Hymnus Ante Somnum

Ades Pater supreme

Author: Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

Ades Pater supreme,
quem nemo vidit unquam,
Patrisque sermo Christe,
et Spiritus benigne.

O Trinitatis huius
vis una, lumen unum,
Deus ex Deo perennis,
Deus ex utroque missus.

Fluxit labor diei,
redit et quietis hora,
blandus sopor vicissim
fessos relaxat artus.

Mens aestuans procellis
curisque sauciata
totis bibit medullis
obliviale poclum.

Serpit per omne corpus
Lethaea vis, nec ullum
miseris doloris aegri
patitur manere sensum.

Lex haec data est caducis
Deo iubente membris,
ut temperet laborem
medicabilis voluptas.

Sed dum pererrat omnes
quies amica venas,
pectusque feriatum
placat rigante somno:

Liber vagat per auras
rapido vigore sensus,
variasque per figuras,
quae sunt operta, cernit.

Quia mens soluta curis,
cui est origo caelum,
purusque fons ab aethra
iners iacere nescit.

Imitata multiformes
facies sibi ipsa fingit,
per quas repente currens
tenui fruatur actu.

Sed sensa somniantum
dispar fatigat horror,
nunc splendor intererrat
qui dat futura nosse.

Plerumque dissipatis
mendax imago veris
animos pavore maestos
ambage fallit atra.

Quem rara culpa morum
non polluit frequenter,
nunc lux serena vibrans
res edocet latentes.

At qui coinquinatum
vitiis cor inpiavit,
lusus pavore multo
species videt tremendas.

Hoc patriarcha noster
sub carceris catena
geminis simul ministris
interpres adprobavit.

Quorum reversus unus
dat poculum tyranno,
ast alterum rapaces
fixum vorant volucres.

Ipsum deinde regem
perplexa somniantem
monuit famem futuram
clausis cavere acervis.

Mox praesul ac tetrarches
regnum per omne iussus
sociam tenere virgam
dominae resedit aulae.

O quam profunda iustis
arcana per soporem
aperit tuenda Christus,
quam clara! quam tacenda!

Evangelista summi
fidissimus magistri
signata quae latebant
nebulis videt remotis:

ipsum tonantis agnum
de caede purpurantem,
qui conscium futuri
librum resignat unus.

Huius manum potentem
gladius perarmat anceps
et fulgurans utrimque
duplicem minatur ictum.

Quaesitor ille solus
animaeque corporisque
ensisque bis timendus
prima ac secunda mors est.

idem tamen benignus
ultor retundit iram
paucosque non piorum
patitur perire in aevum.

Huic inclitus perenne
tribuit Pater tribunal,
hunc obtinere iussit
nomen supra omne nomen.

Hic praepotens cruenti
extinctor antichristi,
qui de furente monstro
pulchrum refert tropaeum.

Quam bestiam capacem
populosque devorantem,
quam sanguinis charybdem
Ioannis execratur.

Haec nempe, quae sacratum
praeferre nomen ausa est,
imam petit gehennam
Christo perempta vero.

Tali sopore iustus
mentem relaxat heros,
ut spiritu sagaci
caelum peragret omne.

Nos nil meremur horum,
quos creber inplet error,
concreta quos malarum
vitiat cupido rerum.

Sat est quiete dulci
fessum fovere corpus:
sat, si nihil sinistrum
vanae minentur umbrae.

Cultor Dei memento
te fontis et lavacri
rorem subisse sanctum,
te chrismate innotatum.

Fac, cum vocante somno
castum petis cubile,
frontem locumque cordis
crucis figura signet.

Crux pellit omne crimen,
fugiunt crucem tenebrae:
tali dicata signo
mens fluctuare nescit.

Procul, o procul vagantum
portenta somniorum,
procul esto pervicaci
praestigiator astu!

O tortuose serpens,
qui mille per Maeandros
fraudesque flexuosas
agitas quieta corda,

Discede, Christus hic est,
hic Christus est, liquesce:
signum quod ipse nosti
damnat tuam catervam.

Corpus licet fatiscens
iaceat recline paullum,
Christum tamen sub ipso
meditabimur sopore.



Source: Hymns of Prudentius: translated by R. Martin Pope, The #6L

Author: Aurelius Clemens Prudentius

Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, "The Christian Pindar" was born in northern Spain, a magistrate whose religious convictions came late in life. His subsequent sacred poems were literary and personal, not, like those of St. Ambrose, designed for singing. Selections from them soon entered the Mozarabic rite, however, and have since remained exquisite treasures of the Western churches. His Cathemerinon liber, Peristephanon, and Psychomachia were among the most widely read books of the Middle Ages. A concordance to his works was published by the Medieval Academy of America in 1932. There is a considerable literature on his works. --The Hymnal 1940 Companion… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Ades Pater supreme
Title: Hymnus Ante Somnum
Author: Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
Language: Latin
Notes: English translation: See "Servnat of God, remember" by William John Blew
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Ades Pater supreme . Prudentius. [Evening.] Given in all editions of his works, including Aurelii Prudentii dementis V. C, Opera Omnia, vol. i. pp. 97-105, with notes (Lond., Valpy, 1824). It is No. vi. of the Cathemerinon, and extends to 152 lines. Of the complete hymn we have no translation into English, but three centos therefrom have been translated thus:
1. Ades Pater supreme—Be present, Holy Father. By J. M. Neale, in the enlarged edition of the Hymnal Noted, 1854, No. 10, being a rendering of lines 1-12, 125-128, 141-152, and a doxology not in the original. This was repeated in the People's Hymnal 1867, No. 436, and with alterations in the Hymnary, 1872, No. 17. In this last, two stanzas (v. vi.) were added from lines 129-132, and 137-140. This cento is usually given for Sunday evening.
2. Fluzit labor diei—The toil of day is over.— By J. A. Johnston, added to his English Hymnal, 1861, No. 256. It is a free rendering based upon stanzas iii.-vii. of Dr. Neale, as above.
3. Cultor Dei memento—Servant of God, remember. This portion of the hymn, given in Daniel, i., No. 110; Card. Newman's Hymnal Eccl. 1838 and 1865 ; Wackernagel and others, is composed of lines 125-152, with the addition of a doxology. It was used in the Sarum Breviary "At Compline on Passion Sunday, and Daily up to Maundy Thursday." Also in the Mozarabic Breviary.; the Mozarabic Hymnarium; and in an 11th century manuscript in the British Museum (Harl. 2961, f. 238). The translation in common use is:—"Servant of God! remember," by W. J. Blew. First printed with music on a broadsheet, and then in The Church Hymn and Tune Book, 1852; 2nd ed. 1855. It is from the Sarum text, and in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. In 1870 it was included in Mr. Rice's Hymns, No. 105.
Translations not in common use:—
1. Remember, them who lov'st the Lord. Hymnal Anglicanum 1844.
2. Christian, ever keep in mind. Copeland. 1848.
3. Child of God! remember thou. Chambers. 1857.
4. Come, Great Father, Mighty Lord—Francis Turner (Bishop of Ely), in Dodd's Christian's Magazine, Sep., 1761.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Ades Pater supreme. This is in a manuscript of the 6th century, in the Bibl. Nat. Paris (Lat, 8084, f. 18). Another translation of the cento Ades Pater is "Father, Most High, be with us." In the 1885 edition of Hymns Ancient & Modern, by the Compilers.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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