Hino de Prudêncio - ao deitar
Draw near, Almighty Father, | Ades Pater supreme, | |
Ne'er seen by mortal eye; | quem nemo vidit unquam, | |
Come, O Thou Word eternal, | Patrisque sermo Christe, | |
O Spirit blest, be nigh. | et Spiritus benigne. | |
One light of threefold Godhead, | O Trinitatis huius | |
One power that all transcends; | vis una, lumen unum, | |
God is of God begotten, | Deus ex Deo perennis, | |
And God from both descends. | Deus ex utroque missus. | |
The hour of rest approaches, | Fluxit labor diei, | |
The toils of day are past, | redit et quietis hora, | |
And o'er our tired bodies | blandus sopor vicissim | |
Sleep's gentle charm is cast. | fessos relaxat artus. | |
The mind, by cares tormented | Mens aestuans procellis | |
Amid life's storm and stress, | curisque sauciata | |
Drinks deep the wondrous potion | totis bibit medullis | |
That brings forgetfulness. | obliviale poclum. | |
O'er weary, toil-worn mortals | Serpit per omne corpus | |
The spells of Lethe steal; | Lethaea vis, nec ullum | |
Sad hearts lose all their sorrow, | miseris doloris aegri | |
Nor pain nor anguish feel. | patitur manere sensum. | |
For to His frail creation | Lex haec data est caducis | |
God gave this law to keep, | Deo iubente membris, | |
That labour should be lightened | ut temperet laborem | |
By soft and healing sleep. | medicabilis voluptas. | |
But while sweet languor wanders | Sed dum pererrat omnes | |
Through all the pulsing veins, | quies amica venas, | |
And, wrapt in dewy slumber, | pectusque feriatum | |
The heart at rest remains, | placat rigante somno: | |
The soul, in wakeful vigour, | Liber vagat per auras | |
Aloft in freedom flies, | rapido vigore sensus, | |
And sees in many a semblance | variasque per figuras, | |
The hidden mysteries. | quae sunt operta, cernit. | |
For, freed from care, the spirit | Quia mens soluta curis, | |
That came from out the sky, | cui est origo caelum, | |
Born of the stainless aether, | purusque fons ab aethra | |
Can never idle lie. | iners iacere nescit. | |
A thousand changing phantoms | Imitata multiformes | |
She fashions through the night, | facies sibi ipsa fingit, | |
And 'midst a world of fancy | per quas repente currens | |
Pursues her rapid flight. | tenui fruatur actu. | |
But divers are the visions | Sed sensa somniantum | |
That night to dreamers shows; | dispar fatigat horror, | |
Rare gleams of straying splendour | nunc splendor intererrat | |
The future may disclose; | qui dat futura nosse. | |
More oft the truth is darkened, | Plerumque dissipatis | |
And lying fantasy | mendax imago veris | |
Deceives the affrighted sleeper | animos pavore maestos | |
With cunning treachery. | ambage fallit atra. | |
To him whose life is holy | Quem rara culpa morum | |
The things that are concealed | non polluit frequenter, | |
Lie open to his spirit | nunc lux serena vibrans | |
In radiant light revealed; | res edocet latentes. | |
But he whose heart is blackened, | At qui coinquinatum | |
With many a sin imbued, | vitiis cor inpiavit, | |
Sees phantoms grim and ghastly | lusus pavore multo | |
That beckon and delude. | species videt tremendas. | |
So in the Egyptian dungeon | Hoc patriarcha noster | |
The patriarch of old | sub carceris catena | |
Unto the king's two servants | geminis simul ministris | |
Their fateful visions told: | interpres adprobavit. | |
And one is brought from prison | Quorum reversus unus | |
The monarch's wine to pour, | dat poculum tyranno, | |
One, on the gibbet hanging, | ast alterum rapaces | |
Foul birds of prey devour, | fixum vorant volucres. | |
He warned the king, distracted | Ipsum deinde regem | |
By riddles of the night, | perplexa somniantem | |
To hoard the plenteous harvests | monuit famem futuram | |
Against the years of blight. | clausis cavere acervis. | |
Soon, lord of half a kingdom, | Mox praesul ac tetrarches | |
A mighty potentate, | regnum per omne iussus | |
He shares the royal sceptre | sociam tenere virgam | |
And dwells in princely state. | dominae resedit aulae. | |
But ah! how deep the secrets | O quam profunda iustis | |
The holy sleeper sees | arcana per soporem | |
To whom Christ shows His highest, | aperit tuenda Christus, | |
Most sacred mysteries. | quam clara! quam tacenda! | |
For God's most faithful servant | Evangelista summi | |
The clouds were rolled away, | fidissimus magistri | |
And John beheld the wonders | signata quae latebant | |
That sealed from mortals lay. | nebulis videt remotis: | |
The Lamb of God, encrimsoned | ipsum tonantis agnum | |
With sacrificial stains, | de caede purpurantem, | |
Alone the Book can open | qui conscium futuri | |
That destiny contains. | librum resignat unus. | |
By His strong hand is wielded | Huius manum potentem | |
A keen, two-edgèd brand | gladius perarmat anceps | |
That, flashing like the lightning, | et fulgurans utrimque | |
Smites swift on either hand. | duplicem minatur ictum. | |
Before His bar of judgment | Quaesitor ille solus | |
Both soul and body lie; | animaeque corporisque | |
He whom that dread sword smiteth | ensisque bis timendus | |
The second death shall die. | prima ac secunda mors est. | |
Yet mercy tempers justice, | idem tamen benignus | |
And few the Avenger sends | ultor retundit iram | |
(Whose guilt is past all pardon) | paucosque non piorum | |
To death that never ends. | patitur perire in aevum. | |
To Him the Father yieldeth | Huic inclitus perenne | |
The judgment-seat of Heaven; | tribuit Pater tribunal, | |
To Him a Name excelling | hunc obtinere iussit | |
All other names is given. | nomen supra omne nomen. | |
For by His strength transcendent | Hic praepotens cruenti | |
Shall Antichrist be slain, | extinctor antichristi, | |
And from that raging monster | qui de furente monstro | |
Fair trophies shall He gain: | pulchrum refert tropaeum. | |
That all-devouring Dragon, | Quam bestiam capacem | |
With blood of martyrs red, | populosque devorantem, | |
On whose abhorrèd power | quam sanguinis charybdem | |
John's solemn curse is laid. | Ioannis execratur. | |
And thus the proud usurper | Haec nempe, quae sacratum | |
Of His high name is cast | praeferre nomen ausa est, | |
By Him, the true Christ, vanquished | imam petit gehennam | |
To deepest hell at last. | Christo perempta vero. | |
Upon the saint heroic | Tali sopore iustus | |
Such wondrous slumber falls | mentem relaxat heros, | |
That, in the spirit roaming, | ut spiritu sagaci | |
He treads heaven's highest halls. | caelum peragret omne. | |
We may not, in our weakness, | Nos nil meremur horum, | |
To dreams like these aspire, | quos creber inplet error, | |
Whose souls are steeped in error | concreta quos malarum | |
And evil things desire. | vitiat cupido rerum. | |
Enough, if weary bodies | Sat est quiete dulci | |
In peaceful sleep may rest; | fessum fovere corpus: | |
Enough, if no dark powers | sat, si nihil sinistrum | |
Our slumbering souls molest. | vanae minentur umbrae. | |
Christian! the font remember, | Cultor Dei memento | |
The sacramental vow, | te fontis et lavacri | |
The holy water sprinkled, | rorem subisse sanctum, | |
The oil that marked thy brow! | te chrismate innotatum. | |
When at sleep's call thou seekest | Fac, cum vocante somno | |
To rest in slumber chaste, | castum petis cubile, | |
Let first the sacred emblem | frontem locumque cordis | |
On breast and brow be traced. | crucis figura signet. | |
The Cross dispels all darkness, | Crux pellit omne crimen, | |
All sin before it flies, | fugiunt crucem tenebrae: | |
And by that sign protected | tali dicata signo | |
The mind all fear defies. | mens fluctuare nescit. | |
Avaunt! ye fleeting phantoms | Procul, o procul vagantum | |
That mock our midnight hours; | portenta somniorum, | |
Avaunt! thou great Deceiver | procul esto pervicaci | |
With all thy guileful powers. | praestigiator astu! | |
Thou Serpent, old and crafty, | O tortuose serpens, | |
Who by a thousand arts | qui mille per Maeandros | |
And manifold temptations | fraudesque flexuosas | |
Dost vex our sleeping hearts, | agitas quieta corda, | |
Vanish! for Christ is with us; | Discede, Christus hic est, | |
Away! 'tis Christ the Lord: | hic Christus est, liquesce: | |
The sign thou must acknowledge | signum quod ipse nosti | |
Condemns thy hellish horde. | damnat tuam catervam. | |
And, though the weary body | Corpus licet fatiscens | |
Relaxed in sleep may be, | iaceat recline paullum, | |
Our hearts, Lord, e'en in slumber, | Christum tamen sub ipso | |
Shall meditate on Thee. | meditabimur sopore. |