On the birthday of the great hymnologist John Mason Neale (our spiritual godparent here) we also celebrate the ninth birthday of this site and begin our tenth (!!) year. His biography has been covered extensively in earlier posts (see links below).
Neale was largely responsible for reviving interest in the ancient hymns of the Church by translating texts from Latin and Greek (and other languages) that were unknown outside the Roman Catholic Church. The Dictionary of Hymnology (1892) by John Julian says of Neale's skill at translation:
(...) Dr. Neale's exquisite ear for melody prevented him from spoiling the rhythm by too servile an imitation of the original; while the spiritedness which is a marked feature of all his poetry preserved that spring and dash which is so often wanting in a translation.
Today's hymn was formerly attributed to Saint Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397) but doubt about his authorship has persisted for more than a century now. Scholars agree that the theme and style are Ambrosian, but probably not the text itself. It's an office hymn, originally intended to be sung in religious communities on Friday mornings during ordinary time, but is certainly appropriate for use as a general morning hymn. Neale's translation (one of several in English) appeared in the enlarged edition of his The Hymnal Noted (1854).
Eternal Glory of the sky,
Blest Hope of all humanity,
Our Maker's sole-begotten One,
Yet born a humble virgin’s son!
The day-star’s rays are glittering clear,
And tell that day itself is near:
The shadows of the night depart;
Thou, holy Light, inflame the heart!
Uplift us with thine arm of might,
And let our hearts rise pure and bright,
And, ardent in God’s praises, pay
The gratitude we owe each day.
The faith that first must be possessed,
Root deep within our inmost breast;
And joyous hope in second place,
Then charity, thy greatest grace.
All laud to our Creator be,
All praise, eternal Christ, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the holy Paraclete.
Latin, 5th cent.(?)
tr. John Mason Neale, 1854; alt.
Tune: MORNING HYMN (L.M.)
William Boyce, 1769
Eight Years Ago: John Mason Neale
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One Year Ago: John Mason Neale
Today's hymn for morning worship (or gathering) comes from a fourth-century Latin text written by Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan who was later declared a Doctor of the Church. Ambrose is also remembered for his hymns (which inspired others to write texts in a similar form), and was said to have promoted the practice of antiphonal chant, where two sides of the choir sing different portions of the chant or psalm.
The Latin text beginning Splendor paternae gloriae has been translated by various people and even the Latin has been altered over the intervening centuries. This version draws from a few different translations and includes fewer stanzas than the original.
O splendor of God’s glory bright,
From light eternal bringing light;
O Light of light, the fountain spring,
O Day, all days illumining.
Come, very Sun of heaven's love,
In lasting radiance from above,
And pour the Holy Spirit's ray
On all we think or do today.
Teach us to love with all our might;
Drive envy out, remove all spite;
Turn to the good each troubling care,
And give us grace our name to bear.
All glory be to God Most High;
To Jesus Christ let praises rise;
Whom with the Spirit we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Ambrose of Milan, 4th cent.; tr.composite
Tune: PUER NOBIS (L.M.)
Michael Praetorius, 1609
harm. George Woodward, 1901
O Trinity of blessed light,
O Unity of sovereign might,
Whene'er 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;
Thy threefold glory we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Now to the great and sacred Three,
Creator, Christ, and Spirit be
Eternal praise and glory giv'n
By all the saints in earth and heav'n.
Ambrose of Milan, 4th cent.; tr. composite
Tune: BROMLEY (L.M.)
Jeremiah Clarke, 1700
The Feast of Pentecost is the third great day in the church calendar, after Christmas and Easter, celebrating the arrival of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus ten days after his ascension. The story is told in the second chapter of Acts, of the sound of a great wind, the tongues of flame descending on the gathered disciples, and the miracle of understanding that was granted so that everyone suddenly knew the many languages of those around them.
The reason that people from so many different lands were in Jerusalem on that day is that it was already a Jewish holiday, the Festival of Weeks, or Shavu'ot, which occurs fifty days after the Passover. Similarly, Pentecost is generally considered to be fifty days after Easter, if you count Easter Sunday itself. If you don't, then it's forty-nine days, or "seven times seven," as in this Latin hymn (Jam Christus astra ascenderat) by Ambrose of Milan, Bishop of Rome during the fourth century. Above the starry spheres,To where he was before,
Christ had gone up, a promised gift
Upon the earth to pour.
At length had fully come,
On mystic circle borne
Of sev'n times sev'n revolving days,
The Pentecostal morn.
When, as the apostles knelt
At the third hour in prayer,
A sudden rushing sound proclaimed
The Holy Spirit there.
Forthwith a tongue of fire
Is seen on every brow,
Each heart receives the Spirit’s light,
The Word’s enkindling glow.
This gracious gift on all
Is mightily outpoured,
Who straight in diverse tongues declare
The wonders of the Lord.
While strangers of all climes
Flock round from far and near,
And their own tongue, wherever born,
All with amazement hear.
But some are faithless still --
Deny the hand divine;
And, mocking, jeer the saints of Christ
As full of new-made wine.
Till Peter, in their midst,
By Joel’s ancient word,
Rebukes their unbelief, and wins
The souls of all who heard.
So may that pow'r as then,
Descend to us today
That rushing wind, that fire of God,
Enflame our souls, we pray;
Creator and the Christ
And Spirit we adore,
O may the Spirit’s gifts be poured
On us forevermore.
Ambrose of Milan, 4th cent.
tr. Edward Caswall, 1849; alt.
Tune: FAIRFIELD (S.M.D.)
Peter LaTrobe, 19th cent.The Pentecost painting above is by Josef Ignaz Mildorfer, an eighteenth century artist from Germany. Some artistic depictions of the scene are rather staid, showing the disciples calmly sitting around a table, but it seems to me that things would have been rather more chaotic, as this painting suggests.
Two Years Ago: The Feast of PentecostOne Year Ago: The Feast of Pentecost
