A Digital Repository of Medieval Texts
Rabanus Maurus. "In Honour of the Holy Cross." Global Medieval Sourcebook.Translation by May Peterson .
In honorem sanctae crucis | In Honour of the Holy Cross
Source Information
In honorem sanctae crucis | In Honour of the Holy Cross
by Rabanus Maurus
Original Source
A
Publication Details:
Published by .
In honorem sanctae crucis In Honour of the Holy Cross
Omnipotens virtus, majestas alta, Sabaoth All powerful strength, high majesty, heavenly host,
Excelsus Dominus, virtutum summe creator, Exalted Lord, greatest creator of angels,
Formator mundi: hominum tu vere Redemptor. fashioner of the world: you truly are redeemer of men.
Tu mea laus, virtus, tu gloria cuncta, salusque, You are my praise, my virtue, you are all glory and salvation,
5
Tu rex, tu doctor, tu es rector, care magister, You are king, you are teacher, you are leader and dear master, Tu pastor pascens, protector verus ovilis. You are our feeding shepherd, true protector of your sheepfold.
Portio tuque mea, sancte salvator et auctor, You are my earnings, my sacred savior and founder (auctor),
Dux, via, lux, vita, merces bona, janua regni es, You are Lord, way, light, life, valuable reward, door to the kingdom;
Vox, sensus, verbum, virtutum laeta propago. Voice, perception, word, joyful offspring of heaven.
10
Ad te direxi, et cumulans nunc dirigo verba: To you have I directed and now do I direct my words, piling them up: Mens mea te loquitur, mentis intentio tota, My mind speaks you, the whole extent of my mind,
Quicquid lingua, manus orat et bucca beate Whatever tongue, hand, and mouth happily pray,
Cor humile, et vita justa, sacrata voluntas. Humble heart, just life, and sacred will,
Omnia te laudant et cantant, Christe serene. All praise and sing you, fair Christ.
15
Namque ego te Dominum pronus et laetus adoro, For I worship you, Lord, prone and happy, Atque cruci demisse tuae hinc dico salutans: and this I say meekly to your cross in greeting:
Spem oro te ramus aram ara sumar, et oro hinc. I pray to you, hope, branch and altar, that I may be taken to the altar, and I pray for this.
Hoc meus est ardor clarus, hoc ignis amoris, This is my bright/loud (clarus) ardor, this is the fire of my love,
Hoc mea mens poscit primum, hoc famen et ora, This my mind asks first, this utterance and speech,
20
Hoc sitis est animi, mandendi magna cupido: This is my mind’s thirst, the great appetite for a bite: Ut me tu pie suscipias, bone Christe, per aram So that you might piously receive me, noble Christ,
Oblatum famulum, quod victima sim tua, Hiesus. a servant offered on your altar, that I may be your sacrifice, Jesus.
Hostia quod tua sim: memet crucifixio totum So that I may be your victim: your crucifixion
Jam tua consumat; et passio mitiget aestum Now consumes me whole, and your passion soothes
25
Carnalem, vitia confringat, deprimat iram, Worldly agitation, destroys sins, suppresses anger, Refrenet linguam, pietatis verba reponat. Restrains speech, restores words of piety.
Mentem pacificet: vitam deducat honestam. It pacifies the mind: it encourages honorable life.
Namque tuus quando toto fulgescet Olympo For when from the whole heaven/Olympus your
Igneus adventus, torrebit et ardor iniquos, fiery approach will glitter, its heat will scorch the unjust,
30
Tempestas stridet, cornu iam mugit et orbe a storm will shriek, then bellow with its horn, and before the world Ante apparebit quando crucis aere signum: in the air the sign of the cross will appear:
Tum rogo me eripiat flammis ultricibus ipsa: then I ask [the cross] itself to rescue me from vengeful flames
Atque poetam agni proprium defendat ab ira, and defend its own poet from the anger of the lamb,
Cui cano: iure canam Hrabanus versibus ore, to whom I sing: rightly will I, Hrabanus, sing with verses from my mouth,
35
Corde, manu, semper donum memorabile cantu: my heart, my hand, from my memorable song always a gift: Quod dederat vitae memet clementer in ara. which had mercifully given me to the altar of life.
Quando ipsa Hiesus clemens rogo ab eruit imo When merciful Jesus from on top of his pyre dug out
Inferni requiem, nunc, o Christe, arce polorum relief from hell, now, O Christ, in the arc of the heavens,
Da mihi, hoc posco, spero, et vera omnia credo, give me what I ask and hope for, and all the true things which I trust,
40
Quae promisisti, hoc teneo pietate fideque. which you have promised: this I preserve with piety and faith. Quod verax facis ordine judicio omnia vera. You are truthful; you do all true things according to order and justice.
I nunc ad superos, in coelis rite triumphas. Now go to the heavens; you triumph well in the sky.
O laus alma crucis semper sine fine valeto. O kind praise of the cross, always and endless, farewell.
Hrabanus memet clemens rogo, Christe tuere, o pie iudicio. I ask that you, O pious and merciful in judgment, keep me, Rabanus, safe.
45
Oro te ramus aram, ara sumar et oro. I pray to you, branch and altar, that I may be taken to the altar, and I pray. In honorem sanctae crucis In Honour of the Holy Cross
Omnipotens virtus, majestas alta, Sabaoth All powerful strength, high majesty, heavenly host,
Excelsus Dominus, virtutum summe creator, Exalted Lord, greatest creator of angels,
Formator mundi: hominum tu vere Redemptor. fashioner of the world: you truly are redeemer of men.
Tu mea laus, virtus, tu gloria cuncta, salusque, You are my praise, my virtue, you are all glory and salvation,
5
Tu rex, tu doctor, tu es rector, care magister, You are king, you are teacher, you are leader and dear master, Tu pastor pascens, protector verus ovilis. You are our feeding shepherd, true protector of your sheepfold.
Portio tuque mea, sancte salvator et auctor, You are my earnings, my sacred savior and founder (auctor),
Dux, via, lux, vita, merces bona, janua regni es, You are Lord, way, light, life, valuable reward, door to the kingdom;
Vox, sensus, verbum, virtutum laeta propago. Voice, perception, word, joyful offspring of heaven.
10
Ad te direxi, et cumulans nunc dirigo verba: To you have I directed and now do I direct my words, piling them up: Mens mea te loquitur, mentis intentio tota, My mind speaks you, the whole extent of my mind,
Quicquid lingua, manus orat et bucca beate Whatever tongue, hand, and mouth happily pray,
Cor humile, et vita justa, sacrata voluntas. Humble heart, just life, and sacred will,
Omnia te laudant et cantant, Christe serene. All praise and sing you, fair Christ.
15
Namque ego te Dominum pronus et laetus adoro, For I worship you, Lord, prone and happy, Atque cruci demisse tuae hinc dico salutans: and this I say meekly to your cross in greeting:
Spem oro te ramus aram ara sumar, et oro hinc. I pray to you, hope, branch and altar, that I may be taken to the altar, and I pray for this.
Hoc meus est ardor clarus, hoc ignis amoris, This is my bright/loud (clarus) ardor, this is the fire of my love,
Hoc mea mens poscit primum, hoc famen et ora, This my mind asks first, this utterance and speech,
20
Hoc sitis est animi, mandendi magna cupido: This is my mind’s thirst, the great appetite for a bite: Ut me tu pie suscipias, bone Christe, per aram So that you might piously receive me, noble Christ,
Oblatum famulum, quod victima sim tua, Hiesus. a servant offered on your altar, that I may be your sacrifice, Jesus.
Hostia quod tua sim: memet crucifixio totum So that I may be your victim: your crucifixion
Jam tua consumat; et passio mitiget aestum Now consumes me whole, and your passion soothes
25
Carnalem, vitia confringat, deprimat iram, Worldly agitation, destroys sins, suppresses anger, Refrenet linguam, pietatis verba reponat. Restrains speech, restores words of piety.
Mentem pacificet: vitam deducat honestam. It pacifies the mind: it encourages honorable life.
Namque tuus quando toto fulgescet Olympo For when from the whole heaven/Olympus your
Igneus adventus, torrebit et ardor iniquos, fiery approach will glitter, its heat will scorch the unjust,
30
Tempestas stridet, cornu iam mugit et orbe a storm will shriek, then bellow with its horn, and before the world Ante apparebit quando crucis aere signum: in the air the sign of the cross will appear:
Tum rogo me eripiat flammis ultricibus ipsa: then I ask [the cross] itself to rescue me from vengeful flames
Atque poetam agni proprium defendat ab ira, and defend its own poet from the anger of the lamb,
Cui cano: iure canam Hrabanus versibus ore, to whom I sing: rightly will I, Hrabanus, sing with verses from my mouth,
35
Corde, manu, semper donum memorabile cantu: my heart, my hand, from my memorable song always a gift: Quod dederat vitae memet clementer in ara. which had mercifully given me to the altar of life.
Quando ipsa Hiesus clemens rogo ab eruit imo When merciful Jesus from on top of his pyre dug out
Inferni requiem, nunc, o Christe, arce polorum relief from hell, now, O Christ, in the arc of the heavens,
Da mihi, hoc posco, spero, et vera omnia credo, give me what I ask and hope for, and all the true things which I trust,
40
Quae promisisti, hoc teneo pietate fideque. which you have promised: this I preserve with piety and faith. Quod verax facis ordine judicio omnia vera. You are truthful; you do all true things according to order and justice.
I nunc ad superos, in coelis rite triumphas. Now go to the heavens; you triumph well in the sky.
O laus alma crucis semper sine fine valeto. O kind praise of the cross, always and endless, farewell.
Hrabanus memet clemens rogo, Christe tuere, o pie iudicio. I ask that you, O pious and merciful in judgment, keep me, Rabanus, safe.
45
Oro te ramus aram, ara sumar et oro. I pray to you, branch and altar, that I may be taken to the altar, and I pray. Critical Notes
Sorry, but there are no notes associated with any currently displayed witness.