Hymns of the Early Church / being translations from the poetry of the Latin church, arranged in the order of the Christian year

Christmas

NATO NOBIS SALVATORE

By Adam of St. Victor. A native of either Britain or Brittany, probably the latter; educated at Paris; became, about 1130, a monk in the Abbey of St. Victor, then in the suburbs, afterwards absorbed in the city of Paris; there he passed the remainder of his life, and died somewhere between the years 1172 and 1192. In liturgical services the Gradual or Antiphon, sung between the Epistle and Gospel, ended on festival days with the word Alleluia. The final syllable of this vocable was prolonged in a number of musical notes called sequentia, and by the ninth century it became common to adapt words to these notes, which words are now called “sequences.” Adam of St. Victor was one of the most voluminous composers of this kind of sacred Latin verse.

I

Let us tune our hearts and voices—

All creation wide rejoices,

For a Saviour has been born;

Given to man, his weakness wearing,

Dwelling with the sad despairing,

Light and health our life adorn.

II

From the midst of Eden’s gladness

Came the dower of death and sadness,

But the Saviour’s life is ours.

Banished now are death and sorrow;

Life and joy from Christ we borrow,

More dwelt in Eden’s bowers.

III

From the height of heaven above us,

God looked down on earth to love us,

And He sent His only Son.

Now no more His face concealing,

Bridegroom like, His grace revealing,

Came He forth His work begun.

IV

Swift and strong, a giant glorious,

O’er our death He came victorious,

Girt with power His course to run.

Came he forth salvation willing,

Law and prophecy fulfilling,

Till the task assayed is done.

V

Jesus, who hast brought salvation,

Healing balm for every nation,

Thou our glory art and peace.

Praise Thy glorious deeds shall mention,

Who in humble condescension,

Cam’st Thy servants to release.

PUER NATUS IN BETHLEHEM

The oldest form of this Christmas carol is found in a Benedictine Processional belonging to the beginning of the fourteenth century.

I

Zion is glad this glorious morn:

A babe in Bethlehem is born.

II

See where He lies in manger low,

Whose kingly reign no end shall know.

III

The ox and ass that filled the stall,

Knew that the babe was Lord of all.

IV

Out from the east the sages bring

Their treasures for an offering.

V

They humbly seek the lowly place,

And worship there the King of grace:

VI

The Son of God, who made the earth,

A virgin mother gave Him birth.

VII

No poison from the serpent stains

The human blood that fills His veins;

VIII

And though our flesh He meekly wears,

No mark of sin His nature bears;

IX

That He might man to God restore,

And give the grace that once He wore.

X

Come while our hearts are full of mirth

And bless the Lord of lowly birth.

XI

The Holy Trinity we’ll praise,

And give our thanks to God always.

HEU! QUID JACES STABULO, OMNIUM CREATOR?

By Jean Momboir, with Johannes Mauburnus for the Latin, and John Mauburn for the English form of his name. Born in 1460 at Brussels; a Canon Regular of the Brethren of the Common Life in the Low Countries; died Abbot of the Cloister of Livry, not far from Paris, in 1502 or 1503. In his large work, the “Spiritual Rose-garden,” there is a rosary on the birth of Christ, consisting of thirteen stanzas, which commence, Eja, mea anima, Bethlehem eamus. The hymn beginning as above consists of three stanzas taken from that poem. The detached stanzas passed into many of the older German hymn-books, met with great favour in the early Reformed Churches, so long as the practice of singing Latin compositions survived among them, and still retain a place in some German hymnals in an old translation, with for opening line, Warum liegt im Krippelein.

I

(Loquitur peccator)

Wherefore in the lowly stall,

O Thou great Creator,

Dost Thou raise Thine infant call,

Glorious Renovator?

Where Thy purple if a King?

Where the shouts Thy subjects bring?

Where Thy royal castle?

Here is want with all her train,

Poverty proclaims her reign—

These Thy court and vassal.

II

(Jesus respondit)

Hither, by My love impelled,

Have I come to save thee;

Sin has long thy nature held,

Powerful to enslave thee.

By My emptiness and woe,

By the grace that I bestow,

Do I seek to fill thee.

By My humble, lowly birth,

By this sacrifice on earth,

Blessing great I will thee.

III

(Laudant fideles)

Songs of praise, ten thousand songs,

Sing I will and laud Thee;

For such grace my spirit longs,

Ever to applaud Thee.

Glory, glory let there be,

Lover of mankind to Thee,

In the heaven supernal.

Let this testimony fly

Over earth, and sea, and sky,

Borne by songs eternal.

QUICUMQUE CHRISTUM QUÆRITIS

This hymn for the Epiphany forms part of a larger one of very complex authorship, known as A solis ortÛs cardine, Et usque terrÆ limitem. This portion of that Christmas hymn has by some been assigned to St. Ambrose, but by a majority of judges to Prudentius, “the Horace and Virgil of the Christians,” in the estimate of the scholarly Bentley. Aurelius Prudentius, Clemens, or the Merciful, was born in 348, somewhere in the north of Spain. After filling various secular offices he retired, in his fifty-seventh year, into private life, and devoted himself to the composition of sacred verse. He died circa 413, but where we are not told.

I

O ye who seek the Lord, come nigh,

To heaven uplift your reverent eyes,

The Royal Banner of our God

Is blazoned on the midnight skies.

II

Brighter than when the sun at noon

Pours forth its radiance on the earth,

See yonder star its glory sheds,

And tells to man the Saviour’s birth.

III

O wisdom seeks the lowly stall,

And takes the guidance of the star,

To worship where the Incarnate lies,

And offer gifts from lands afar:

IV

With incense, worships the Divine,

With gold, a kingly tribute pays,

And at the feet of God made Man,

The myrrh in sweet profusion lays.

V

O Bethlehem, city ever blest!

What honour more could come to thee?

The cradle of the Incarnate God,

Who came to set His Israel free!

VI

O Jesus, to the world revealed!

To Thee let glory ever be,

To Father and to Holy Ghost,

From age to age eternally.

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