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LATIN HYMNS

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS ATTRIBUTED TO NICETA OF REMISIANA

[4th Century]

E praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.

To thee Churubin and Seraphin continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee.

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee.

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee.

The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee;

The Father, of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true, and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ!

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the Glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints in glory ever

lasting.

O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage.

Govern them, and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy Name, ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS

ATTRIBUTED TO CHARLEMAGNE. Tr. JOHN Dryden
[742-814]

CREATOR SPIRIT, by whose aid

The world's foundations first were laid,

Come, visit every pious mind;

Come, pour thy joys on human kind;

From sin and sorrow set us free,
And make thy temples worthy thee.
O source of uncreated light,
The Father's promised Paraclete,
Thrice holy fount, thrice holy fire,
Our hearts with heavenly love inspire;
Come, and thy sacred unction bring

To sanctify us while we sing.

Plenteous of grace, descend from high,

Rich in thy sevenfold energy;

Thou strength of his almighty hand,

Whose power does heaven and earth command,

Proceeding Spirit, our defence,

Who dost the gift of tongues dispense,
And crown'st thy gift with eloquence.
Refine and purge our earthy parts,
But O, inflame and fire our hearts,
Our frailities help, our vice control;

Submit the senses to the soul,
And, when rebellious they are grown,
Then lay thy hand, and hold them down.
Chase from our minds the infernal foe,
And peace, the fruit of love, bestow;
And, lest our feet should step astray,
Protect and guide us in the way;

Make us eternal truths receive
And practise all that we believe.
Give us thyself, that we may see
The Father and the Son by thee.
Immortal honour, endless fame,
Attend the Almighty Father's name:
The Saviour Son be glorified,
Who for lost man's redemption died;
And equal adoration be,

Eternal Paraclete, to thee.

HIC BREVE VIVITUR

FROM "DE CONTEMPTU MUNDI BY BERNARD OF MORLAIX. Tr. J. M. NEALE

[cir. 1125]

BRIEF life is here our portion,
Brief sorrow, short-lived care;
The life that knows no ending,
The tearless life, is there.

And after fleshly scandal,

And after this world's night,
And after storm and whirlwind,
Is calm and joy and light.

There grief is turned to pleasure,
Such pleasure as, below,

No human voice can utter,

No human heart can know:

The peace of all the faithful,
The calm of all the blest,
Inviolate, unvaried,

Divinest, sweetest, best.

That peace, but who may claim it?
The guileless in their way,
Who keep the ranks of battle,
Who mean the thing they say.

Strive, man, to win that glory,
Toil, man, to gain that light,
Send hope before to grasp it,
Till hope be lost in sight!

URBS SION AUREA

FROM THE SAME

JERUSALEM the golden,

With milk and honey blest, Beneath thy contemplation

Sink heart and voice oppressed I know not, O, I know not, What social joys are there, What radiancy of glory,

What light beyond compare!

They stand, those halls of Zion,
Conjubilant with song,

And bright with many an angel
And all the martyr throng.
And they who, with their Leader,
Have conquered in the fight,
Forever and forever

Are clad in robes of white.

Jerusalem the glorious,

The glory of the elect,

HC XLV (3)

O dear and future vision

That eager hearts expect,
New mansion of new people,

Whom God's own love and light
Promote, increase, make holy,
Identify, unite!

JESU, DULCIS MEMORIA

ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX. Tr. E. CASWALL

[1091-1153]

JESU, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far Thy Face to see,
And in Thy Presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find

A sweeter sound than Jesu's Name,
The Saviour of mankind.

O Hope of every contrite heart,

O Joy of all the meek,

To those who ask how kind Thou art,
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show;

The love of Jesus, what it is

None but His loved ones know.

Jesu, our only Joy be Thou,
As Thou our Prize wilt be:

In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.