Why, Impious Herod Vainly Fear |
Why, Impious Herod Vainly Fear |
Written by Caelius Sedulius (5th cent). This hymn is a continuation of the hymn A solis ortus cardine and is used for Vespers on Epiphany. |
| HOSTIS, Herodes impie,1 Christum venire quid times?2 Non eripit mortalia, qui regna dat caelestia. |
WHY, impious Herod, vainly fear that Christ the Savior cometh here? He takes no earthly realms away Who gives the crown that lasts for aye. |
| Ibant Magi, quam viderant,3 stellam sequentes praeviam: Lumen requirunt lumine: Deum fatentur munere. |
To greet His birth the Wise Men went, led by the star before them sent; called on by light, towards Light they pressed, and by their gifts their God confessed. |
| Lavacra puri gurgitis caelestis Agnus attigit: peccata, quae non detulit, nos abluendo sustulit. |
In holy Jordan's purest wave the heavenly Lamb vouchsafed to lave; That He, to whom was sin unknown, might cleanse His people from their own. |
| Novum genus potentiae: aquae rubescunt hydriae, vinumque iussa fundere, mutavit unda originem. |
New miracle of power divine! The water reddens into wine: He spake the word: and poured the wave in other streams than nature gave. |
| Iesu, tibi sit gloria, qui apparuisti gentibus, cum Patre, et almo Spiritu, in sempiterna saecula. Amen. |
All glory, Lord, to Thee we pay for Thine Epiphany today; all glory as is ever meet, to Father and to Paraclete. Amen. |
From the Breviary and the Liturgia Horarum. Translation by J. M. Neale (1818-1866).
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Changes made by Pope Urban VIII in 1632 to the Roman Breviary:
1 Crudelis Herodes, Deum
2 Regem venire quid times?
3 Some sources show this line as: Ibant Magi, qua venerant
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