour, And his tender love for me! Lo, he yields his life to save me, Pays my bond upon the tree. Though our wrongs and our offenses For avenging justice cry, Christ's all precious blood is present, Bringing mercy from on high; And those evils that assail us Powerless fall and pass us by. Tender Saviour, Lord of glory, Thee our grateful songs w T e bring, Thee the God of our salvation, 252 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Thee our author and our King; Reigning with the Sire and Spirit, Heaven and earth one praise shall sin£ Salvete Christe Vulnera ALL hail ye wounds of Jesus, The balm of human woes, From you in ruby streamlets His blood forever flows. There shines no star so radiant, No rose is half so rare, No orient gem in glory With you can e'er compare. Through you our heavenly Father Brings peace to every mind, Sweet refuge where no sorrow Can port or entrance find. What blows the tender Jesus Receives in Pilate's hall! How from the scourging lashes The precious blood-drops fall! They press upon his forehead The piercing crown of thorn; With nails of cruel iron His hands and feet are torn. HYMNS 01 I NKNOWN At IHORS 253 And after life is yielded, And forth his spirit g< They wound his tender bosom Whence cleansing blood outflows. Dear Lord, to full redemption Our souls hast thou restored; As underneath the wine-press Thy healing blood is poured! Come, bow before the Saviour, Whate'er our crimes have been; His blood is our salvation, Who bathes therein is clean. Praise him, who, with the Father Sits throned above the skies; The Christ whose blood redeems us, Whose spirit sanctifies. OX THE SACRED HEART Auctor Beate Saccuh THOU blessed fount of life and time, The world's Redeemer, judge, and Lord, The Father's light and love sublime, Thy name, O Christ, be e'er adored. Unbounded love did thee constrain To robe in clay the living God, 254 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS As second Adam to regain The prize the first had lost by fraud. All mercy thou, O Maker mild Of earth and sea and starry sky; In pity for thy fallen child Thou gavest thyself, a lamb, to die. The fountain of all-healing love From thy deep heart is flowing still, A stream of blessings from above, And all may drink thereof who will. O Sacred Heart, O saving flood! What wounds, dear Christ, didst thou endure, That man in thy all precious blood Might bathe his soul and so be pure! Unto the Father and the son, And Holy Spirit, one in three, Be praise and power and glory won, And rule through all eternity. Quicumque Certum Quaeritis OYE who seek a sure relief From cruel pain or wearing grief, Whether the weight of guilt oppress Or worldly cares the soul distress, HYMNS OF UNKNOWN A! 1IIORS 255 Unto the dear Lord fesus fly; He gave his life lest man should die-; With loving heart he \\ .: i T s ; and lo, His heart is never closed to woe. To every soul that wills to seek. In words of music doth he speak; "All ve in labour bowed, and ye By sin afflicted, come to me." \\ hat heart so mild as his, who sought Forgiveness for the Jews that bought And nailed his body to the tree ? O Sacred Heart, remember me! O Heart, thou joy of saints in heaven, Thou saving hope to mortals given! Drawn by those loving words, we claim Thy mercy, Lord, and call thy name. O cleanse our souls of sin and stain In thy redeeming blood, and gain For all whose prayers ascend to thee, The heavenly gift of puritv. En, Ut Superba Crimmum BEHOLD us. Lord, a savage band, How proud of vice, we walk the sod, And strike with strong and cruel hand The pure and tender heart of God. Our countless sins, so base and blind. Are glittering spears to thee, dear Lord; 256 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Our viler passions whet and grind The biting edges of the sword. From thy torn heart, O Christ, is born The church that to thy teaching clings, The orient door that doth adorn The temple, whence salvation springs. And hence eternal graces flow, A sevenfold stream, a wondrous flood; The fountain is the Lamb, and lo, The cleansing wave, his flowing blood. Lord, let us ne'er to foul desire Return to wound thy sacred heart, Kindle our souls with holy fire, And keep our wills where'er thou art. O Son, O Sire, O Spirit hear, And grant the gifts we seek of thee; Thy power and glory we revere, Thy reign shall live eternally. Sum mi Parentis Filio OTHOU, the Son of God most High, Thou Father of the life to be, O Prince of Peace, to thee we cry, We bring our song of praise to thee. HYMNS 01 N Al 1 MORS Thy heart was wounded by the blow Ordained oi everlasting love; Such love among thy Hocks below Thou kindlest at the fires above. Dear Christ in pity for our v. Thou didst thyself as victim give, The cruel pangs to undei To ope thy breast that man might live. O sacred fount of love sublime, O living spring of waters free, O fire to cleanse away all crime, O heart aflame with charity. Lord, keep us ever in thy heart, Thy tender love to feel and know, The joys of heaven to us impart. When we shall leave these walks below. Cor, Area Legem Continens O HEART of Jesus, holy Ark That holds the later law divine, Not as of old, a service dark, But mercy, grace, and love benign; Thou art indeed the dwelling place Of God's mild law and tender might, The temple of out-pouring grace That radiates all the world with light. -'57 258 EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNS Eternal mercy willed the blow That gave the wounds, O Heart, to thee, That man shall ever feel and know The love that suffered on the tree. For Christ, eternal Priest and Lord, Offers his love by holy sign Upon the cross and at the board, The twofold sacrifice dvine. We love thee, Jesus, Lord most high, We lift our hearts to thine above, And to thy sacred bosom fly, That everlasting home of love. All praise and power and glory be To God the Father and the Son, And Holy Spirit unto thee, Forever reigning three in one. ON THE SEVEN DOLORS Quot Undis Lacrimarum OTHE woe, the tears, the sighing! Greater grief can never be, Than assailed the love undying Of the Virgin, thus to see, In her arms the Saviour lying, Torn all bleeding from the tree. HYMNS OF UNKNOWN AUTHORS i : d in griel his form she pn Bathes his tender breast in tears, Moaning, his mild face caressi And where each red wound appea 'Mid the storm of anguish, ki- Shaken sore with shuddering fears. O'er and o'er the Mother weeping, Tender touches doth bestow, All the wounded members steeping In the tears that fondly flow. And her lonesome vigil keeping. Bows her head in silent woe. Mournful Mother, by thv sorrow. Grieving o'er the Crucified, Teach our hearts true grief to borrow, Let us linger by thy side, Feel thy anguish, keen and thorough, And in thy sweet love abide. Earth and heaven to rapture speeding, Join in son^s while a s l 9 40 '55 141 93 222 TAGF. ( Rcdemptor Prartulit Conson Patcrni Luminis 4; ( \r\a Legem Creator Alme Siderum Crudelis Herodea Drum 68 Crux Bcnedicta Nitet Custodcs Hominum Psallimus 213 Decora Lux Aeternitatis Deus Creator Omnium 45 Deus Pater Ingenitc 8 Deus Tuorum Militum : ; Dies Irae Dies Ilia if; Domare Cordis Impetus XlS Ecce Jam Noctis io> Ecce Jam Noctis 106 En Clara Vox 28 En Ut Superba Criminum Exite Sion Filiae 239 Ex More Docti Mystico 100 Exultct Orbis Gaudiis 134 Felix Per Omnes Festum 121 Festivis Resonent Compita 249 Flos Pudicitiae Flos Pudicitiae 230 Fortem Virili Pcctore 207 Gloria Laus et Honor 1 : : Gloriam Sacrae Celebremus 243 269 270 INDEX TO LATIN TITLES PAGE Haec Est Dies 217 Hominis Superne Conditor 95 Immense Coeli Conditor 9 2 In Domino Semper Spera 204 In Passione Domini i79 Invicte Martyr Unicum 24 Ira Justa Conditoris 250 Iste Confessor Domini 136 Iste Quern Laeti Colimus 223 Jam Christus Astra Ascenderat 36 Jam Lucis Orto Sidere 2 5 Jam Meta Xoctis Transiit 10 Jam Meta Noctis Transiit 11 Jam Sol Recedit Igneus 48 Jam Toto Subitus Vesper 260 Jesu Corona Celsior 224 Jesu Corona Virginum 42 Jesu Decus Angelicum 169 Jesu Dulcis Amor Meus 246 Jesu Dulcis Memoria 167 Jesu Mi Bone Sentiam 170 Jesu Nostra Redemptio 35 Jesu Redemptor Omnium 29 Jesu Redemptor Omnium *35 Jesu Rex Admirabilis 168 Labor Parva Est Lauda Sion Legis Figuris Pingitur Lucis Creator Optime Lucis Largitor Splendide Lux Alma Jesu Mentium Lux Ecce Surgit Aurea Magnae Deus Potentiae Martinae Celebri Plaudite 203 191 240 9 1 9 221 63 94 219 Martyris Ecce Dies Agathae 15 Moerentes Oculi 236 Mysterium Mirabile 244 Nocte Surgentes 104 Nocte Surgentes 105 Nox Atra Rerum 31 Nox et Tenebrae et Nubilae 62 Nunc Sancte Nobis Spiritus 47 O Esca Viatorum 190 O Gloriosa Virginum 81 O Nimis Felix 117 O Quanta Qualia 159 O Quanta Qualia 161 O Quot Undis Lacrimarum 258 O Sola Magnarum Urbium 57 O Sol Salutis Intimis 96 O Stella Jacob 264 Pange Lingua 83 t Pange Lingua 186 Paschale Mundo Gaudium 21 Pater Superni Luminis 211 Patiendo Fit Homo 204 Placare Christe Servulis 129 Praeclara Custos Virginum 263 Primo Die Quo Trinitas 103 Quaenam Lingua Tibi 241 Quern Terra Pontus Sidera 80 Quicumque Certum Quaeritis 254 Quicumque Christum Quaeritis 61 Quum a Malis Molestaris 203 Recordare Sancte Crucis 180 Rector Potens Verax Deus 47 Regis Superni Nuntia 217 INDEX ro I UTN I I I XI s 271 Renun Creator Optime Rcrum Deua Term Vigot B 1 Deui ImmniM rl OTIOW Martvrurn litum Sacris Solemniis Dum Christc Dolorum Turbine Salutis Actcrnc Dator Salutis Humanac Sator Salvator Mundi Domine Salve Rcgina Salvete Christe Vulnera Salvcte Clavi et Lancea Salvete Flores Martvrurn Somno Refectis Artubus Splendor Paternae Gloriae Stabat Mater Dolorosa Summae Deus Clemcntiae Summae Parens Clementiae Summi Parentis Filio Summi Pin 1 "45 43 1 1 1 'I f rent 221 5° Tcllurii Alme Condttor 22 II. it Ant 1 Vrminum 41 ter Ainu Numinii l6l Te R 248 H7 •: et Virtu Pan 13a Tibi Chritte 1 1 13" 130 Tinctam Ergo Christi 242 35 1 ■ tea Erant Ap 98 Tu Natak Solum Protege 220 153 Tu Trinitatis Unitas IOI 252 242 59 27 37 197 261 44 256 Ut Queant Laxis 1 1 " Veni Creator Spiritus 107 Veni Sancte Spiritus 149 Venit e Coelo Verbum Supernum Prodiens 49 Verbdm Supernum Prodiens 185 Vexilla Regis 82 ^ — hmm & >_W<-. A FEW ENDORSEMENTS " The volume includes the most notable Latin hymns of the early and middle ages, some of which have nc re been given to the reading public in an English dress. For accuracy and elegance the ren- ditions made by Mr. Donahoe have never been approached bv lish interpreter. The work will be particularly appropriate as a book to non-Catholics and Catholics alike." — The Cathoi > ipt. 'I congratulate you on the publication of a work which I b< will be an acquisition to our Liturgical Literature. I endorse all that The Transcript of this week has said in its favor. In as far as I can I will encourage its sale." — Rt. Rev. Mgr. Svnott, Vicar-General, and President of St. Thomas's Seminary at Hartford. "I am much interested in your announcement of 'Early Christian Hymns' bv Daniel Joseph Donahoe. He is a fellow townsman, and personal friend, and it seems to me a beautiful thing for a busy lawyer > have kept himself in touch with this literature and to be able to give a translation of these great hymns. I hope the book may be v 'ely circulated." — Rev. Dr. Raymond, Pres't of Wesleyan University. •: is a pleasure to learn that scholarly laymen use theirfree time in audable pursuits and I hope your effort will meet with deserved en- *ment." — Rt. Rev. Camillus P. Maes, Bishop of Covington, Kv. very much pleased to learn that you are getting out a work i r ly Christian hymns. Cardinal Newman, Father Faber and much to make theses church hymns known: but they were y ->re the laity. I trust that both priests and people will have our work. " — Rt. Rev. James McGoldrick, Bishop of i. i see the announcement of your volume of translations an Hymns', and I will take such opportunity as I can volume." — Rev. Samuel Hart of Berkeley Divinity , now in press, is the early hymns of the Church, >h by Judge D.J. Donahoe, of Middletown. Conn. both from the Breviary and from other old Latin i the first centuries down to the close of A. D., •haracter of Judge Donahoe's work has often r readers. Quite a number of non-Catholic he subscribers. We venture that it is one book will buv."~ Chas. J. O'Mallev in The Mr. Daniel Joseph Donahoe's " Early Christian Hymns " is an interesting volume. It collects together his own versions of nearly all the most notable Latin hymns of the early and Middle Ages— nearly, but not quite all, as Mr ' Donahoe appears to think, for he haL- omitted such classics as the M Adeste Fidelis " and the M Te Deum." Biog- raphies of the authors, where the au- thors are known, and historical and critical notes on the anonymous poems add to the value and interest "Wthe book. Mr. Donahoe tells us that " the at- tempt to turn these glorious songs *of the church into something fairly rep- resentative of the thought and feeling of the original " has been a labor of love with him during the past four years. Always, he says, he has been an ardent lover of the Latin hymns. It was mere chance, however, that-sug- gested to him the idea of remaking them into English. Reading the " Veni Sancte Spiritus " one Sunday afternoon in April, 1904, the words and melody, he tells us, shaped themselves into an English form without any apparent ef- fort. " The form," he adds, " seemed to give an adequate representation of the original both in thought and feel- ing." Scholarly friends encouraged him In believing so. Well, we cannot quite agree with Donahoe and his scholarly friends. OtJM -eAS9lA0a 9U8H 'I9AOU 3S9}T?I siq ui uviii AmuiouSi e^duioo P ub jo) -}n eaoui panbsdianq uiopias sigq (esoad Xjoa-bs ui snouiuiouSi a^ Sumbsaj -jnq joj X:unoi3j snopuadnjs xs peA^idsip uoos oum mq <}aod ;si[oquiXs m aeai«b Ajvj9%x\ siq uvSzq oum) uosjjh AiU9R s^MBqo ^-sBa^noo ©p , apB0 np 9nblu -ojqo,, siq ui UBqj ituouiun j£u«oiu£o 9JOUI J9A3U BBAV 'aip^lOA PUB GKimiJ aio^Buv JO iBq; W m (uosnej iiioi»im }ou pub) pajTsduioo uaaq s*q a^ioji asoqAv •UIS1014OJ3 pue uisift -JOJ 40JSJ 3AB H SJ^U^ jQgt) joj o n «4jn S s^joog ?> aoj ^dy , 3g "33NVHJ NI Sj its author. A little reflection and some pains might weed out its redundancies and reduce its present plethora to a simplicity more in accordance with the spirit of the old-time hymnologists. Meanwhile, we can rest satisfied with a book that gives us a not entirely in- adequate idea of the greatest hymns ever written in the Latin language. / X & perenn to the >nt inui; nging. • i>h l)Dii:ihoe— a la* j fairly rich .f English trailBl metrical I | of one hundred an Latin hymn.-;, ranging in date from the times of St. Hilary to of Pius VII ("Early Oh] Hymns' 9 ; New York: The Qraftoo P Borne umv-rsai tarorite . Lli mian's "Gravl me terrore pulsaa/ 1 :.. erable Bede's "Hymnum canentes martyr- urn," an 1 B 1, but many others of the same class are included, and with them a con- siderable number of less widely known hymns from the Roman Jit: nfortu- nately most of this last class are of very slender merit. Mr. Donahoe's renderings of the really great hymns fall very decided- ly below the level attained by our best translators of the same verse, even when he does not confine himself to a closely literal version of the original. One line may serve as a bad example. He renders thu first verse of "Dies Irae," "nay of Ire, that dire- ful day," where the jingle of "ire" and "dire" is disastrous, to say nothing about the adequacy of "ire" in its«lf. The trans- lator is more at his ease in less high com- pany. The attempt to render i sapphics in "the metres of the original" is a failure. Even Tennyson could not have done that. But in general Mr. Dona- hoe's understanding is correct, his pen fa- cile, his spirit sweet and sympathetic, and his versions eminently readable. T: dering of the "Pange Lingua" of natus is a good example of the translator's best style.