The Hymns of Prudentius — Prudentius
The Hymns of Prudentius translated by R. Martin Pope You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : The Hymns of Prudentius Author : Prudentius Translator : R. Martin Pope Release date : February 7, 2005 [eBook #14959] Most recently updated: December 19, 2020 Language : English, Latin Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14959 Credits : Produced by Ted Garvin, Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. *** START OF M. DENT AND CO: ALDINE HOUSE LONDON W C CATHEMERINON LIBER OF PRUDENTIUS HYMNS FOR THE CHRISTIAN'S DAY NEWLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE Table of Contents to the Electronic Edition Praefatio Preface I. Hymnus ad Galli Cantum I. Hymn at Cock-Crow II. Hymnus Matutinus II. Morning Hymn III. Hymnus ante Cibum III. Hymn before Meat IV. Hymnus post Cibum IV. Hymn after Meat V. Hymnus ad Incensum Lucernae V. Hymn for the Lighting of the Lamps VI. Hymnus ante Somnum VI. Hymn before Sleep VII. Hymnus Ieiunantium VII. Hymn for Those Who Fast VIII. Hymnus post Ieiunium VIII. Hymn after Fasting IX. Hymnus Omnis Horae IX. Hymn for All Hours X. Hymnus ad Exequias Defuncti X. Hymn for the Burial of the Dead XI. Hymnus Kalendas Ianuarias XI. Hymn for Christmas-Day XII. Hymnus Epiphaniae XII. Hymn for the Epiphany Epilogus Epilogue Notes Translator's Note The Title The Preface I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII PRAEFATIO Per quinquennia iam decem , ni fallor, fuimus: septimus insuper annum cardo rotat, dum fruimur sole volubili. Instat terminus et diem 5 vicinum senio iam Deus adplicat. Quid nos utile tanti spatio temporis egimus? Aetas prima crepantibus levit sub ferulis: mox docuit toga infectum vitiis falsa loqui, non sine crimine. 10 Tum lasciva protervitas, et luxus petulans (heu pudet ac piget) foedavit iuvenem nequitiae sordibus ac luto. Exin iurgia turbidos armarunt animos et male pertinax 15 vincendi studium subiacuit casibus asperis. Bis legum moderamine frenos nobilium reximus urbium, ius civile bonis reddidimus, terruimus reos. Tandem militiae gradu 20 evectum pietas principis extulit adsumptum propius stare iubens ordine proximo. Haec dum vita volans agit, inrepsit subito canities seni oblitum veteris me Saliae consulis arguens: 25 ex quo prima dies mihi quam multas hiemes volverit et rosas pratis post glaciem reddiderit, nix capitis probat. Numquid talia proderunt carnis post obitum vel bona vel mala, 30 cum iam, quidquid id est, quod fueram, mors aboleverit? Dicendum mihi; Quisquis es, mundum, quem coluit, mens tua perdidit: non sunt illa Dei, quae studuit, cuius habeberis. Atqui fine sub ultimo 35 peccatrix anima stultitiam exuat: saltem voce Deum concelebret, si meritis nequit: hymnis continuet dies, nec nox ulla vacet, quin Dominum canat: pugnet contra hereses, catholicam discutiat fidem, 40 conculcet sacra gentium, labem, Roma, tuis inferat idolis, carmen martyribus devoveat, laudet apostolos. Haec dum scribo vel eloquor, vinclis o utinam corporis emicem 45 liber, quo tulerit lingua sono mobilis ultimo. PREFACE Full fifty years my span of life hath run, Unless I err, and seven revolving years Have further sped while I the sun enjoy. Yet now the end draws nigh, and by God's will Old age's bound is reached: how have I spent And with what fruit so wide a tract of days? I wept in boyhood 'neath the sounding rod: Youth's toga donned, the rhetorician's arts I plied and with deceitful pleadings sinned: Anon a wanton life and dalliance gross (Alas! the recollection stings to shame!) Fouled and polluted manhood's opening bloom: And then the forum's strife my restless wits Enthralled, and the keen lust of victory Drove me to many a bitterness and fall. Twice held I in fair cities of renown The reins of office, and administered To good men justice and to guilty doom. At length the Emperor's will beneficent Exalted me to military power And to the rank that borders on the throne. The years are speeding onward, and gray hairs Of old have mantled o'er my brows And Salia's consulship from memory dies. What frost-bound winters since that natal year Have fled, what vernal suns reclothed The meads with roses,--this white crown declares. Yet what avail the prizes or the blows Of fortune, when the body's spark is quenched And death annuls whatever state I held? This sentence I must hear: "Whate'er thou art, Thy mind hath lost the world it loved: not God's The things thou soughtest, Whose thou now shalt be." Yet now, ere hence I pass, my sinning soul Shall doff its folly and shall praise my Lord If not by deeds, at least with humble lips. Let each day link itself with grateful hymns And every night re-echo songs of God: Yea, be it mine to fight all heresies, Unfold the meanings of the Catholic faith, Trample on Gentile rites, thy gods, O Rome, Dethrone, the Martyrs laud, th' Apostles sing. O while such themes my pen and tongue employ, May death strike off these fetters of the flesh And bear me whither my last breath shall rise! I. HYMNUS AD GALLI CANTUM Ales diei nuntius lucem propinquam praecinit; nos excitator mentium iam Christus ad vitam vocat. 5 Auferte, clamat, lectulos aegros, soporos, desides: castique recti ac sobrii vigilate, iam sum proximus. Post solis ortum fulgidi 10 serum est cubile spernere, ni parte noctis addita tempus labori adieceris. Vox ista, qua strepunt aves stantes sub ipso culmine 15 paulo ante quam lux emicet, nostri figura est iudicis. Tectos tenebris horridis stratisque opertos segnibus suadet quietem linquere 20 iam iamque venturo die. Ut, cum coruscis flatibus aurora caelum sparserit, omnes labore exercitos confirmet ad spem luminis. 25 Hic somnus ad tempus datus est forma mortis perpetis, peccata ceu nox horrida cogunt iacere ac stertere. Sed vox ab alto culmine 30 Christi d