Deus creator omnium / O God, Who Made the Universe

Through the Year. Sundays 1 and 3. I Vespers. 

Deus, Creator omnium, polisque rector, vestiens diem decore lumine, noctem soporis gratia.   Artus solutos ut quies reddat laboris usui mentesque fessas allevet luctusque solvat anxios.  Grates peracto iam die et noctis exortu preces, voti reos ut adiuves, hymnum canentes solvimus. Te cordis ima concinant, te vox canora concrepet, te diligat castus amor, te mens adoret sobria.    Ut cum profunda clauserit diem caligo noctium, fides tenebras nesciat et nox fide reluceat. Dormire mentem ne sinas, dormire culpa noverit; castos fides refrigerans somni vaporem temperet. Exuta sensu lubrico te cordis alta somnient, ne hostis invidi dolo pavor quietos suscitet. Christum rogamus et Patrem  Christi Patrisque Spiritum; unum potens in omnia fove precantes, Trinitas. Amen..

O God, who made the universe, And Ruler of the sky, who dress The day with fair and gladsome light, The night with grace of restfulness; May rest our wearied limbs restore Once more to their activity; Relieve the weakness of our minds; From troub'ling sorrow set us free. With grateful prayers we sing a hymn As daylight ends and night begins; Thus we fulfill our vows to you, That you might take away our sins.   To you, may hearts in harmony, To you, their tuneful voices ring; In you may love find pure delight, Your praise the sober spirit sing.    That, when the deepest, darkest night Has closed around and covered day, May faith no doubt or darkness know, And night, by faith, true light display. Do not allow the soul to sleep, But let wrongdoing sleep again; Let faith, which keeps us chaste and cool, In sleep the warmth of sense restrain. Stripped of deception, let the heart At rest profoundly dream of you, Lest terror of the ancient foe Deceive, and evil wake anew. We pray the Father and his Christ, And Spirit, joined in unity, One God, who rules in ev'rything: Tend to us all, O Trinity. Amen.

Copyright 2020 Fr. Thomas Buffer

Fulgentis auctor aetheris / Creator of the Shining Sky

Through the Year. Wednesdays 2 and 4. Lauds. 

Fulgentis auctor aetheris, qui lunam lumen noctibus, solem dierum cursibus certo fundasti tramite   Nox atra iam depellitur, mundi nitor renascitur, novusque iam mentis vigor dulces in actus erigit.  Laudes sonare iam tuas dies relatus admonet, vultus caeli blandior nostra serenat pectora. Vitemus omne lubricum declinet prava spiritus, vitam facta non inquinent, linguam culpa non implicet;    Sed, sol diem dum conficit, fides profunda ferveat, spes ad promissa provocet, Christo coniugat caritas. Praesta, Pater piissime, Patrique compar Unice, cum Spiritu Paraclito regnans per omne saeculum. Amen..

Creator of the shining sky, Who made the lamps to shine on high, And set their ways: the moon for nights, The sun for days, to be their lights. Dark night is driven far away, Earth's splendor is reborn with day; New vigor makes our spirit strong For pleasant labors, all day long.  The day, returning, prompts all men To make your praises sound again. The sky grows clearer; at the sight Our spirits, too, become more light.   All harmful error let us flee, The soul ward off iniquity; No sinful deed our life defile, No guiltiness the tongue beguile.    But, as the sun the new day starts, Let burning faith inflame our hearts; To future gifts let hope incite, And charity to Christ unite. O grant it, Father, only Son, And Holy Spirit with them one: The God we worship and adore, For ever and forevermore. Amen.

Copyright 2021 Fr. Thomas Buffer

Diei luce reddita / The Light of Day Has Been Restored

Through the Year. Saturdays 2 and 4. Lauds. 

Diei luce reddita, laetis gratisque vocibus Dei canamus gloriam, Christi fatentes gratiam,  Per quem creator omnium diem noctemque condidit, aeterna lege sanciens ut semper succedant sibi.  Tu vera lux fidelium, quem lex veterna non tenet, noctis nec ortu succidens, aeterno fulgens lumine.  Praesta, Pater ingenite, totum ducamus iugiter Christo placentes hunc diem Sancto repleti Spiritu. Amen..

The light of day has been restored; With grateful voice we praise the Lord, With joyful hearts his glory sing, The grace of Christ acknowledging.  For God, who made all things in might, Through Him created day and night, And by eternal law decreed That one the other should succeed.  That ancient law does not control The Light of ev'ry faithful soul. You do not fade at rise of night, But glow with everlasting light.    O unbegotten Father, pray, Grant us the grace throughout the day To please your Christ in ev'ry hour, Filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Amen.

Copyright 2021 Fr. Thomas Buffer

Sol, ecce, lentus occidens / Behold the Slowly Setting Sun

Through the Year. Wednesdays 2 and 4. Vespers. 

Sol, ecce, lentus occidens

montes et arva et aequora

maestus relinquit, innovat

sed lucis omen crastinae.
    Behold the slowly setting sun
    Leave field and sea and mountain height;
    It goes with sadness, but renews
    The promise of tomorrow’s light.

Mirantibus mortalibus
sic te, Creator provide,
leges vicesque temporum
umbris dedisse et lumini. 
    O provident Creator, thus,
    As mortals wonder, you arrange
    The laws of time, and order how
    The dark and light their place exchange.

Ac dum, tenebris aethera,
silentio prementibus,
vigor laborum deficit,
quies cupita quaeritur,
    While darkness moves in silently,
    The light of heaven to enclose,
    Our strength for work begins to fail;
    We long for rest and seek repose.

Spe nos fideque divites
tui beamur lumine
Verbi, quod est a saeculis
splendor paternae gloriae.
    May we be rich in faith and hope
    And find contentment in the light
    Of your own Word, who always shines,
    Light of the Father’s glory bright.

Est ille sol qui nesciat
ortum vel umquam vesperum;
quo terra gestit contegi,
quo caeli in aevum iubilant.
    He is that sun who knows no rise,
    No setting does his splendor know,
    But covers earth and makes it glad,
    And heaven revels in its glow.

Hac nos serena perpetim
da luce tandem perfrui,
cum Nato et almo Spiritu
tibi novantes cantica. Amen.
    Grant us, that we may endlessly
    Enjoy this light at last with you,
    And with the Son and Spirit blest,
    To you our songs of praise renew. Amen.

Copyright 2020 Thomas Buffer

All Rights Reserved

Sator princepsque temporum / Creator, Lord of Time and Tide

Through the Year. Tuesdays 2 and 4. Vespers. 

Sator princepsque temporum, clarum diem laboribus noctemque qui soporibus fixo distinguis ordine Mentem tu castam dirige, obscura ne silentia ad dira cordis vulnera telis patescant invidi. Vacent ardore pectora, faces nec ullas perferant, quae nostro haerentes sensui mentis vigorem saucient. Praesta, Pater piissime, Patrique compar Unice, cum Spiritu Paraclito regnans per omne saeculum. Amen.

Creator, Lord of time and tide,  The hours in order you divide: For work, you give us daytime bright; For rest, the quiet sleep of night. The inner self keep pure from sin, Lest silent darkness, deep within Expose the heart to wound and woe, From deadly arrows of the foe. Let passion's fire from us depart Lest, burning brightly in the heart, Its flames around our feelings bind And wound the vigor of the mind. O grant it, Father, only Son, And Spirit ever with them one; The God whom all things must obey, Reigning in everlasting day. Amen.

Copyright 2005 Fr. Thomas Buffer

Caeli Deus sanctissime

Here is another hymn for Vespers. I am not totally satisfied with the translation of the first verse. But I am stuck.

Caeli Deus sanctissime, qui lucidum centrum poli candore pingis igneo augens decori lumine.	Most holy God of heaven high, Who made the circle of the sky: You paint it now with burning light, To make it greater and more bright;
Quarto die qui flammeam solis rotam constituens, lunae ministras ordini, vagos recursus siderum,	Who, on the fourth day, set aflame The sun’s great wheel, and rule the same,  The phases of the moon you guide, And stars that wander far and wide,
Ut noctibus, vel lumini diremptionis terminum, primordiis et mensium signum dares notissimum:	To give both night and day a line Dividing dark from light: a sign Most evident to sight and sense, To mark the months as they commence.
Illumina cor hominum, absterge sordes mentium, resolve culpae vinculum, everte moles criminum.	Illuminate the hearts of men, Their unclean minds make pure again. Untie the chains of guilt within, Cast down the heaped-up hills of sin.
Praesta, Pater piissime, Patrique compar Unice, cum Spiritu Paraclito regnans per omne saeculum.	Grant it, dear Father, ever one With Christ our Lord, your only Son, And with the Spirit equally, Ruling for all eternity. Amen.

Immense caeli conditor

While I am on sabbatical I have turned my hand once more to the translation of Breviary hymns. The goal is an accurate translation that is poetic and singable. And it has to rhyme. Today's hymn, which refers to the setting up of a firmament between the waters above and waters below on the second day of creation, is fittingly sung on the second day of the week (Monday) in weeks one and three of Ordinary Time.

Immense caeli conditor, qui, mixta ne confunderent, aquae fluenta dividens, caelum dedisti limitem,	Boundless Creator, wise and great, Who made the sky to separate Waters above from those below, Lest one into the other flow,
Firmans locum caelestibus, simulque terrae rivulis, ut unda flammas temperet, terrae solum ne dissipet:	You made one place for clouds and rain, And one for river, stream, and plain, That water might the heat allay, Lest earth dry up and blow away.
Infunde nunc, piissime, donum perennis gratiae, fraudis novae ne casibus nos error atterat vetus.	Into our hearts with kindness pour The gift of grace forevermore, Lest ancient wrong find some new way To snare your flock and make them stray
Lucem fides inveniat, sic luminis iubar ferat; haec vana cuncta terreat, hanc falsa nulla comprimant	So may our faith discover light, And bear aloft its lantern bright. This light deceit cannot abide, Nor empty words its splendor hide.
Praesta, Pater piissime, Patrique compar Unice, cum Spiritu Paraclito regnans per omne saeculum. Amen	Grant it, dear Father, ever one With Christ our Lord, your only Son, And with the Spirit equally, Ruling for all eternity. Amen.
	Copyright 2012 Thomas Buffer

Veni Redemptor Gentium

As one who has tried his hand at translating Latin breviary hymns into rhymed English verse, I am in awe of the 19th century Englishmen who did the same but made it look effortless. Here is an example of the astounding cleverness and sensitivity of John Mason Neale: his translation of Veni Redemptor Gentium of St. Ambrose of Milan, the hymn appointed for the Office of Readings in the latter part of Advent. He has managed to omit nothing of the Latin's content in verses that scan perfectly, rhyme, and sing well. Nothing is forced or artful; nothing hints that the English is a translation. Art concealeth art. Or, as we say today: You da man.

VENI, redemptor gentium, ostende partum Virginis; miretur omne saeculum: talis decet partus Deum.	COME, Thou Redeemer of the earth, and manifest thy virgin-birth. Let every age adoring fall: such birth befits the God of all.
Non ex virili semine, sed mystico spiramine Verbum Dei factum est caro fructusque ventris floruit.	Begotten of no human will but of the Spirit, Thou art still the Word of God in flesh arrayed, the promised fruit to man displayed.
Alvus tumescit Virginis, claustrum pudoris permanet, vexilla virtutum micant, versatur in templo Deus.	The Virgin's womb that burden gained, With virgin honor all unstained. The banners there of virtue glow; God in his temple dwells below.
Procedat e thalamo suo, pudoris aula regia, geminae gigas substantiae alacris ut currat viam.	Forth from His chamber goeth He, That royal home of purity a giant in twofold substance one, rejoicing now His course to run.
Aequalis aeterno Patri, carnis tropaeo cingere, infirma nostri corporis virtute firmans perpeti.	O equal to the Father, Thou! gird on Thy fleshly mantle now; the weakness of our mortal state with deathless might invigorate.
Praesepe iam fulget tuum lumenque nox spirat novum, quod nulla nox interpolet fideque iugi luceat.	Thy cradle here shall glitter bright, and darkness breathe a newer light where endless faith shall shine serene and twilight never intervene.
Sit, Christe, rex piissime, tibi Patrique gloria cum Spiritu Paraclito, in sempiterna saecula. Amen.	O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee Eternal praise and glory be, Whom with the Father we adore And Holy Spirit, evermore. Amen.

P.S. One stanza is left out because by the time I figured out how to do tables I was near tearing my hair out with rage.

Sator princepsque temporum

From deep down in the file cabinet, another breviary hymn translation. This hymn is prescribed for Vespers on Tuesday, Weeks Two and Four of the Psalter. You will note that I came up with two different ways to translate "mens," the meaning of which goes beyond the usual English sense of the word "mind" to include the inner, spiritual part of man, the seat not only of the intellect but of the will, virtues, spiritual relationships, etc.

Sator princepsque temporum, clarum diem laboribus noctemque qui soporibus fixo distinguis ordine. Mentem tu castam dirige, obscura ne silentia ad dira cordis vulnera telis patescant invidi. Vacent ardore pectora, faces nec ullas perferant, quae nostro haerentes sensui mentis vigorem saucient. Praesta, Pater piissime, Patrique compar Unice, cum Spiritu Paraclito regnans per omne saeculum. Amen.

Creator, Lord of time and tide The hours in order you divide: For work, you give us daytime bright; For rest, the quiet sleep of night. The inner self keep pure from sin, Lest silent darkness deep within Expose the heart to wound and woe From deadly arrows of the foe. Let passion’s fire from us depart, Lest, burning hotly in the heart, Its flames around our feelings bind, And wound the vigor of the mind. O grant it, Father, only Son, And Holy Spirit with them one: The God whom all things must obey, Reigning in everlasting day. Amen.

translation copyright 2005, Fr. Thomas Buffer

A Hymn for the Faithful Departed

As others may have noted, Christians have been dying for about two thousand years now. Given this fact, one would think there would be more hymns suitable for All Souls Day. But I have found very few. In 2008 All Souls Day fell on a Sunday and this help to focus my mind on the theme. I found a suitable text, written by an Anglican missionary (onetime chaplain to the Bishop of Zanzibar) who first composed the lyrics in Swahili before making his own translation into English. A setting of the beautiful text to a tune of my own devising may be found here.

Jesus, Son of Mary, fount of life alone,
here we hail thee present on thine altar-throne.
Humbly we adore thee, Lord of endless might,
in the mystic symbols veiled from earthly sight.

Think, O Lord, in mercy on the souls of those
who, in faith gone from us, now in death repose.
Here 'mid stress and conflict toils can never cease;
there, the warfare ended, bid them rest in peace.

Often were they wounded in the deadly strife;
heal them, good Physician, with the balm of life.
Every taint of evil, frailty and decay,
good and gracious Savior, cleanse and purge away.

Rest eternal grant unto them, after weary fight;
shed on them the radiance of thy heavenly light.
Lead them onward, upward, to the holy place,
where thy saints made perfect gaze upon thy face.

Words: Edmund S. Palmer, 1902, 1906
based on the author's original text in Swahili

Deus, qui caeli lumen es

Another hymn translation made at the request of Father Samuel Weber, OSB, who asked that the translation be in rhyming couplets in the same meter as the original. He got the latter but not the former. I opted for an ABAB rhyme scheme, partly out of sprezzatura.

Deus, qui caeli lumen es satorque lucis, qui polum paterno fultum bracchio praeclara pandis dextera. Aurora stellas iam tegit rubrum sustollens gurgitem, umectis atque flatibus terram baptizans roribus. Iam noctis umbra linquitur, polum caligo deserit, typusque Christi, lucifer diem sopitum suscitat. Dies dierum tu, Deus, lucisque lumen ipse es, Unum potens per omnia, potens in unum Trinitas. Te nunc, Salvator, quaesumus tibique genu flectimus Patrem cum Sancto Spiritu totis laudantes vocibus. Amen.

O God, the lamp of heaven high And source of light: your shining hand Unrolls the banner of the sky, Upholding it above the land. Dawn, casting up a crimson tide, Has veiled the stars that saw its rise; The morning breezes, far and wide, With dewy breath the earth baptize. The darkness from the sky has gone As nightly shadows pass away; The morning star, sign of the Son, Arising, wakes the sleepy day. O God, O radiance wonderful, Most glorious day and fairest light: One God, in all things powerful, Three Persons, matchless in one might! To you, Our Savior, brightest, best, On bended knee our prayer we raise; To Father and to Spirit blest, With all our power, we offer praise. Amen.

Translation copyright 2005 Fr. Thomas Buffer

Nox atra rerum

A few years ago, Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB, asked me to translate some Latin breviary hymns into rhyming English. Here is one example. Others may be found in The Mundelein Psalter.

Nox atra rerum contegit terrae colores omnium: nos confitentes poscimus te, iuste iudex cordium, Ut auferas piacula sordesque mentis abluas, donesque, Christe, gratiam ut arceantur crimina. Mens, ecce, torpet impia, quam culpa mordet noxia; obscura gestit tollere et te, Redemptor, quaerere. Repelle tu caliginem intrinsecus quam maxime, ut in beato gaudeat se collocari lumine. Sit, Christe, rex piissime, tibi Patrique gloria cum Spiritu Sancto Paraclito, in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

As earth and all its colors bright Are covered by the black of night, We make our prayer and offer praise To you, just Judge of all our ways: That you would take away our sin, And wash us clean from stain within, And give, O Christ, the grace we need To hold off every harmful deed. Redeemer, see, the mind beset By wickedness grows dull; and yet It longs to put dark works away, To seek you by the light of day. Drive out the darkness from our heart, From every corner let it part; Then shall the heart be truly blessed Within your light to find its rest. To you, O Christ, most kindly King, And to the Father praise we sing; The Spirit, too, we glorify, In songs that never fade or die. Amen.

Copyright 2005 Fr. Thomas Buffer