The Poetry Corner

Morning Hymn (Hymnus Matutinus)

By Aurelius Clemens Prudentius

English Translation below Original Hymnus Matutinus Nox et tenebrae et nubila, confusa mundi et turbida, lux intrat, albescit polus, Christus venit, discedite. Caligo terrae scinditur percussa solis spiculo, rebusque iam color redit vultu nitentis sideris. Sic nostra mox obscuritas fraudisque pectus conscium ruptis retectum nubibus regnante pallescit Deo. Tunc non licebit claudere quod quisque fuscum cogitat, sed mane clarescent novo secreta mentis prodita. Fur ante lucem squalido inpune peccat tempore, sed lux dolis contraria latere furtum non sinit. Versuta fraus et callida amat tenebris obtegi, aptamque noctem turpibus adulter occultus fovet. Sol ecce surgit igneus, piget, pudescit, paenitet, nec teste quisquam lumine peccare constanter potest. Quis mane sumptis nequiter non erubescit poculis, cum fit libido temperans castumque nugator sapit? Nunc, nunc severum vivitur, nunc nemo tentat ludicrum, inepta nunc omnes sua vultu colorant serio. Haec hora cunctis utilis, qua quisque, quod studet, gerat, miles, togatus, navita, opifex, arator, institor. Illum forensis gloria, hunc triste raptat classicum, mercator hinc ac rusticus avara suspirant lucra. At nos lucelli ac faenoris fandique prorsus nescii, nec arte fortes bellica, te, Christe, solum novimus. Te mente pura et simplici, te voce, te cantu pio rogare curvato genu flendo et canendo discimus. His nos lucramur quaestibus, hac arte tantum vivimus, haec inchoamus munera, cum sol resurgens emicat. Intende nostris sensibus, vitamque totam dispice, sunt multa fucis inlita, quae luce purgentur tua. Durare nos tales iube, quales, remotis sordibus nitere pridem iusseras, Iordane tinctos flumine. Quodcumque nox mundi dehinc infecit atris nubibus, tu, rex Eoi sideris, vultu sereno inlumina. Tu sancte, qui taetram picem candore tingis lacteo ebenoque crystallum facis, delicta terge livida. Sub nocte Iacob caerula luctator audax angeli, eo usque dum lux surgeret, sudavit inpar praelium. Sed cum iubar claresceret, lapsante claudus poplite femurque victus debile culpae vigorem perdidit. Nutabat inguen saucium, quae corporis pars vilior longeque sub cordis loco diram fovet libidinem. Hae nos docent imagines, hominem tenebris obsitum, si forte non cedat Deo, vires rebellis perdere. Erit tamen beatior, intemperans membrum cui luctando claudum et tabidum dies oborta invenerit. Tandem facessat caecitas, quae nosmet in praeceps diu lapsos sinistris gressibus errore traxit devio. Haec lux serenum conferat purosque nos praestet sibi: nihil loquamur subdolum, volvamus obscurum nihil. Sic tota decurrat dies, ne lingua mendax, ne manus, oculive peccent lubrici, ne noxa corpus inquinet. Speculator adstat desuper, qui nos diebus omnibus actusque nostros prospicit a luce prima in vesperum. Hic testis, hic est arbiter, his intuetur quidquid est, humana quod mens concipit; hunc nemo fallit iudicem. Morning Hymn Newly Translated Into English Verse By R. Martin Pope. Ye clouds and darkness, hosts of night That breed confusion and affright, Begone! o'erhead the dawn shines clear, The light breaks in and Christ is here. Earth's gloom flees broken and dispersed, By the sun's piercing shafts coerced: The daystar's eyes rain influence bright And colours glimmer back to sight. So shall our guilty midnight fade, The sin-stained heart's gross dusky shade: So shall the King's All-radiant Face Sudden unveil our deep disgrace. No longer then may we disguise Our dark intents from those clear eyes: Yea, at the dayspring's advent blest Our inmost thoughts will stand confest. The thief his hidden traffic plies Unmarked before the dawn doth rise: But light, the foe of guile concealed, Lets no ill craft lie unrevealed. Fraud and Deceit love only night, Their wiles they practise out of sight; Curtained by dark, Adultery too Doth his foul treachery pursue, But slinks abashed and shamed away Soon as the sun rekindles day, For none can damning light resist And 'neath its rays in sin persist. Who doth not blush o'ertook by morn And his long night's carousal scorn? For day subdues the lustful soul, And doth all foul desires control. Now each to earnest life awakes, Now each his wanton sport forsakes; Now foolish things are put away And gravity resumes her sway. It is the hour for duty's deeds, The path to which our labour leads, Be it the forum, army, sea, The mart or field or factory. One seeks the plaudits of the bar, One the stern trumpet calls to war: Those bent on trade and husbandry At greed's behest for lucre sigh. Mine is no rhetorician's fame, No petty usury I claim; Nor am I skilled to face the foe: 'Tis Thou, O Christ, alone I know. Yea, I have learnt to wait on Thee With heart and lips of purity, Humbly my knees in prayer to bend, And tears with songs of praise to blend. These are the gains I hold in view And these the arts that I pursue: These are the offices I ply When the bright sun mounts up the sky. Prove Thou my heart, my every thought, Search into all that I have wrought: Though I be stained with blots within, Thy quickening rays shall purge my sin. O may I ever spotless be As when my stains were cleansed by Thee, Who bad'st me 'neath the Jordan's wave Of yore my soild spirit lave. If e'er since then the world's gross night Hath cast its curtain o'er my sight, Dispel the cloud, O King of grace, Star of the East! with thy pure face. Since Thou canst change, O holy Light, The blackest hue to milky white, Ebon to clearness crystalline, Wash my foul stains and make me clean. 'Twas 'neath the lonely star-blue night That Jacob waged the unequal fight, Stoutly he wrestled with the Man In darkness, till the day began. And when the sun rose in the sky He halted on his shrivelled thigh: His natural might had ebbed away, Vanquished in that tremendous fray. Not wounded he in nobler part Nor smitten in life's fount, the heart: But lust was shaken from his throne And his foul empire overthrown. Whereby we clearly learn aright That man is whelmed by deadly night, Unless he own God conqueror And strive against His will no more. Yet happier he whom rising morn Shall find of nature's strength forlorn, Whose warring flesh hath shrunk away, Palsied by virtue's puissant sway. And then at length let darkness flee, Which all too long held us in fee, 'Mid wildering shadows made us stray And led in devious tracks our way. We pray Thee, Rising Light serene, E'en as Thyself our hearts make clean: Let no deceit our lips defile Nor let our souls be vexed by guile. O keep us, as the hours proceed, From lying word and evil deed, Our roving eyes from sin set free, Our body from impurity. For thou dost from above survey The converse of each fleeting day: Thou dost foresee from morning light Our every deed, until the night. Justice and judgment dwell with Thee, Whatever is, Thine eye doth see: Thou know'st what human hearts conceive And none Thy wisdom may deceive.