Nagyszombat

hic et nunc, quotation, zene, 20090411

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens,

V. HYMNUS AD INCENSUM LUCERNAE       V. HYMN FOR THE LIGHTING OF THE LAMPS
         
Inventor rutili, dux bone, luminis,
qui certis vicibus tempora dividis,
merso sole chaos ingruit horridum,
lucem redde tuis Christe fidelibus.

Quamvis innumero sidere regiam
lunarique polum lampade pinxeris,
incussu silicis lumina nos tamen
monstras saxigeno semine quaerere:

Ne nesciret homo spem sibi luminis
in Christi solido corpore conditam,
qui dici stabilem se voluit petram,
nostris igniculis unde genus venit.

      Blest Lord, Creator of the glowing light,
At Whose behest the hours successive move,
The sun has set: black darkness broods above:
Christ! light Thy faithful through the coming night.

Thy courts are lit with stars unnumbered,
And in the cloudless vault the pale moon rides;
Yet Thou dost bid us seek the fire that hides
Till swift we strike it from its flinty bed.

So man may learn that in Christ’s body came
The hidden hope of light to mortals given:
He is the Rock — ’tis His own word — that riven
Sends forth to all our race the eternal flame.

        Translated by R. Martin Pope

 




 

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