The Hymns of Prudentius Part 2

II. MORNING HYMN

Ye clouds and darkness, hosts of night That breed confusion and affright, Begone! o'erhead the dawn s.h.i.+nes clear, The light breaks in and Christ is here.

Earth's gloom flees broken and dispersed, By the sun's piercing shafts coerced: The daystar's eyes rain influence bright And colours glimmer back to sight.

So shall our guilty midnight fade, The sin-stained heart's gross dusky shade: So shall the King's All-radiant Face Sudden unveil our deep disgrace.

No longer then may we disguise Our dark intents from those clear eyes: Yea, at the dayspring's advent blest Our inmost thoughts will stand confest.

The thief his hidden traffic plies Unmarked before the dawn doth rise: But light, the foe of guile concealed, Lets no ill craft lie unrevealed.

Fraud and Deceit love only night, Their wiles they practise out of sight; Curtained by dark, Adultery too Doth his foul treachery pursue,

But slinks abashed and shamed away Soon as the sun rekindles day, For none can d.a.m.ning light resist And 'neath its rays in sin persist.

Who doth not blush o'ertook by morn And his long night's carousal scorn?

For day subdues the l.u.s.tful soul, And doth all foul desires control.

Now each to earnest life awakes, Now each his wanton sport forsakes; Now foolish things are put away And gravity resumes her sway.

It is the hour for duty's deeds, The path to which our labour leads, Be it the forum, army, sea, The mart or field or factory.

One seeks the plaudits of the bar, One the stern trumpet calls to war: Those bent on trade and husbandry At greed's behest for lucre sigh.

Mine is no rhetorician's fame, No petty usury I claim; Nor am I skilled to face the foe: 'Tis Thou, O Christ, alone I know.

Yea, I have learnt to wait on Thee With heart and lips of purity, Humbly my knees in prayer to bend, And tears with songs of praise to blend.

These are the gains I hold in view And these the arts that I pursue: These are the offices I ply When the bright sun mounts up the sky.

Prove Thou my heart, my every thought, Search into all that I have wrought: Though I be stained with blots within, Thy quickening rays shall purge my sin.

O may I ever spotless be As when my stains were cleansed by Thee, Who bad'st me 'neath the Jordan's wave Of yore my soiled spirit lave.

If e'er since then the world's gross night Hath cast its curtain o'er my sight, Dispel the cloud, O King of grace, Star of the East! with thy pure face.

Since Thou canst change, O holy Light, The blackest hue to milky white, Ebon to clearness crystalline, Wash my foul stains and make me clean.

'Twas 'neath the lonely star-blue night That Jacob waged the unequal fight, Stoutly he wrestled with the Man In darkness, till the day began.

And when the sun rose in the sky He halted on his shrivelled thigh: His natural might had ebbed away, Vanquished in that tremendous fray.

Not wounded he in n.o.bler part Nor smitten in life's fount, the heart: But l.u.s.t was shaken from his throne And his foul empire overthrown.

Whereby we clearly learn aright That man is whelmed by deadly night, Unless he own G.o.d conqueror And strive against His will no more.

Yet happier he whom rising morn Shall find of nature's strength forlorn, Whose warring flesh hath shrunk away, Palsied by virtue's puissant sway.

And then at length let darkness flee, Which all too long held us in fee, 'Mid wildering shadows made us stray And led in devious tracks our way.

We pray Thee, Rising Light serene, E'en as Thyself our hearts make clean: Let no deceit our lips defile Nor let our souls be vexed by guile.

O keep us, as the hours proceed, From lying word and evil deed, Our roving eyes from sin set free, Our body from impurity.

For thou dost from above survey The converse of each fleeting day: Thou dost foresee from morning light Our every deed, until the night.

Justice and judgment dwell with Thee, Whatever is, Thine eye doth see: Thou know'st what human hearts conceive And none Thy wisdom may deceive.

III. HYMNUS ANTE CIb.u.m

O crucifer bone, lucisator, omniparens, pie, verbigena, edite corpore virgineo, sed prius in genitore potens, astra, solum, mare quam fierent: 5

Huc nitido precor intuitu flecte salutiferam faciem, fronte serenus et inradia, nominis ut sub honore tui has epulas liceat capere. 10

Te sine dulce nihil, Domine, nec iuvat ore quid adpetere, pocula ni prius atque cibos, Christe, tuus favor inbuerit omnia sanctificante fide. 15

Fercula nostra Deum sapiant, Christus et influat in pateras: seria, ludicra, verba, iocos, denique quod sumus aut agimus, trina superne regat pietas. 20

Hic mihi nulla rosae spolia, nullus aromate fragrat odor, sed liquor influit ambrosius nectareamque fidem redolet fusus ab usque Patris gremio. 25

Sperne camena leves hederas, cingere tempora quis solita es, sertaque mystica dactylico texere docta liga strophio, laude Dei redimita comas. 30

Quod generosa potest anima, lucis et aetheris indigena, solvere dignius obsequium, quam data munera si recinat artificem modulata suum? 35

Ipse homini quia cuncta dedit, quae capimus dominante manu, quae polus aut humus aut pelagus aere, gurgite, rure creant, haec mihi subdidit et sibi me. 40

Callidus inlaqueat volucres aut pedicis dolus aut maculis, inlita glutine corticeo vimina plumigeram seriem inpediunt et abire vetant. 45

Ecce per aequora fluctivagos texta greges sinuosa trahunt: piscis item sequitur calamum raptus ac.u.mine vulnifico credula saucius ora cibo. 50

Fundit opes ager ingenuas dives aristiferae segetis: his ubi vitea pampineo brachia palmite luxuriant, pacis alumna ubi baca viret. 55

Haec opulentia Christicolis servit et omnia suppeditat: absit enim procul ilia fames, caedibus ut pecudum libeat sanguineas lacerare dapes. 60

Sint fera gentibus indomitis prandia de nece quadrupedum: nos oleris coma, nos siliqua feta legumine multimodo paverit innocuis epulis. 65

Spumea mulctra gerunt niveos ubere de gemino latices, perque coagula densa liquor in solidum coit et fragili lac tenerum premitur calatho. 70

Mella recens mihi Cecropia nectare sudat olente favus: haec opifex apis aerio rore liquat tenuique thymo, nexilis inscia connubii. 75

Hinc quoque pomiferi nemoris munera mitia proveniunt, arbor onus tremefacta suum deciduo gravis imbre pluit puniceosque iacit c.u.mulos. 80