Another cold, bright morning with Dawn...

Just beginning, a quarter of an hour ago (it is 0615), to throw aside her night clothes and appear in her splendid morning gown. The hymn Urbs beata Jerusalem is sung at Matins and Lauds, divided at the fourth strophe. The part Urbs beata Jerusalem was also, is also, sung at Vespers.

 

Urbs beáta Jerúsalem,
Dicta pacis vísio,
Quæ constrúitur in cælis
Vivis ex lapídibus,
Et Ángelis coronáta
Ut sponsáta cómite.

Nova véniens e cælo,
Nuptiáli thálamo
Præparáta, ut sponsáta
Copulétur Dómino:
Platéæ et muri ejus
Ex auro puríssimo.

Portæ nitent margarítis
Ádytis paténtibus,
Et virtúte meritórum
Illuc introdúcitur
Omnis qui ob Christi nomen
Hic in mundo prémitur.

Tunsiónibus, pressúris
Expolíti lápides,
Suis coaptántur locis
Per manus artíficis,
Disponúntur permansúri
Sacris ædifíciis.

*Anguláris fundaméntum

Lapis Christus missus est,

Qui paríetum compáge

In utróque néctitur,

Quem Sion sancta suscépit,

In quo credens pérmanet.

Omnis illa Deo sacra

Et dilécta cívitas,

Plena módulis, in laude,

Et canóre júbilo,

Trinum Deum unicúmque

Cum fervóre prǽdicat.

Hoc in templo, summe Deus,

Exorátus ádveni,

Et cleménti bonitáte

Precum vota súscipe,

Largam benedictiónem

Hic infúnde júgiter.

Hic promereántur omnes

Petíta acquírere,

Et adépta possidére,

Cum Sanctis perénniter

Paradísum introíre,

Transláti in réquiem.

Glória et honor Deo
Usquequáque altíssimo,
Una Patri, Filióque,
Inclyto Paráclito,
Cui laus est et potéstas
Per ætérna sǽcula.

Amen.

Dom Anselmo Lentini OSB felt himself obliged to make three or four changes (e.g. 'manum' for 'manus' in the fourth line of the strophe Tunsionibus, pressuris) when restoring the traditional texts for the Pauline Office (and, who knows, the more ancient manuscripts may  have his choices-- I've never read his little book explaining his choices et cetera) but even with those it is better to have the more traditional text than to be required to affect to be educated Romans of the Classical Age along with Urbanus VIII-- different senses of history and authenticity and so forth are at play.

For some reason (and surely it could not be that I simply overlooked having already written this? surely not...) I began a new post for the Mass this morning.  

LDVM