Thursday, January 16, 2014

The Friday 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 Fridays in Epiphanytide the hymns are as follows:
From the Оctave of the Epiphany until the 1st Sunday in Lent - On Fridays:
Mattins: Tu Trinitatis Unitas... ... ... 15
Lauds: Eterna celi Gloria... ... ... 17
Evensong: Plasmator hominis, Deus... ... ... 20

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 Friday hymn for Mattins during this period is Tu Trinitatis Unitas; Hymn melodies prescribes it to be sung to melody #15:


The Liber Hymnarius has a version of this in Latin, sung to melody #15; click the arrow to listen to the mp3:
Tu, Trinitatis Unitas (saec. VI?)
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Melody: d e f g eg f e f
 Download H.IV, p. 203

    TPL says this about the hymn:
    Attributed to Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604). This hymn is found in the Roman Breviary for Friday Matins. It is also used in the Liturgia Horarum (less verse four) in the Office of Readings for Fridays of the first and third weeks of the Psalter during Ordinary Time. 
    Here are the words in Latin and English; the translation is by by Rev. George Herbert Palmer (1846-1926) and Rev. Joseph William Chadwick (1841-1882.
    TU, TRINITATIS Unitas,
    orbem potenter qui regis,
    attende laudis canticum
    quod excubantes psallimus.1
    O THREE in One, and One in Three,
    Who rulest all things mightily,
    bow down to hear the songs of praise
    which, freed from bonds of sleep, we raise.
    Nam lectulo consurgimus
    noctis quieto tempore,
    ut flagitemus vulnerum
    a te medelam omnium.2
    While lingers yet the peace of night,
    we rouse us from our slumbers light;
    that might of instant prayer may win
    The healing balm for wounds of sin.
    Quo fraude quicquid3 daemonum
    in noctibus deliquimus,
    abstergat illud caelitus
    tuae potestas gloriae.
    If, by the wiles of Satan caught,
    this nighttime we have sinned in aught,
    that sin Thy glorious power today,
    from heaven descending, cleanse away.
    Ne corpus astet sordidum,
    nec torpor instet cordium,
    ne criminis contagio
    tepescat ardor spiritus.
    Let naught impure our bodies stain,
    no laggard sloth our souls detain,
    no taint of sin our spirits know,
    to chill the fervor of their glow.
    Te corde fido, quaesumus,4
    reple tuo nos lumine,
    per quod dierum circulis
    nullis ruamus actibus.
    Wherefore, Redeemer, grant that we
    fulfilled with Thine own light may be:
    that, in our course. from day to day,
    by no misdeed we fall away.
    Praesta, Pater piissime,
    Patrique compar Unice,
    cum Spiritu Paraclito,
    regnans per omne saeculum.
    Grant this, O Father ever One
    with Christ, Thy sole-begotten Son,
    and Holy Ghost, whom all adore,
    reigning and blest forevermore.


    At Friday Lauds during this period, the prescribed hymn is  Eterna celi Gloria, sung, according to Hymn melodies,  to melody #17:


    LLPB offers this mp3 (in English) of Eterna celi Gloria; they call it "Eternal Glory of the Sky."   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:
    Anonymous 5th century Ambrosian hymn. This hymn is found in the Roman Breviary for Friday Lauds. It is also used in the Liturgia Horarum at Fridays Lauds of the first and third weeks of the Psalter during Ordinary Time. 
    Here are the words in Latin and English; the translation - this is the set of words on the audio file, not the ones at TPL - is from The Hymn­al Not­ed, 1854:
    AETERNA caeli gloria,
    beata spes mortalium,
    celsi Parentis Unice,1
    castaeque proles Virginis:
    ETERNAL GLORY of the sky,
    Blest Hope of frail humanity,
    The Father’s sole begotten One,
    Yet born a spotless virgin’s Son!
    Da dexteram surgentibus,
    exsurgat et mens sobria.
    flagrans et in laudem Dei
    grates rependat debitas.
    Uplift us with Thine arm of might,
    And let our hearts rise pure and bright,
    And, ardent in God’s praises, pay
    The thanks we owe him every day.
    Ortus refulget lucifer,
    ipsamque lucem nuntiat,
    cadit caligo noctium,2
    lux sancta nos illuminet.
    The day-star’s rays are glittering clear,
    And tell that day itself is near:
    The shadows of the night depart;
    Thou, holy Light, illume the heart!
    Manensque nostris sensibus
    noctem repellat saeculi
    omnique fine temporis
    purgata servet pectora.
    Within our senses ever dwell,
    And worldly darkness thence expel;
    Long as the days of life endure,
    Preserve our souls devout and pure.
    Quaesita iam primum fides
    radicet altis sensibus,3
    secunda spes congaudeat,
    tunc4 maior exstat caritas.
    The faith that first must be possessed,
    Root deep within our inmost breast;
    And joyous hope in second place,
    Then charity, Thy greatest grace.
    Sit, Christe, rex piissime,
    tibi Patrique gloria,
    cum Spiritu Paraclito,
    in sempiterna saecula. Amen.
    All laud to God the Father be,
    All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;
    All glory, as is ever meet,
    To God the holy Paraclete.

    At Friday Vespers, the hymn prescribed by Hymn melodies during this period is Plasmator hominis, Deus, sung to melody #20:


    LLPB offers this mp3 (in English) of Plasmator hominis, Deus; they call it "Maker of Man, Who From Thy Throne."   Again, they are using a different hymn tune than the one prescribed by Hymn Melodies.  If you wanted to use the prescribed melody, just use the chant score above; it's sung to the same tune as the Vespers hymns have been all week (for example, on this mp3 of Celi Deus sanctissime ("Most Holy Lord and God of Heaven"), the Wednesday Vespers hymn).

    One really interesting thing about the daily Vespers hymns is that they recapitulate the 7 days of Creation!    For instance, TPL says this about Plasmator hominis, Deus:
    Attributed to Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604). This hymn continues with the theme of Creation present in the Vespers Hymns during the week. Here the work of the sixth day of creation (Friday) chronicles the animals and man (Gen 1, 25, 27). This hymn is traditionally sung at Friday Vespers and is used in the Liturgia Horarum at Vespers for Fridays of the first and third weeks of the Psalter during Ordinary Time. Likewise the hymn is also found in the Roman Breviary for Friday Vespers, but under the title of Hominis superne Conditor. 
    Here are the words in Latin and English; the translation is by John David Chambers (1805-1893)
    PLASMATOR hominis, Deus,1
    qui cuncta solus ordinans,
    humum iubes producere
    reptantis et ferae genus:
    MAKER of man, who from Thy throne
    dost order all things, God alone;
    by whose decree the teeming earth
    to reptile and to beast gave birth:
    Qui magna rerum corpora,
    dictu iubentis vivida,
    ut serviant per ordinem
    subdens dedisti homini:2
    The mighty forms that fill the land,
    instinct with life at Thy command,
    are given subdued to humankind
    for service in their rank assigned.
    Repelle a servis tuis,
    quicquid per immunditiam,3
    aut moribus se suggerit,
    aut actibus se interserit.
    From all Thy servants drive away
    whate'er of thought impure to-day
    hath been with open action blent,
    or mingled with the heart's intent.
    Da gaudiorum praemia,
    da gratiarum munera:
    dissolve litis vincula,
    astringe pacis foedera.
    In heaven Thine endless joys bestow,
    and grant Thy gifts of grace below;
    from chains of strife our souls release,
    bind fast the gentle bands of peace.
    Praesta, Pater piissime,
    Patrique compar Unice,
    cum Spiritu Paraclito
    regnans per omne saeculum.
    Grant this, O Father, ever One
    with Christ, Thy sole-begotten Son,
    Whom, with the Spirit we adore,
    one God, both now and evermore.

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