Chapter II: Preface (2)

As the shadow quickly flying,
Faint our life and sure our dying;
As the cloud by tempest driven,
As the grass cut down at even;—
King of heaven, in mercy great,
Pity the disconsolate.

_Passion Week_

VEXILLA REGIS PRODEUNT

By Venantius Fortunatus. Born in the district of Treviso, Italy, about 530. In 565 he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Martin at Tours, and spent the remainder of his years in Gaul. Through the influence of his friend Queen Rhadegunda, Fortunatus became Bishop of Poitiers in 597. Some place his death in the year 609. Fortunatus must have been an author of great industry and versatility. He wrote the life of St. Martin in four books, containing 2245 hexameter lines; he threw off in profusion vers de societé when wandering from castle to cloister in Gaul; and he composed a volume of hymns for all the festivals of the Christian year, which is now unhappily lost. This is his best known hymn, Dr. Neale’s translation of which is inserted for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, otherwise called Palm Sunday, in “Hymns Ancient and Modern” _(No. 84)_.

I

See the Royal banners
Wave across the sky,
Bright the mystic radiance,
For the Cross is nigh;
And He who came our flesh to wear,
The Christ of God, was wounded there.

II

Deep the cruel spear thrust,
By the soldier given;
Blood and water mingle,
Where the flesh is riven;
To cleanse our souls the crimson tide
Leapt from the Saviour’s riven side.

III

In the distant ages
Zion’s harp was strung,
And the faithful saw Him,
While the prophet sung;
Now Israel’s Hope the nations see,
For Christ is reigning from the tree.

IV

Tree of wondrous beauty,
Tree of grace and light,
Royal throne to rest on,
Decked with purple bright;
The choice of God, this royal throne
Whence Christ, the King, should rule His own.

V

See the branches drooping!
Laden, see they sway!
For the price of heaven
On those branches lay;
Ah! great the price, that price was paid,
By Him on whom the debt was laid.

PANGE, LINGUA, GLORIOSI, PRŒLIUM CERTAMINIS

This, “one of the first of the Latin mediæval hymns,” has been credited to St. Hilary. It has also been ascribed to Claudianus Mamertus, who died in 474. But by the majority of authorities it is regarded as the composition of Fortunatus, and ranks next to the _Vexilla Regis prodeunt_ in their estimate. A rendering of it by Keble will be found in his “Miscellaneous Poems,” beginning, “Sing, my tongue, of glorious warfare,” which is Dr. Neale’s “Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle,” in a somewhat altered form.

I

Tell, my tongue, the glorious conflict,
Crowned with victory nobly won;—
More than all the spoil of battle,
Praise the triumph of God’s Son;
How by death the crown of conquest
Graced Him when the strife was done.

II

Grieving sore o’er Eden’s sorrow
When our race in Adam fell;
And the fatal fruit he tasted,
Welcomed sin, and death, and hell;
God ordained a tree in Zion,
Eden’s poison to dispel.

III

In the work of our Redemption
Wisdom met the tempter’s foils;—
On the ground he claimed, the Victor
Fought, and bore away the spoils;
And the bane became the blessing,
Freedom sprang amid his toils.

IV

From the bosom of the Father,
Where He shared the regal crown,
At the time by God appointed,
Came the world’s Creator down—
God incarnate, born of Virgin,
Shorn of glory and renown.

V

List! the voice of infant weeping,
Cradled where the oxen stand,
And the Virgin mother watches,
Tending Him with loving hand,—
Hands and feet of God she bindeth,
Folding them in swaddling band.

VI

Blessing, blessing everlasting,
To the glorious Trinity;
To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Equal glory let there be;
Universal praise be given,
To the Blessed One in Three.

LUSTRA SEX QUI JAM PEREGIT

By some attributed to St. Ambrose, but generally and with greater probability to Fortunatus. There is an imitation of this hymn in English by Bishop Mant, beginning, “See the destined day arise!” one of the Passion hymns in “Hymns Ancient and Modern” _(No. 99)_.

I

Thirty years by God appointed,
And there dawns the woeful day,
When the great Redeemer girds Him
For the tumult of the fray;
And upon the cross uplifted,
Bears our load of guilt away.

II

Ah! ’tis bitter gall He drinketh,
When His heart in anguish fails;—
From the thorns His life-blood trickles,
From the spear wound and the nails;
But that crimson stream for cleansing,
O’er creation wide prevails.

III

Faithful Cross! in all the woodland,
Standeth not a nobler tree;
In thy leaf, and flower, and fruitage,
None can e’er thy equal be;
Sweet the wood, and sweet the iron,
Sweet the load that hung on thee.

IV

Noble tree! unbend thy branches,
Let thy stubborn fibres bend,
Cast thy native rigour from thee,
Be a gentle, loving friend;
Bear Him in thine arms, and softly,
Christ, the King eternal, tend.

V

Only thou could’st bear the burden
Of the ransom of our race;
Only thou could’st be a refuge,
Like the ark, a hiding-place,
By the sacred blood anointed,
Of the Covenant of Grace.

VI

Blessing, blessing everlasting,
To the glorious Trinity;
To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Equal glory let there be;
Universal praise be given,
To the Blessed One in Three.

CRUX AVE BENEDICTA

This little poem, which he pronounces “perfect in its kind,” is taken by Trench from Daniel’s _Thesaurus_, without any note of author or of date.

I

Hail, thou Blessed Cross, all hail!
Death no longer can prevail.
On those arms extended high,
Did my King and Saviour die.

II

Queen of all the trees that grow,
Medicine when health is low,
Solace to the cumbered heart,
Comfort thou when sorrows smart.

III

O! most sacred wood, the sign
That eternal life is mine;
On the fruit thy branches give,
Feeds the human heart to live.

IV

When, around the Judgment-seat,
Friends of thine and foes shall meet,
Be my prayer, O Christ, to Thee,
And in love remember me.

HORÆ DE PASSIONE D. N. JESU CHRISTI

From a fourteenth-century MS., where it bears the title, “Hours of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, compiled from the Prophets and the New Testament by the Blessed Pope Urban” _(_b._ 1302, _d._ 1370)._

(AD PRIMAM)
(_Tu qui velatus facie_)

I

Veiled was the glory of Thy face,
O Jesus, Lord of heavenly grace,
When mocking knees were bent in scorn,
And bitter stripes were meekly borne.

II

To Thee the prayer of faith we send,
In Thee we hope: O Lord, attend,
And in Thy mercy lead the way
To where Thy glory shines as day.

III

To Thee be highest honours paid,
O Christ, who wast by man betrayed,
Who on the cross of anguish sore
Didst die, that we might die no more.

(AD TERTIAM)
(_Hora qui ductus tertia_)

IV

O Christ, who in that hour of dread
Forth as a sacrifice wast led;
Who, to retrieve our grievous loss,
Didst bear the burden of the cross.

V

O may Thy Love our hearts inflame;
Be Thy pure life our constant aim;
That we may win the heavenly rest,
And share the glories of the blest.

VI

To Thee be highest honours paid,
O Christ, who wast by man betrayed;
Who on the cross of anguish sore
Didst die, that we might die no more.

(AD SEXTAM)
(_Crucem pro nobis subiit_)

VII

For us the cruel cross He bare,
Endured the thirst while hanging there—
O Jesus! Thou hast anguish borne,
Thy hands and feet with nails were torn.

VIII

Honour and blessing be to Thee,
O Christ, who hung upon the tree,
Who, by the offering of Thy grace,
Didst save from death our fallen race.

(AD NONAM)
(_Beata Christi passio_)

IX

Thy blessed Passion, Christ, be ours,
To set us free from Satan’s powers;
To aid our fainting souls to rise
To joys prepared in Paradise.

X

To Christ the Lord all glory be,
Who, hanging on the shameful tree,
Gave up His life with bitter cry,
And saved a world prepared to die.

XI

To Thee be highest honours paid,
O Christ, who wast by man betrayed,
Who, on the cross of anguish sore,
Didst die, that we might die no more.

(AD COMPLETORIUM)
(_Qui jacuisti mortuus_)

XII

O spotless King, who shared its gloom,
And lay at peace within the tomb,
Teach us to find our rest in Thee,
And sing Thy praise eternally.

XIII

Come to our help, O Lord, who gave
Thy precious blood our souls to save;
Lead us to Thine eternal peace,
Whose sweetest joys shall never cease.

_Easter_

FINITA JAM SUNT PRÆLIA

Of unknown date and authorship. It has not been traced further back than the _Hymnodia Sacra_, Munster, 1753.

I

Alleluia! Alleluia!
The din of battle now is dead,
And glory crowns the Victor’s head;
Let mirth abound,
And songs resound—Alleluia!

II

Alleluia! alleluia!
The bitter pangs of death are past,
And Christ hath vanquished hell at last;
Cheers are ringing,
Psalms are singing—Alleluia!

III

Alleluia! alleluia!
And when the morn appointed broke,
All decked with beauty Christ awoke;
O shout with glee,
Sing merrily—Alleluia!

IV

Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hell hath He closed with His own hand,
The gates of heaven wide open stand;
Let mirth abound,
And songs resound—Alleluia!

V

Alleluia! Alleluia!
’Tis Thy wounds, O Blessed Jesus—
’Tis Thy death from dying frees us,
That living, we
May sing with glee—Alleluia!

PLAUDITE, CŒLI!

A Jesuit hymn, taken by Walraff, in 1806, out of the _Psalteriolum Cantiorum Catholicarum a Patribus Societati Jesu_.

I

Shout praises, ye heavens,
And sigh them, soft air;
From highest to lowest,
Sing, sing everywhere;
For black clouds of tempest
Are banished from sight;
And spring, crowned with glory,
Is pouring her light.

II

Come forth with the spring-time,
Sweet flow’rets, and spread
Your rich hues around us
Where nature lay dead;
Come, violets modest,
And roses so gay,
With lilies and marigolds,
Spangle the way.

III

Flow joy song in fulness,
Flow higher and higher;
Pour forth thy sweet measures,
Thou murmuring lyre;
O sing, for He liveth,
As truly He said,
Yea, Jesus hath risen
Unharmed from the dead.

IV

Shout praises, ye mountains,
Vales catch the refrain;
Frisk gaily, ye fountains;
Hills, tell it again—
He liveth, He liveth,
As truly He said;
Yea, Jesus hath risen
Unharmed from the dead.

MORTIS PORTIS FRACTIS

By Peter of St. Maurice, sometimes styled Peter of Cluny, but best known as Peter the Venerable. Born in Auvergne, 1092 or 1094; began life as a soldier; afterwards became a Benedictine monk; elected abbot of the monastery of his order at Cluny in Burgundy; died there in 1156 or 1157. The greater part of his literary activity was given to the controversy between the Clugnian and Cistercian, or “black” and “white” monks. This Resurrection hymn is taken from “Some Rhythms, Proses, Sequences, Verses, and Hymns,” contained in the _Bibliotheca Cluniacencis_, 1623.

I

Burst are the iron gates of death—
A stronger power prevails;
For, by the cross, the cruel king
Before the Victor quails,
O clear the light that shines afar,
Where darkness held its sway,
For God, who made the light at first,
Restores its gladdening ray.

II

That sinners might for ever live,
The great Creator dies,
And by His death to new estate
Our souls enraptured rise.
There, Satan groaned in baffled hate,
Where Christ our triumph won—
For what to Him was deathly loss,
To man was life begun.

III

He grasps the envied prize, but fails,
And while he wounds, he dies;
But calmly, and with mighty power,
The King secures the prize;
And, leaving earth, His triumph won,
He seeks His native skies.

IV

And now triumphant o’er the grave,
The Lord to earth returns;
To new create our fallen race,
His soul with ardour burns;
Down to the dwellings of the lost,
To dwell with man He came;
And hearts in grievous bondage held,
Receive Him with acclaim.

ALLELUIA, DULCE CARMEN

Found in three MSS. of the eleventh century in the British Museum Library, and published by the Surtees Society in the “Latin Hymns of the Anglo-Saxon Church,” from a MS. of the eleventh century, in Durham Library.

I

Alleluia, hymn of sweetness,
Joyful voice of ceaseless praise;
Alleluia, pleasant anthem,
Choirs celestial sweetly raise:
This the song of those abiding
In the house of God always.

II

Alleluia, Mother Salem,
All Thy people joy in song;
Alleluia, walls and bulwarks
Evermore the notes prolong:
Ah! beside the streams of Babel,
Exiled, weep we o’er our wrong.

III

Alleluia, ’tis befitting
That our song should falter here;
Alleluia, can we sing it
When the clouds of wrath appear?
To bemoan our sin with weeping,
Now the time is drawing near.

IV

Trinity, for ever blessed!
May we sing the gladsome lay,
When from sin our souls are severed,
And the clouds have passed away,
And we share the Easter glory,
In the realms of endless day?

_Ascension_

ÆTERNE REX ALTISSIME

A hymn of complex authorship and of frequently altered text.

I

Eternal King, enthroned on high,
Redeemer, strong Thy folk to save;
Thee, powerful death, by death o’ercome,
A royal crown of triumph gave.

II

Ascending to the throne of God,
Beyond the glittering host of heaven,
More power than human hand could give
To Thee, victorious King, is given.

III

Three kingdoms bow before Thee now—
The heavens above, the earth below,
Hell’s dark abode—and to their Lord,
On bended knee, submission show.

IV

All awe inspired, the angel host
Behold man’s changed estate, amazed;
Our sinful flesh, by flesh renewed,
And man, true God, to Godhead raised.

V

O Christ, with God who dwell’st on high,
Be Thou to us, we humbly pray,
A lasting joy while here we wait,
Our great reward in heaven for aye.

VI

In earnest prayer we come to Thee;
O may our sins be all forgiven,
And lift our hearts by Thy rich grace,
To where Thou art Thyself, in heaven.

VII

That when in clouds of Judgment dire,
Thou com’st with Thine angelic host,
We may escape the avenger’s power,
And wear anew the crowns we lost.

VIII

To Thee, O Christ, all glory be,
Victor returning now to heaven;
To Father, and to Holy Ghost,
Let praise through endless years be given.

POSTQUAM HOSTEM ET INFERNA

By Adam of St. Victor. _(_See p. 49._)_

I

Broken are the bands that bound us,
Spoiled are Satan’s realms around us,
And to joys supernal now,
Christ returns with hosts attending,
And, as when at first descending,
Angel guards their homage bow.

II

Far above the stars ascending,
Faith alone His course attending,
Passing now from mortal sight;
To His hand all power is given,
One with God He rules in heaven,
One in honour and in might.

III

Victor on His throne uplifted,
See all rule to Him is gifted,
O’er Creation’s wide domain.
Now for evermore He liveth,
Nevermore His life He giveth—
Once the sacrifice was slain.

IV

Once He wore our flesh in weakness,
Once He suffered, once in meekness
Gave Himself for sin to die.
Now no longer pain He knoweth:
Perfect peace for ever floweth,
Perfect joy is ever nigh.

CŒLOS ASCENDIT HODIE

Of unknown date and authorship. The text is in Daniel’s _Thesaurus_, with “Alleluia” as a refrain. Dr. Neale gives it in his “Mediæval Hymns and Sequences” as “apparently of the twelfth century.”

I

To-day the lingering clouds are riven,
Alleluia!
Our glorious King ascends to heaven,
Alleluia!

II

The heaven and earth His rule obey,
Alleluia!
Who sits at God’s right hand for aye,
Alleluia!

III

See, all things are fulfilled at last,
Alleluia!
By David sung in ages past,
Alleluia!

IV

And on the throne of high renown,
Alleluia!
The Lord is with His Lord set down,
Alleluia!

V

Now blessings on our Lord we shower,
Alleluia!
In this chief triumph of His power,
Alleluia!

VI

Let praise the Trinity adore,
Alleluia!
To God be glory evermore,
Alleluia!

O CHRISTE, QUI NOSTER POLI

Appeared in the Cluniac Breviary of 1686, and in that of Paris, 1736, as also in later French Breviaries. From his connection with the revised Paris Breviary, this hymn has been ascribed to Archbishop Charles de Vintimille, born 1655, died 1746; but in neither the Cluniac nor Paris Breviary is it marked as his. Chandler’s version of the hymn, beginning, “O Jesu, who art gone before, To Thy blest realms of light,” appears in Dr. Martineau’s “Hymns of Praise and Prayer,” with opening lines altered to, “The Crucified is gone before, To the blest realms of light,” and with other variations.

I

O Christ, who art ascended now
To realms of bliss above,
Inspire our souls to rise to Thee,
Upborne by faith and love.

II

Make us to seek those holy joys,
That they who love receive;
That earthly mind can never know,
Nor faithless soul perceive.

III

There, where Thou art, they reap reward
Who toiled at duty’s call;
For Thou dost give Thyself to them,
And Thou art all in all.

IV

By power divine, O let us come
Where glory cannot fade;
And from Thy heavenly throne send down
The Spirit to our aid.

V

To Thee who art at God’s right hand,
O Christ, to Thee be praise,
To Father, and to Holy Ghost,
Be glory given always.

_Whitsuntide_

VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS,
MENTES TUORUM VISITA

Of the authorship of this grand hymn nothing unquestioned is known. It has been ascribed to Ambrose, Gregory, Rhabanus Maurus (died 856), and Charlemagne. The most widely prevalent opinion ascribes it to the last-named person, but in the judgment of Dr. Julian’s assistant-editor “the hymn is clearly not the work of St. Ambrose nor of Charles the Great. Nor is there sufficient evidence to allow us to ascribe it either to Gregory the Great, to Rhabanus Maurus, or to any of the ecclesiastics connected with the court of Charles the Fat.” The hymn has not yet been found in any MS. earlier than the latter part of the tenth century.

I

Come, Thou Creator Spirit blest,
And with Thy grace our minds pervade;
May Thy sweet presence ever dwell
Within the souls which Thou hast made.

II

Thou Holy Paraclete! the Gift
Sent down to earth from God Most High,
Thou Font of Life and fire and love,
Thy holy unction now apply.

III

Sevenfold Thy gifts to us are given,
Of God’s right hand the Finger Thou;
The promise of the Father’s grace,
With gifts of tongues, Thou dost endow.

IV

Make our dull sense enraptured glow,
And let our hearts o’erflow with love;
The weakness of our flesh inspire
With heavenly valour from above.

V

Far from our souls the foe repel,
And let us know the bliss of peace;
Guide Thou our steps, that evermore
Our hearts may learn from sin to cease.

VI

Lead us the Father’s love to know;
Reveal to us the Eternal Son;
And Thee, the Sent of both, we’ll praise,
While everlasting ages run.

VENI, SANCTE SPIRITUS ET EMITTE CŒLITUS

A sequence universally regarded as one of the masterpieces of sacred Latin poetry. As in the case of the _Veni, Creator Spiritus_, the authorship is matter of dispute. Robert II. of France, Hermannus Contractus (born 1013, died 1054), Stephen Langton the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Innocent III.—these have all in turn been credited with its production. Dr. Julian, the greatest living authority, sums up the matter of authorship thus: “The sequence is clearly not earlier than about the beginning of the thirteenth century. It is certainly neither by Robert II. nor by Hermannus Contractus. The most probable author is Innocent III.”

I

Holy Spirit, come with power;
Let Thy light, in darkest hour,
Shine upon our onward way.
Father of the humble heart,
Come, Thy choicest gifts impart—
Light our hearts with heavenly ray.

II

Thou canst best the heart console;
Sweet Thy sojourn with the soul—
Cooling breath at noon of day,
Calm Thy rest in toil and care,
Soft Thy shade in noontide glare—
Thou dost chase our tears away.

III

O! Thou blessed Light of light!
Let Thy beams in radiance bright
Fill our inmost heart for aye.
If Thou come not with Thy grace,
Nought of worth can take Thy place,
Nought but leads the soul astray.

IV

What is filthy, come, renew;
What is parched, with grace bedew;
Heal the wounded in the way.
What is stubborn, gently bend;
To the chilled the life-glow send;
Bring the erring ’neath Thy sway.

V

To the faithful who repose
In the love Thy grace bestows,
Be Thy sevenfold gift alway—
Rich reward for service given,
Hope in death and joy in heaven,
Joy untold that lasteth aye.

O FONS AMORIS, SPIRITUS

By Charles Coffin. _(_See p. 3._)_ It is a recast of the _Nunc nobis, Sancte Spiritus_ of St. Ambrose.

I

O Holy Spirit, font of love,
Thou source of life, and joy, and peace,
With holy fire come from above,
And bid our hearts their warmth increase.

II

O Thou who didst with love’s strong cord
Unite the Father and the Son,
May we who love a common Lord,
In mutual love be bound in one.

III

Now to the Father throned on high,
And unto Christ His only Son,
And to the Spirit, glory be,
Now, and while endless ages run.

_Trinity_

TU TRINITATIS UNITAS

A cento. Added to the Roman Breviary in 1568. In a subsequent edition it is the hymn for Lauds on Trinity Sunday. It is made up of the first stanza of a hymn with the same opening, and of the third stanza of the composition, _Æterna cœli gloria_, with a doxology added.

I

O Thou Eternal One in Three,
Dread Ruler of the earth and sky,
Accept the praise we yield to Thee,
Who, waking, lift our songs on high.

II

The star that tells the approach of day
Is lingering in the glow of morn,
And night and darkness fade away—
O Holy Light, our souls adorn!

III

To God the Father throned in heaven,
To Christ the One Begotten Son,
And to the Spirit praise be given,
Now, and while endless ages run.

O PATER SANCTE, MITIS ATQUE PIE

Found in two MSS. of the eleventh century, and included in the York, Sarum, and Aberdeen Breviaries.

I

O Holy Father, gracious Thou and tender;
O Jesus Christ, Thou much adorèd Son;
Spirit most sweet, Thou Paraclete, Defender,
Eternally one!

II

Trinity Holy, Unity abiding,
True God Thou art, unbounded goodness Thou,
Light of the angels, trust of the confiding,
We hope in Thee now.

III

Thee all creation pays eternal homage;
Thee all Thy creatures songs of glory raise;
Now come we humbly, joining in the chorus,
O hear Thou our praise.

IV

Glory to Thee, O God of power almighty,
Triune yet One, and great Thou art and high;
Hymns fitly tell Thy honour, praise, and glory,
and eternally.

ADESTO, SANCTA TRINITAS

Authorship unknown. It first occurs in a MS. of the eleventh century in the British Museum Library, has a place in the English Breviaries of York, Hereford, and St. Albans, and is printed in the “Latin Hymns of the Anglo-Saxon Church.”

I

Be present, Holy Trinity,
One glory Thou, one Deity;
Where’er creation’s bounds extend,
Thou art beginning without end.

II

The hosts of heaven Thy praise proclaim,
Adoring, tell Thy matchless fame;
Earth’s threefold fabric joins the song,
To bless Thee through the ages long.

III

And we, Thy humble servants, now
To Thee in adoration bow;
Our suppliant vows and prayers unite
With hymns that fill the realms of light.

IV

One Light, we Thee our homage pay,
We worship Thee, O triple ray;
Thou First and Last, we speak Thy fame,
And every spirit lauds Thy name.

V

Praise to the Eternal Father be;
Thou only Son, all praise to Thee;
And Holy Ghost to Thee be praise,
Great Triune God, yet One always.

_All Saints_

PUGNATE, CHRISTE MILITES

Given in editions of the Paris Breviary subsequent to 1736, along with the hymn _Cœlestis O Jerusalem_, for the vigil of All Saints Day at Lauds. Author not traced.

I

Christian soldiers in the conflict!
Bear the banner of the cross;
Rich reward shall crown the victor,
More than recompense for loss.

II

Not with paltry palms that wither
Shall the brow be gaily crowned,
But with light that shines eternal,
And with heavenly joy renowned.

III

Yours are mansions fair and comely—
There your souls in bliss shall rest;
Stars shall sparkle in their radiance,
On the pathway of the blest.

IV

Earthly joys are faint and fleeting,
Earthly favours quickly fade;
Heavenwards lift your eyes, expecting
There your true reward is laid.

V

God be praised who crowns the victor,
Christ be praised who saves from sin;
Equal praise to God the Spirit,
By whose aid we fight and win.

AUDI NOS, REX CHRISTE

This pilgrim or processional hymn was first published from a MS. of the eleventh century by Du Mévil at Paris, 1847; reprinted by Neale in his _Hymni Ecclesiæ_, in 1851, as _Cantus Peregrinatorum_.

I

Hear us, O Christ, our King;
Lord, hear the prayer we bring,
And take the ordering of our way.

_Refrain_

_Thy mercy, Lord, extend;_
_Thy mercy, Lord, extend,_
_And take the ordering of our way._

II

O Three in Unity!
Protect us all each day:
In this Thy path divine we pray.

III

Send us a faithful guide:
An angel to abide,
Whose hand shall lead us to Thy throne.

IV

Our upward path direct,
From every foe protect,
And bring us back to claim our own.

V

Thy strong right arm extend,
And with Thy left defend,
And save us from the enemy.

VI

O Thou Creator wise,
Soon may our longing eyes
The glory of Thy kingdom see.

VII

Now glory let there be,
O Father, unto Thee,
From age to age eternally.

_Communion_

EJA O DULCIS ANIMA

Author unknown. Belonging, according to Mone, to the thirteenth or fifteenth century.

I

See, sweet soul, my sister dear,
Now the bridegroom neareth;
Haste, prepare a place for Him
Who in love appeareth.

II

Soon He comes, a gentle guest,
Comes with heart o’erflowing;
All the best that heaven affords
In His love bestowing.

III

Where His gracious presence is
There is joy unending;
Blessing with His friendship comes,
Every bliss transcending.

IV

Yea, He comes to rest awhile,
Thee with love entwining;
At thy board He’ll take His place,
By thy side reclining.

V

Up, my soul, to meet thy Spouse;
Hark! His footfall sounding;
In thy bosom He will dwell
With His love abounding.

VI

Hold Him fast in fond embrace;
Say thou’lt leave Him never,
Till the blessing of His love
Rest on thee for ever.

O ESCA VIATORUM

Ascribed by some to Thomas Aquinas, but believed by latest and best authorities to have been composed by some unknown German Jesuit of the seventeenth century. It has not been traced further back than the Mainz _Gesang-Buch_ of 1661, where it is styled “Hymn on the true Bread of Heaven.”

I

O Food for pilgrims pining!
O Bread for angels shining!
O Manna fresh from heaven!
In bountiful completeness,
O may Thy heavenly sweetness
To hungering hearts be given.

II

O Font of love surprising,
From Jesu’s heart uprising!
A pure refreshing flow;
Nought else our thirst allayeth—
For this the pilgrim prayeth—
This draught of love bestow.

III

Thy face we come revering,
O Jesus, now appearing
In sacramental rite.
O when in heaven, before it
Unveiled, may we adore it,
Our faith absorbed in sight.

JESU, DULCEDO CORDIUM

In the Paris Breviary of 1736, this is the hymn for Lauds for the festival of the Transfiguration. It is composed of six stanzas of the Gospel Rhythm of St. Bernard, beginning, _Jesu, dulcis memoria_, the fourth stanza of which begins, _Jesu, dulcedo Cordium_.

I

Jesu, delight of every heart,
Thou font of life, Thou source of light,
Earth can no joy so real impart,
No soul can form a hope so bright.

II

Abide with us, O Lord, we pray,
And cause Thy heavenly light to glow;
Drive from our minds the clouds away,
And let the world Thy sweetness know.

III

When Thou dost seek the humble heart,
Thy heavenly truth is freely given;
Then vanities of earth depart,
Then glows the fervent love of heaven.

IV

O Jesus, of Thy wondrous grace,
Make us Thy boundless love to know;
And when we see Thee face to face,
To us Thy matchless glory show.

V

They know how sweet the Lord can be,
Who deeply drink His love divine;
How blest, who find their all in Thee,
Nor thirst for other joys than Thine.

VI

O Thou the spring whence pity flows!
Light from the Fatherland to cheer!
To us Thy glorious light disclose,
Nor let dark clouds afflict us here.

VERBUM SUPERNUM PRODIENS

By St. Thomas of Aquino, the Angelical Doctor. Born about 1225-1227; educated in the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, and at the University of Naples. Having resolved to become a Dominican friar, St. Thomas, after much opposition from his family, took the vows of obedience, celibacy, and poverty at Naples, in 1243. The remainder of his life was spent in the service of the Church at Paris, Cologne, Rome, Naples, Bologna. When on his way to attend the Second Council of Lyons, he died in the Benedictine abbey of Fossa Nuova, in the diocese of Terracina, in 1274. This hymn was written about 1263 for the office for use on Corpus Christi. It is found in the Roman, Mozarabic, York, Sarum, Aberdeen, Paris, and other Breviaries, its primary use being at Lauds in Corpus Christi.

I

The Word, proceeding from above,
Yet still at God’s right hand in heaven,
Came to His work impelled by love,
And soon life’s day declined to even.

II

A traitor in His chosen band
Betrays his Lord to death and grave;
But ere He died, with His own hand
Himself as food to man He gave.

III

In double form the gift was made;
He gave them of His flesh and blood,
That so the feast His love purveyed,
Might prove for man sufficient food.

IV

By birth a friend in Him we find;
As food He fills the festal board;
In death the ransom of our kind;
In heaven He is our great reward.

V

O Saving Sacrifice! that made
The gates of heaven stand open wide,
Be Thou our strength, come to our aid,
When foes would crush on every side.

VI

To Thee, Good Shepherd, who for meat
Dost give Thy flesh to feed Thine own,
To Father, and to Paraclete,
Be praise through ages yet unknown.

_Death and Judgment_

GRAVI ME TERRORE PULSAS

By Peter Damiani. Born at Ravenna about 988; became a “religious” of the order of the Monks of the Holy Cross of Fontavellano, of which community he subsequently became the Superior, founding in his day five monasteries under the same rule; was induced by Pope Stephen IX. to accept the position of Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, an office he was allowed to resign by Pope Alexander II. in 1062. In retirement he lived a life of great asceticism and self-mortification. On his return journey from Ravenna, whither he had gone as Papal legate on a mission of inquiry and reform, he died of fever at Faenza, in the monastery of Our Lady, 1072.

I

Terror grim the soul oppresses
When the day of death is near;
Sighs the heart, the reins are sundered,
Quakes each part with anxious fear;
While the mind the woe detaileth
Of the conflict to appear.

II

Spectacle all woe inspiring
Who its terror can pourtray?
See, the course of life is ended,
And the sickening flesh gives way,
For the wrestling soul in triumph
Breaks the bands that bid her stay.

III

Sense decays, and fails expression;
Dark the world to melting eye;
And the troubled breast in anguish,
Gasping, breathes her burdened sigh;
Grace of form and glow of beauty,
From the withering body die.

IV

Thoughts, and words, and deeds forgotten,
Crowd around in grim array;
And unwilling eyes behold them,
Be they closed or turned away;
In the heart they seem to rankle,
Turn he wheresoe’er he may.

V

Vain the vow of new obedience—
Time for vowing is no more;
Vain the sorrow of repentance,
For the day of grace is o’er;
Conscience now the tortured sinner
Gnaws with pangs unfelt before.

VI

Draughts of sweet deluding pleasure
Give the bitter dregs at last;
Come, unending pain and anguish,
With the short-lived rapture past;
Then, what once appeared so worthy,
Is aside as worthless cast.

VII

Then, O Christ, Thou King victorious,
Come with succour in my plight;
When the soul is freed from bondage,
In its hour of darkest night;
Come, O Christ, Thy help extending,
Free me from the accuser’s might.

VIII

Headlong may the Prince of Darkness
With the hosts infernal fall!
Thou, the Shepherd of Salvation,
Bid me follow at Thy call,
To the land where fulness dwelleth,
And those eyes shall see it all.

APPROPINQUAT ENIM DIES IN QUA JUSTES ERIT QUIES

A cento taken from the hymn, _Heu! Heu! mala mundi vita_, published by Du Mévil in 1847, from a MS. of the twelfth century, in the National Library at Paris. The poem from which the cento is taken consists of nearly four hundred lines, and the cento begins at line 325.

I

Lo, the day, the day approacheth
When the just shall rest in peace,
When the patient souls shall triumph,
And the vile from troubling cease.

II

Day of life, who can abide it?
Day of light, unseen before;
Death, the fell destroyer, dieth,
Night and darkness are no more.

III

See He comes whom ages longed for—
Long expected King of kings—
Now He tarries not, and with Him
All His great salvation brings.

IV

O how blessed! O how joyful!
O what sweetness it shall be!
When the eyes of those who loved Him
Shall their Lord and Master see.

V

Jesus then with sweet affection,
And in tones of tenderest love,
Shall invite His faithful people
To the joys prepared above.

VI

“Ye who held My truth unsullied,
Faithful stood in world of sin,
Suffered for the name ye honoured,
See the joys ye sought to win.

VII

“See the heavenly kingdom promised,
Long reserved, but now revealed;
Now behold it, now possess it,
Now the princely sceptre wield.”

VIII

O how sweet our earthly losses,
In the midst of gain like this!
O how vain the world’s possessions,
At the cost of so much bliss!

IX

O how blessèd then the mourners,
Who for Christ earth’s sorrow bore,
By a scornful world neglected!
They shall reign for evermore.

X

Now no terror grim shall haunt them—
Tears and sorrows are no more;
Grinding want shall ne’er afflict them,
Crippled age nor weakness sore.

XI

Peace eternal there abideth,
Hearts with festive gladness bound;
There is youth with perfect vigour,
And with bloom unfading crowned.

XII

O just Judge! in boundless mercy
Call me heavenward by-and-by,
For my soul is faint with longing,
And I wait with tearful eye.

_Heaven_

JERUSALEM LUMINOSA VERÆ PACIS VISIO

The second in a group of three hymns, of all which the author is quite unknown. First published by Mone from a fifteenth century MS., at Karlsruhe. This hymn has for title in the original, _De Gloriâ Cœlestis Jerusalem quoad dotes Glorificati Corporis_—“Of the Glory of the Heavenly Jerusalem, so far as concerns the endowments of the Glorified Body,” and was a favourite at dedications and other festivals. All the three of the series will be found, with English renderings, in Dr. Neale’s “Hymns, chiefly Mediæval, on the Joys and Glories of Paradise.”

I

O city girt with glory!
Thou scene of quiet rest,
Where dwells the King Eternal—
O beautiful and blest!
Thy streets are filled with glorious song,
The praises of a myriad throng.

II

With stones of polished beauty
Is reared thy structure fair;
And gems, and gold, and crystal
Are sparkling everywhere;
With pearls thy gates are glittering gay,
And golden is thy bright highway.

III

For ever and in sweetness
Are Alleluias given;
Unending is the feast day,
The royal feast of heaven;
Whate’er within thy walls is stored,
Is pure and holy to the Lord.

IV

No clouds with sombre curtain
Thy glorious brightness screen;
There shines the Sun Eternal,
And aye at noonday seen;
There is no night to give repose,
For no one toil or trouble knows.

V

The vernal glow of springtime
Is bright and lasting there,
The wealth of summer’s richness
Is scattered everywhere;
And that fair realm can never know
The autumn’s blast or winter’s snow.

VI

The notes that fall in sweetness,
Where birds in woodland sing;
The sounds of softest music,
That winds in summer bring,
Are wafted o’er that city bright,
In strains of unalloyed delight.

VII

There youth adorned with vigour
Ne’er into age declines;
No aged fears the mortal,
Nor for the past repines;
For past and future are unknown:
The present reigns in heaven alone.

VIII

No fleshly law can triumph,
And over reason ride;
With bodies pure and stainless
The spirit shall abide;
And power of flesh, and power of will,
Shall both one common law fulfil.

IX

O bright the heavenly glory,
This fragile frame shall wear,
When health, and strength, and freedom
Shall crown with beauty rare;
And pleasure’s draughts no sorrow know,
But everlasting joys bestow.

X

Now gladly bear the burden;
With zeal thy task maintain,
And gifts shall crown thy labour,
And all thy loss be gain,
When decked with splendour thou shalt be,
Where glory dwells eternally.

URBS BEATA HIERUSALEM, Part I

The author of this fine old rugged hymn is unknown. It is conjectured to be of sixth- or seventh-century date. It passed into many mediæval Breviaries, sometimes entire, but often divided into two parts. It was largely used for the dedication of churches.