Hymnus Omnis Horae

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Da puer plectrum, choreis ut canam fidelibus

Author: Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

Da puer plectrum, choreis ut canam fidelibus
dulce carmen et melodum, gesta Christi insignia:
hunc camena nostra solum pangat, hunc laudet lyra.

Christus est, quem rex sacerdos adfuturum protinus
5infulatus concinebat voce, chorda et tympano,
spiritum caelo influentem per medullas hauriens.

Facta nos et iam probata pangimus miracula,
testis orbis est, nec ipsa terra, quod vidit, negat,
cominus Deum docendis proditum mortalibus.

10Corde natus ex parentis, ante mundi exordium
alpha et Ω cognominatus, ipse fons et clausula
omnium, quae sunt, fuerunt quaeque post futura sunt.

Ipse iussit et creata, dixit ipse, et facta sunt
terra, caelum, fossa ponti, trina rerum machina,
15quaeque in his vigent sub alto solis et lunae globo.

Corporis formam caduci, membra morti obnoxia
induit, ne gens periret primoplasti ex germine,
merserat quam lex profundo noxialis tartaro.

O beatus ortus ille, virgo cum puerpera
20edidit nostram salutem feta sancto spiritu,
et puer redemptor orbis os sacratum protulit.

Psallat altitudo caeli, psallite omnes angeli,
quidquid est virtutis usquam psallat in laudem Dei:
nulla linguarum silescat, vox et omnis consonet.

25Ecce quem vates vetustis concinebant seculis,
quem prophetarum fideles paginae spoponderant,
emicat promissus olim: cuncta conlaudent eum.

Cantharis infusa lympha fit Falernum nobile,
nuntiat vinum minister esse promptum ex hydria,
30ipse rex sapore tinctis obstupescit poculis.

Membra morbis ulcerosa, viscerum putredines
mando, ut abluantur, inquit; fit ratum, quod iusserat,
turgidam cutem repurgant vulnerum piamina.

Tu perennibus tenebris iam sepulta lumina
35inlinis limo salubri, sacri et oris nectare,
mox apertis hac medela lux reducta est orbibus.

Increpas ventum furentem, quod procellis tristibus
vertat aequor fundo ab imo, vexet et vagam ratem:
ille iussis obsecundat, mitis unda sternitur.

40Extimum vestis sacratae furtim mulier attigit,
protinus salus secuta est, ora pallor deserit,
sistitur rivus, cruore qui fluebat perpeti.

Exitu dulcis iuventae raptum ephebum viderat,
orba quem mater supremis funerabat fletibus:
45surge, dixit: ille surgit, matri et adstans redditur.

Sole iam quarto carentem, iam sepulcro absconditum
Lazarum iubet vigere reddito spiramine:
fetidum iecur reductus rursus intrat halitus.

Ambulat per stagna ponti, summa calcat fluctuum,
50mobilis liquor profundi pendulam praestat viam,
nec fatiscit unda sanctis pressa sub vestigiis.

Suetus antro bustuali sub catenis frendere,
mentis inpos efferatis percitus furoribus
prosilit ruitque supplex, Christum adesse ut senserat.

55Pulsa pestis lubricorum milleformis daemonum
conripit gregis suilli sordida spurcamina,
seque nigris mergit undis et pecus lymphaticum.

Quinque panibus peresis et gemellis piscibus
adfatim refecta iam sunt adcubantum milia,
60fertque qualus ter quaternus ferculorum fragmina.

Tu cibus panisque noster, tu perennis suavitas;
nescit esurire in aevum, qui tuam sumit dapem,
nec lacunam ventris inplet, sed fovet vitalia.

Clausus aurium meatus et sonorum nescius
65purgat ad praecepta Christi crassa quaeque obstacula,
vocibus capax fruendis ac susurris pervius.

Omnis aegritudo cedit, languor omnis pellitur,
lingua fatur, quam veterna vinxerant silentia,
gestat et suum per urbem laetus aeger lectulum.

70Quin et ipsum, ne salutis inferi expertes forent,
tartarum benignus intrat, fracta cedit ianua,
vectibus cadit revulsis cardo indissolubilis.

Illa prompta ad inruentes, ad revertentes tenax,
obice extrorsum repulso porta reddit mortuos:
75lege versa et limen atrum iam recalcandum patet.

Sed Deus dum luce fulva mortis antra inluminat,
dum stupentibus tenebris candidum praestat diem,
tristia squalentis aethrae palluerunt sidera.

Sol refugit et lugubri sordidus ferrugine
80igneum reliquit axem seque maerens abdidit:
fertur horruisse mundus noctis aeternae chaos.

Solve vocem mens sonoram, solve linguam mobilem,
dic tropaeum passionis, dic triumphalem crucem,
pange vexillum, notatis quod refulget frontibus.

85O novum caede stupenda vulneris miraculum!
hinc cruoris fluxit unda, lympha parte ex altera:
lympha nempe dat lavacrum, tum corona ex sanguine est.

Vidit anguis inmolatam corporis sacri hostiam,
vidit et fellis perusti mox venenum perdidit,
90saucius dolore multo colla fractus sibilat.

Quid tibi, profane serpens, profuit, rebus novis
plasma primum perculisse versipelli hortamine?
diluit culpam recepto forma mortalis Deo.

Ad brevem se mortis usum dux salutis dedidit,
95mortuos olim sepultos ut redire insuesceret,
dissolutis pristinorum vinculis peccaminum.

Tunc patres sanctique multi conditorem praevium
iam revertentem secuti tertio demum die
carnis indumenta sumunt, eque bustis prodeunt.

100Cerneres coire membra de favillis aridis,
frigidum venis resumptis pulverem tepescere,
ossa, nervos, ac medullas glutino cutis tegi.

Post, ut occasum resolvit vitae et hominem reddidit,
arduum tribunal victor adscendit Patris,
105inclitam caelo reportans passionis gloriam.

Macte index mortuorum, macte rex viventium,
dexter in parentis arce qui cluis virtutibus
omnium venturus inde iustus ultor criminum.

Te senes et te iuventus, parvulorum te chorus,
110turba matrum virginumque simplices puellulae,
voce concordes pudicis perstrepant concentibus.

Fluminum lapsus et undae, littorum crepidines,
imber, aestus, nix, pruina, silva, et aura, nox, dies,
omnibus te concelebrent seculorum seculis.

Hymns of Prudentius, 1905

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Author: Aurelius Clemens Prudentius

Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, "The Christian Pindar" was born in northern Spain, a magistrate whose religious convictions came late in life. His subsequent sacred poems were literary and personal, not, like those of St. Ambrose, designed for singing. Selections from them soon entered the Mozarabic rite, however, and have since remained exquisite treasures of the Western churches. His Cathemerinon liber, Peristephanon, and Psychomachia were among the most widely read books of the Middle Ages. A concordance to his works was published by the Medieval Academy of America in 1932. There is a considerable literature on his works. --The Hymnal 1940 Companion… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Da puer plectrum, choreis ut canam fidelibus
Title:	Hymnus Omnis Horae
Author:	Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
Language:	Latin

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Notes

Da puer plectrum, choreis ut canam fidelibus. A. C. Prudentius. [Miracles of Christ.] This poem, written at the beginning of the 5th century, is given in all editions of Prudentius's Works (Cathemerinon, No. 9), including that published in Rome, 1789, London, Valpy, 1824, vol. i. p. 123. It is also in a manuscript of the 5th century in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (8084 f. 29 b.). From this poem the hymn, Corde natus ex Parentis, ante mundi exordium (the translations of which are annotated below), is taken. It usually consists of lines 10-12, 19-27, and 109-111, with slight alterations. In the York Breviary it is given at Compline for the Vigil of Christmas, and from thence to the Octave of the Epiphany. In the Hereford Breviary it is given for Prime. Daniel, i., No. 106, gives the text, together with an extended note relating to various readings, &c. The "Corde natus" text is also in a manuscript of the 11th century in the British Museum (Harl. 29GX f. 228); and in a manuscript of the 11th century at St. Gall. (No. 413); Simrock, p. 38; Bässler, No. 43; Königsfeld, i. p. 40 (with German tr.); Card. Newman's Hymni Ecclesiae, 1838 and 1865; and others. The hymn in the Mozarahic Breviary "Psallat altitudo coeli" (Toledo, 1502 f. 131) is also from this poem. In the Hereford Breviary there are also three other centos from this poem, viz.: (1) "Corporis formam" for Terce; (2) "Ecce quern vates" for Sext; and (3) "Juste Judex" for None. [Rev. W. A. Shoults, B.D.]
Translations in common use of Corde natus:—
1. Of the Father sole begotten. By J. M, Neale, in the enlarged edition of the Hymnal Noted, 1804, (1st edition 1852), in 6 stanzas of 6 lines with the refrain, "Evermore, and evermore." This refrain and the doxology are not in the original. This translation is repeated in later editions of the Hymnal Noted, the People's Hymnal, 1867, the Hymnary, 1872, &c. It is to be noted that some of the lines in this translation are from Beresford Hope's translation of the same text in his Hymns of the Church, 1844. In the Parish Hymn Book. it is given as "Of the Father's self begotten." In Laudes Domine, N.Y., 1884, begins with stanza ii., "He is here, whom Seers in old time."
2. Born of God the Father's bosom. This translation appeared in the Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, and again in J. Keble's Miscellaneous Poems, 1869. It is an alteration of Dr. Neale's translation made by Keble for the Salisbury Hymn Book.
3. Of the Father's love begotten. This translation was given in the trial edition of Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1859, as "Of the Father's will begotten," but in the first edition of 1861 it was given in its well-known form in 9 stanzas of 6 lines with the refrain, the additional stanzas being supplied by the Hereford Breviary text. The Hymns Ancient & Modern translation by Dr. Neale and Sir H. W. Baker is thus composed:—i. Neale; altered ii., iii., Baker; iv.-vi., Neale altered; vii., Baker; viii., Neale altered; ix., Baker. This arrangement was repeated in the revised Hymns Ancient & Modern 1875, and is the most popular translation of the hymn in common use. Usually, however, compilers introduce changes and abbreviations in their own account, and not always to the advantage of the hymn. These changes are easily found by collating any given text with Hymns Ancient & Modern.
Translations not in common use: —
1. Son Eternal of the Father. Hope. 1844.
2. Ye! from the Almighty mind He sprung. (Hereford Breviary text.) Hymnarium Anglicanum. 1844.
3. Offspring of The Eternal Father. J. D. Chambers. 1857.
4. Of the Father's heart begotten. W. J. Blew. 1852-55.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Da, puer, plectrum, p. 276, i. This is translation by Mr. K. F. Davis in his Hymns of Prudentius, 1905, pp. 95-109. Nine stanzas of the Corde natus portion, beginning "Of the Father's heart begotten, Ere the world from chaos rose," are in The English Hymnal, 1906, slightly altered by the author. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

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