The Hymns of Prudentius Part 12

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

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 purgat ad praecepta Christi cra.s.sa quaeque obstacula, 65 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.

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

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

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 igneum reliquit axem seque maerens abdidit: 80 fertur horruisse mundus noctis aeternae chaos.

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

O novum caede stupenda vulneris miraculum! 85 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, saucius dolore multo colla fractus sibilat. 90

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, mortuos olim sepultos ut redire insuesceret, 95 dissolutis pristinorum vinculis peccaminum.

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

Cerneres coire membra de favillis aridis, 100 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, inc.l.i.tam caelo reportans pa.s.sionis gloriam. 105

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, turba matrum virginumque simplices puellulae, 110 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.

IX. HYMN FOR ALL HOURS

Let me chant in sacred numbers, as I strike each sounding string, Chant in sweet, melodious anthems, glorious deeds of Christ our King; He, my Muse, shall be thy story; with His praise my lyre shall ring.

When the king in priestly raiment sang the Christ that was to be, Voice and lute and clashing cymbal joined in joyous harmony, While the Spirit, heaven-descended, touched his lips to prophecy.

Sing we now the works sure proven, wrought of G.o.d in mystic wise; Heaven is witness; earth confesses how she saw with wondering eyes G.o.d Himself with mortals mingling, man to teach in human guise.

Of the Father's heart begotten, ere the world from chaos rose, He is Alpha; from that Fountain all that is and hath been flows; He is Omega, of all things yet to come the mystic Close.

By His word was all created; He commands and lo! 'tis done; Earth and sky and boundless ocean, universe of three in one, All that sees the moon's soft radiance, all that breathes beneath the sun.

He a.s.sumed this mortal body, frail and feeble, doomed to die, That the race from dust created might not perish utterly, Which the dreadful Law had sentenced in the depths of h.e.l.l to lie.

O how blest that wondrous birthday, when the Maid the curse retrieved, Brought to birth mankind's salvation, by the Holy Ghost conceived; And the sacred Babe, Redeemer of the world, her arms received.

Sing, ye heights of heaven, His praises; angels and archangels, sing!

Wheresoe'er ye be, ye faithful, let your joyous anthems ring, Every tongue His name confessing, countless voices answering.

This is He whom seer and sibyl sang in ages long gone by; This is He of old revealed in the page of prophecy; Lo! He comes, the promised Saviour; let the world His praises cry!

In the urns the clear, cold water turns to juice of n.o.blest vine, And the servant, drawing from them, starts to see the generous wine, While the host, its savour tasting, wonders at the draught divine.

To the leper worn and wasted, white with many a loathsome sore, "Be thou cleansed," He said; "I bid it!" swift 'tis done, His words restore; To the priest the gift he offers, clean and healthful as of yore.

On the eyes long sealed in darkness, buried in unbroken night, Thou didst spread Thy lips' sweet nectar, mixed with clay: then came the sight, As Thy gracious touch all-healing brought to those dark orbs the light.

Thou didst chide the raging tempest, when the waves with foaming crest Leaped about the fragile vessel, buffeted and sore distressed; Wind and wave, their fury stilling, sank to calm at Thy behest.

Once a woman's timid fingers touched Thy garment's lowest braid, And the pallor left her visage, healing power the touch conveyed, For the years of pain were ended and the flow of blood was stayed.

Thou didst see men bear to burial one struck down in youth's glad tide, While a widowed mother followed, wailing for her boy that died; "Rise!" Thou saidst, and led him gently to his weeping mother's side.

Lazarus, who lay in darkness till three nights had pa.s.sed away, At Thy voice awoke to soundness, rising to the light of day, As the breath his frame re-entered touched already with decay.

See, He walks upon the waters, treads the billow's rolling crest; O'er the shifting depths of ocean firm and sure His footsteps rest, And the wave parts not asunder where those holy feet are pressed.

And the madman, chained and tortured by dark powers, from whom all fly, As the tombs, that were his dwelling, echo to his savage cry, Rushes forth and falls adoring, when he sees that Christ is nigh.

Then the legion of foul spirits, driven from their human prey, Seize the noisome swine, that feeding high upon the hillside stray, And the herd, in sudden frenzy, plunges in the waters grey.

"Gather in twelve woven baskets all the fragments that remain:"

He hath fed the weary thousands, resting o'er the gra.s.sy plain, And His power hath stayed their hunger with five loaves and fishes twain.

Thine, O Christ, is endless sweetness; Thou art our celestial Bread: Nevermore he knoweth hunger, who upon Thy grace hath fed, Grace whereby no mortal body but the soul is nourished.

They that knew not speech nor language, closed to every sound their ears, To the Master's call responding break the barriers of years; Now the deaf holds joyous converse and the lightest whisper hears.

Sickness at His word departed, pain and pallid languor fled, Many a tongue, long chained in silence, words of praise and blessing said; And the palsied man rejoicing through the city bore his bed.

Yea, that they might know salvation who in Hades' prison were pent, In His mercy condescending through h.e.l.l's gloomy gates He went; Bolt and ma.s.sy hinge were shattered, adamantine portals rent.

For the door that all receiveth, but releaseth nevermore, Opens now and, slowly turning, doth the ghosts to light restore, Who, the eternal laws suspended, tread again its dusky floor.

But, while G.o.d with golden glory floods the murky realms of night, And upon the startled shadows dawns a day serene and bright, In the darkened vault of heaven stars forlorn refuse their light.