Friday, January 17, 2014

The Saturday Office hymns, "from the Оctave of the Epiphany until the 1st Sunday in Lent"

From Hymn melodies for the whole year from the Sarum Service books, for Saturdays in Epiphanytide the hymns are as follows:
From the Оctave of the Epiphany until the 1st Sunday in Lent - On Saturdays:
Mattins: Summe Deus clemencie ... ... ... 15
Lauds: Aurora iam spargit polum ... ... ... 17
Evensong: Deus, Creator omnium ... ... ... 21

There are in total 21 hymns for this season:  3 different hymns per day, for each day of the week.  Each day's hymns for this period, including texts and audio files, are available at the following links:
 
The Saturday hymn for Mattins during this period is Summe Deus clemencie; Hymn melodies prescribes it to be sung to melody #15:


I couldn't find a recording of this one anywhere - but it's the same familiar tune we've seen for Mattins hymns all week now (as, for example, on this Liber Hymnarius recording (mp3) of the Mattins hymn for Thursday,  Nox atra rerum contegit
 
The Hymner has a set of English words for Summe Deus clemencie, but I haven't found them anywhere in Latin so far; still looking.  (Interestingly, The Hymner does prescribe different doxologies for dates before and after Candlemas for the hymns during Epiphanytide; this is an example of that system.)
O God of mercy passing thought,
Who hast the world contriv'd and wrought:
In Power, Essential Unity,
In Person, Blessed Trinity.

Do thou in love accept these lays
Of mingled penitence and praise:
That we, with hearts without alloy,
Thyself may perfectly enjoy.

Our reins and hearts in pity heal,
And with thy chastening fires anneal:
Gird thou our loins, each passion quell,
And every harmful lust expel.

That we, who now the hours of night
With songs united put to flight,
What gifts the blessed land can give,
May all abundantly receive.

Doxology until Candlemas:

All honour, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee:
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete. Amen.

After Candlemas:

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son:
Who, with the holy Ghost and thee,
Shall live and reign eternally. Amen. 


At Saturday Lauds during this period, the prescribed hymn is  Aurora iam spargit polum, sung, according to Hymn melodies,  to melody #17:


LLPB offers this mp3 (in English) of Aurora iam spargit polum; they call it "The Dawn Is Sprinkling in the East."   They are using a different hymn tune than the one prescribed by Hymn Melodies, though - and I have no chant score of it.   If you wanted to use the prescribed melody, just use the chant score above; it's sung to the same tune as the Lauds hymns have been all week (for example, on this mp3 of Nox et tenebre et nubila, ("Ye Clouds and Darkness"), the Wednesday Lauds hymn, sung to melody #17 ).


Here's TPL on this hymn:
Attributed to St. Ambrose (350-397). This hymn is traditionally sung at Saturday Lauds and is used in the Liturgia Horarum at Lauds for Saturdays of the first and third weeks of the Psalter during Ordinary Time. Likewise the hymn is also found in the Roman Breviary for Saturday Lauds. 
Here are the words in Latin and English; the translation is by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878). :
AURORA iam spargit polum:
terris dies illabitur:
lucis resultat spiculum:
discedat omne lubricum.
THE DAWN is sprinkling in the east
its golden shower, as day flows in;
fast mount the pointed shafts of light:
farewell to darkness and to sin!
Iam vana noctis decidant,
mentis reatus subruat,1
quicquid tenebris horridum
nox attulit culpae, cadat.
Away, ye midnight phantoms all!
Away, despondence and despair!
Whatever guilt the night has brought
now let it vanish into air.
Ut mane illud ultimum
quod praestolamur cernui,
in lucem nobis effluat,
dum hoc canore concrepat.2
So, Lord, when that last morning breaks,
looking to which we sigh and pray,
O may it to Thy minstrels prove
the dawning of a better day.
Deo Patri sit gloria,
eiusque soli Filio,
cum Spiritu Paraclito,
in sempiterna saecula.3 Amen.
To God the Father glory be,
and to His sole-begotten Son;
Glory, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
while everlasting ages run. Amen.



At Saturday Vespers, the hymn prescribed by Hymn melodies during this period is Deus, Creator omnium, sung to melody #21:


The Liber Hymnarius Wiki has a recording of this hymn sung to melody #21; click the download arrow to listen to it sung in Latin:
Deus, creator omnium (Ambrosius)
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Download H.IV, p. 181
This is another tune - an Ambrosian one, apparently, and one I've never heard before - used for this hymn (sung here by Giovanni Viannini):




Here's yet another tune for this hymn, recorded at Vespers in the Charterhouse of Serra San Bruno (which I believe to be this monastery):



They are actually using melody #20 in that last video, which is the standard Vespers hymn melody for days other than Saturday:


So, feel free to sing along with the brothers instead, if you like.


TPL says this about Deus, Creator omnium:
Composed by St. Ambrose ( 340-397). Deus Creator Omnium is an ancient hymn for Saturday Vespers. Virtually all of the ancient Breviaries contain the hymn. Curiously, however, it is not found in the Roman Breviary. The hymn, less verses 6 and 7, is used for Saturday Vespers (Vespers I) in the Liturgia Horarum during Ordinary Time. 
Here are the words in Latin and English; the translation is by  F.A. Wright, Fathers of the Church:
DEUS creator omnium
polique rector, vestiens
diem decoro lumine,
noctem soporis gratia.
GOD that all things didst create
and the heavens doth regulate,
Who doth clothe the day with light,
and with gracious sleep the night....
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.
Day sinks; we thank Thee for thy gift,
night comes; to Thee again we lift
our prayers and vows and hymns, that we
against all ills defended be....
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.
That so, when shadows round us creep
and all is hid in darkness deep,
faith may not feel the gloom; and night
borrow from faith's clear gleam new light....
Dormire mentem ne sinas,
dormire culpa noverit;
castos fides refrigerans
somni vaporem temperet.
From snares of sense, Lord, keep us free
and let our hearts dream but of thee.
Let not the envious foe draw near
to vex our quiet rest with fear.
Exuta sensu lubrico
te cordis alta somnient,
ne hostis invidi dolo
pavor quietos suscitet.
-
Christum rogamus et Patrem,
Christi Patrisque Spiritum;
unum potens per omnia,
fove precantes, Trinitas. Amen.
Hail we the Father and the Son
and Son's and Father's Spirit, one
blest Trinity who all obey;
guard Thou the souls that to Thee pray. Amen.


LLPB actually uses a different hymn entirely for Saturday Vespers; here's their mp3 (in English) of O Lux Beata Trinitas ("O Trinity of Blessed Light").   That's a beautiful hymn, and I think perfect for Saturday Vespers.    Here are those words - translation J.M. Neale - in case you'd like to substitute; the doxology's a little different on the audio file.
O TRINITY of blessed Light,
O Unity of sovereign might,
as now the fiery sun departs,
shed Thou Thy beams within our hearts.

To Thee our morning song of praise,
to Thee our evening prayer we raise;
Thee may our glory evermore
in lowly reverence adore.

All laud to God the Father be;
all praise, Eternal Son, to Thee;
all glory, as is ever meet,
to God the Holy Paraclete. 


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