Hymns of the Early Church: being translations from the poetry of the Latin church, arranged in the order of the Christian yearBrownlie, John
Religion
Hymns of the Early Church: being translations from the poetry of the Latin church, arranged in the order of the Christian year
Brownlie, John
Hymns, Latin -- Translations into English
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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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