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Hostis Herodes impie Why, Impious Herod Vainly Fear |
Hymni |
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.
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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. |
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