Hymn After Meat (Hymnus Post Cibum)
By Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
Newly Translated Into English Verse By R. Martin Pope is below this original.
Hymnus Post Cibum
Pastis visceribus ciboque sumpto,
quem lex corporis inbecilla poscit,
laudem lingua Deo patri rependat;
Patri, qui Cherubin sedile sacrum,
nec non et Seraphin suum supremo
subnixus solio tenet regitque.
Hic est, quem Sabaoth Deum vocamus,
expers principii carensque fine,
rerum conditor et repertor orbis:
fons vitae liquida fluens ab arce,
infusor fidei, sator pudoris,
mortis perdomitor, salutis auctor.
Omnes quod sumus aut vigemus, inde est:
regnat Spiritus ille sempiternus
a Christo simul et Parente missus.
Intrat pectora candidus pudica,
quae templi vice consecrata rident,
postquam conbiberint Deum medullis.
Sed si quid vitii dolive nasci
inter viscera iam dicata sensit,
ceu spurcum refugit celer sacellum.
Taetrum flagrat enim vapore crasso
horror conscius aestuante culpa
offensumque bonum niger repellit.
Nec solus pudor innocensve votum
templum constituunt perenne Christo
in cordis medii sum ac recessu:
sed ne crapula ferveat cavendum est,
quae sedem fidei cibis refertam
usque ad congeriem coartet intus.
Parcis victibus expedita corda
infusum melius Deum receptant.
Hic pastus animae est, saporque verus:
sed nos tu gemino fovens paratu
artus atque animas utroque pastu
confirmas Pater ac vigore conples.
Sic olim tua praecluens potestas
inter raucisonos situm leones,
inlapsis dapibus virum refovit.
Illum fusile numen execrantem
et curvare caput sub expolita
aeris materia nefas putantem
Plebs dirae Babylonis ac tyrannus
morti subdiderant, feris dicarant
saevis protinus haustibus vorandum.
O semper pietas fidesque tuta!
lambunt indomiti virum leones
intactumque Dei tremunt alumnum.
Adstant cominus et iubas reponunt,
mansuescit rabies fameque blanda
praedam rictibus ambit incruentis.
Sed cum tenderet ad superna palmas
expertumque sibi Deum rogaret,
clausus iugiter indigensque victu:
Iussus nuntius advolare terris,
qui pastum famulo daret probato,
raptim desilit obsequente mundo.
Cernit forte procul dapes inemptas,
quas messoribus Abbacuc propheta
agresti bonus exhibebat arte.
Huius caesarie manu prehensa
plenis, sicut erat, gravem canistris
suspensum rapit et vehit per auras.
Tum raptus simul ipse prandiumque
sensim labitur in lacum leonum,
et, quas tunc epulas gerebat, offert:
Sumas laetus, ait, libensque carpas,
quae summus Pater, angelusque Christi
mittunt liba tibi sub hoc periclo.
His sumptis Danielus excitavit
in caelum faciem ciboque fortis
Amen reddidit, Halleluia dixit.
Sic nos muneribus tuis refecti,
largitor Deus omnium bonorum,
grates reddimus et sacramus hymnos.
Tu nos tristifico velut tyranno
mundi scilicet inpotentis actu
conclusos regis et feram repellis,
Quae circumfremit ac vorare temptat
insanos acuens furore dentes,
cur te, summe Deus, precemur unum.
Vexamur, premimur, malis rotamur;
oderunt, lacerant, trahunt, lacessunt,
iuncta est suppliciis fides iniquis.
Nec defit tamen anxiis medela;
nam languente trucis leonis ira
inlapsae superingeruntur escae.
Quas si quis sitienter hauriendo
non gustu tenui, sed ore pleno
internis velit inplicare venis,
Hic sancto satiatus ex propheta,
iustorum capiet cibos virorum,
qui fructum domino metunt perenni.
Nil est dulcius ac magis saporum,
nil quod plus hominem iuvare possit,
quam vatis pia praecinentis orsa.
His sumptis licet insolens potestas
pravum iudicet, inrogetque mortem,
inpasti licet inruant leones,
nos semper Dominum patrem fatentes
in te, Christe Deus, loquemur unum
constanterque tuam crucem feremus.
Hymn After Meat
Refreshed we rise, and for this bread that feeds,
By law of man's weak flesh, our daily needs,
Let every tongue, the Father's praises sing;
The Father Who on His exalted throne,
O'er Cherubim and Seraphim, alone
Reigns in His majesty, Eternal King.
God of Sabaoth is His name: 'tis He
Who ne'er began and ne'er shall cease to be,
Builder of worlds created at His word;
Fountain of Life that flows from out the sky,
He breathes within us Faith and Purity,
Great Conqueror of Death, Salvation's Lord.
From Him each creature life and vigour gains,
And over all the Eternal Spirit reigns
Who cometh from the Father and the Son:
When, dovelike, on pure hearts the heavenly Guest
Descends, they are by God's own presence blest,
As temples where His holy work is done.
But if the taint of vice or guile arise
Within the consecrated shrine, He flies
With speed from out the sin-defild cell;
For, driven forth by guilt's black, surging tide,
The offended Godhead may not there abide
Where conscious sin and noisome foulness dwell.
Not chastity nor childlike faith alone
Build up for Christ an everlasting throne
Deep in the inmost heart, devoid of shame:
But watchful ever must His servants be,
Lest the dark power of sated gluttony
Should bind about the abode of faith its chain.
Yet simple saints, content with frugal fare,
More surely find the Spirit present there,
Who is our soul's true strength and heavenly food:
Thy love for us a twofold feast supplies,
O Father, whence the soul may strengthened rise
And eke the body gain new hardihood.
Thus, fed and sheltered by Thy matchless might,
The lions' hideous roar could not affright
Thy loyal servant in the days of old:
He boldly cursed the molten deity
And stood with stubborn head uplifted high
That scorned to bow before a god of gold.
Then Babylon's vile mob with fury glows;
Death is his doom; and straight the tyrant throws
The youth to be his savage lions' prey:
But faith and piety Thou still dost save,
For lo! the untamed brutes no longer rave,
But round God's unscathed child they gently play.
Close by his side they stand with drooping mane,
The grisly, gaping jaws from blood refrain
And with rough tongues their whilom prey caress:
But when in prayer he raised his hands to heaven
And called the God, from Whom such help was given,
Close-prisoned, hungry, and in sore distress,
A wingd messenger to earth He sends,
Who swiftly through the parting clouds descends
To feed His servant, proven by the test:
By chance he sees from far the unbought fare
Which the good seer Habakkuk's kindly care
With rustic art had for the reapers dressed:
Then, grasping in strong hand the prophet's hair,
He bears him gently through the rushing air,
Still burdened with the platter's savoury load,
Till o'er the lions' den at last they stayed
And straightway to the starving youth displayed
The food thus brought, by God's good grace bestowed.
"Take this with joy," he said, "and thankful feed,
The bread that in thy hour of direst need,
By the great Father sent, Christ's angel brings."
Then Daniel lifts his eyes to heaven above
And, strengthened by the wondrous gift of love,
"Amen!" he cries, and Alleluia sings.
Thus, therefore, by Thy bounties now restored,
Giver of all things good, Almighty Lord,
We render thanks and sing glad hymns to Thee:
Though prisoned in an evil world we dwell
Where sin's grim tyrant rules, Thou dost repel
With sovran power our mortal enemy.
He roars around us, and would fain devour,
Grinding his angry teeth when 'gainst his power
In Thee alone, O God, we still confide:
By evil things we are beset and vexed,
Tormented, hated, harassed and perplexed,
Our faith by cruel suffering sorely tried,
Yet help ne'er fails us in our time of need,
For Thou canst quell the lions' rage, and feed
Our hungry spirits with celestial fare:
And if some soul no meagre taste would gain
Of that repast, but thirstily is fain
Full measure of the heavenly sweets to share,
He by the holy seers of old is fed,
And shall partake the loyal reapers' bread
Who labour in the eternal Master's field:
For nothing sweeter than the Word can be
That fell from righteous lips, once touched by Thee,
And nought can richer grace to mortals yield.
With this sustained, though vaunting tyranny
By unjust judgment doom us straight to die,
And starvd lions rush these limbs to tear;
Confessing ever Thine Eternal Son,
With Thee, Almighty Father, ever one,
His cross with faith unshaken will we bear.