Hymnus Post Ieiunium

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Christe servorum regimen tuorum,
mollibus qui nos moderans habenis
leniter frenas facilique septos
lege coerces:

5ipse cum portans onus inpeditum
corporis duros tuleris labores,
maior exemplis famulos remisso
dogmate palpas.

Nona submissum rotat hora solem
10partibus vixdum tribus evolutis,
quarta devexo superest in axe
portio lucis.

Nos brevis voti dape vindicata
solvimus festum fruimurque mensis
15adfatim plenis, quibus inbuatur
prona voluptas.

Tantus aeterni favor est magistri,
doctor indulgens ita nos amico
lactat hortatu, levis obsequela ut
20mulceat artus.

Addit et, ne quis velit invenusto
sordidus cultu lacerare frontem,
sed decus vultus capitisque pexum
comat honorem.

25Terge ieiunans, ait, omne corpus,
neve subducto faciem rubore
luteus tinguat color aut notetur
pallor in ore.

Rectius laeto tegimus pudore,
30quidquid ad cultum Patris exhibemus:
cernit occultum Deus et latentem
munere donat.

Ille ovem morbo residem gregique
perditam sano male dissipantem
35vellus adfixis vepribus per hirtae
devia silvae.

Inpiger pastor revocat lupisque
gestat exclusis humeros gravatus,
inde purgatam revehens aprico
40reddit ovili:

Reddit et pratis viridique campo,
vibrat inpexis ubi nulla lappis
spina, nec germen sudibus perarmat
carduus horrens:

45Sed frequens palmis nemus et reflexa
vernat herbarum coma, tum perennis
gurgitem vivis vitreum fluentis
laurus obumbrat.

Hisce pro donis tibi, fide pastor,
50servitus quaenam poterit rependi?
nulla conpensant pretium salutis
vota precantum.

Quamlibet spreto sine more pastu
sponte confectos tenuemus artus,
55teque contemptis epulis rogemus
nocte dieque;

Vincitur semper minor obsequentum
cura, nec munus genitoris aequat,
frangit et cratem luteam laboris
60grandior usus.

Ergo ne limum fragilem solutae
deserant vires et aquosus albis
humor in venis dominetur aegrum
corpus inervans,

65Laxus ac liber modus abstinendi
ponitur cunctis, neque nos severus
terror inpellit, sua quemque cogit
velle potestas.

Sufficit, quidquid facias, vocato
70numinis nutu prius, inchoare,
sive tu mensam renuas cibumve
sumere temptes.

Adnuit dexter Deus et secundo
prosperat vultu, velut hoc salubre
75fidimus nobis fore, quod dicatas
carpimus escas.

Sit bonum, supplex precor et medelam
conferat membris, animumque pascat
sparsus in venas cibus obsecrantum
80christicolarum.

Hymns of Prudentius, 1905

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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 >

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