2011-01-06

Hymn at Lauds, common of Pastors

Our holy mother Church has provided hymns for us to sing during the Liturgy of the Hours, hymns which are truly prayer, lifting our hearts and minds to contemplation of God. But the American Liturgy of the Hours by and large provides us with hymns such as "Morning has broken" and "Day is done, but love unfailing". Some of these are nice enough in themselves, but some are wretched. Even those nice in themselves have nothing to do with the text of the hymns which the Church has provided for us.

I've spent a few months trying to find English translations of the hymns in the Liturgia Horarum, and finally found that the Mundelein Psalter has most of them. The ones that it hasn't, I am trying to translate myself. So starting off this project, I have the hymn used at lauds on the common of pastors, when multiple pastors are celebrated.

Hi sacerdotes Domini sacrati,
consecratores Domini fideles
atque pastores populi fuere
impigro amore.

Namque susceptae benedictionis
dona servantes, studere, lumbos
fortiter cincti, manibus coruscas
ferre lucernas.

Sicque suspensi vigilesque, quando
ianuam pulsans Dominus veniret,
obviaverunt properanti alacres
pandere limen.

Gloriae summum decus atque laudis,
rex, tibi, regum, Deitas perennis,
quicquid est rerum celebret per omne
tempus et aevum. Amen.


These holy and sanctified priests of the Lord,

were consecrators of the Lord’s faithful ones,

and they were good shepherds of the Lord’s household

with unwearied love.

For they undertook to give sanctified gifts

to the members of the household, were zealous,

with strongly girded loins and with hands shining

to bear the trimm’d lamps.

And thus raised up and keeping watch, as wise ones,

when the Lord comes knocking upon the house-door,

they have met swiftly and eagerly to lay

open the threshold.

Glory, most-highest honour, and also praise,

to you, king of kings, eternally divine,

who is eminent and celebrated through all

time and forever. Amen.

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