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Ausonius · Prayer in Rhopalic Verses §1-42

Prayer to the Trinity and Vigil of Faith

Passage 1 of 1 · Latin

Summary

This hymn is a prayer addressed to the Triune God, celebrating the significance of keeping vigil, the purifying power of baptism, the exemplary lives of early Christian saints, and requesting steadfast faith and eternal glory.

§1Spes, deus, aeternae stationis conciliator: §2si castis precibus veniales invigilamus, §3his, pater, oratis placabilis adstipulare.
Hope, O God, reconciler of the eternal station: if we, seeking pardon, keep watch with pure prayers, O Father, placable, assent to these prayers.
§4Da, Christe, specimen cognoscier inreprehensum, §5rex bone, cultorum famulantum vivificator. §6cum patre maiestas altissima, non generate.
Grant, O Christ, that a blameless pattern be known, good king, giver of life to the worshipping servants: highest majesty with the Father, O unbegotten one.
§7Da trinum columen paraclito consociante, §8ut longum celebris devotio continuetur: §9ad temet properant vigilatum convenienter.
Grant the triune pillar, with the Paraclete associating, so that our solemn devotion may be continued for a long time: they hasten to you yourself, fittingly to keep vigil.
§10Nox lucem revehet funalibus anteferendam, §11nox lumen pariens credentibus indubitatum, §12nox flammis operum meditatrix sidereorum.
Night will bring back a light to be preferred to torches, night bearing an undoubted light for believers, night, the designer of starry works by its flames.
§13Tu mensis dirimis ieiunia relligiosa, §14tu bona promittens surgentia concelebraris: §15da, rector, modicos effarier omnipotentem.
You break religious fasts with tables, you, promising rising good things, are celebrated: grant, O ruler, that the humble may speak of the Almighty.
§16Fons tuus emundat recreatu iustificatos, §17dans mentem oblitam positorum flagitiorum, §18dans agnos niveos splendescere purificatos.
Your fountain cleanses those justified by renewal, giving a mind that forgets past sins, granting that the purified snow-white lambs shine bright.
§21Lux verbo inducta, peccantibus auxiliatrix, §19ut nova Iordanis ablutio, sanctificavit, §20cum sua dignati tinguentia promeruerunt.
Light brought in by the Word, helper to sinners, has sanctified, like the new washing of Jordan, when they, deemed worthy, obtained their washings.
§22Et Christus regimen elementis inrequietis §23fert undam medici baptismatis intemerati, §24ut noxam auferret mortalibus extenuatam.
And Christ, the ruler of the restless elements, brings the water of healing, undefiled baptism, so that he might take away the weakened guilt from mortals.
§25Crux poenae extremum properata inmaculato, §26ut vitam amissam renovaret mortificatus, §28tot rerum titulis obnoxius immodicarum.
The cross, the extreme of punishment, hastened for the Immaculate One, so that, put to death, he might renew the lost life, subject to so many claims of immoderate things.
§27Quis digne domino praeconia continuabit?
Who will worthily continue praises for the Lord?
§29an terra humano locupletat commemoratu, §30quem vocum resonant modulatus angelicarum?
Or does the earth enrich Him with human commemoration, whom the melodies of angelic voices resound?
§31Dans aulam Stephano pretiosam dilapidato, §32dans claves superas cathedrali incohatori, §33quin Paulum infestum copulasti adglomeratu.
Giving a precious hall to Stephen, who was stoned, giving the heavenly keys to the founder of the chair, nay, you even joined hostile Paul to the assembly.
§34Fit doctor populi lapidantum constimulator, §35ut latro confessor paradisum participavit, §36sic, credo, adnectens dirissima clarificandis.
He who was the instigator of those stoning becomes the teacher of the people, just as the confessing thief partook of paradise, so, I believe, joining the most terrible things to those who are to be glorified.
§37Nos seros famulos adcrescere perpetieris §38sub tali edoctos antistite relligionis; §39da sensum solida stabilitum credulitate.
You will permit us, late servants, to grow, instructed under such a leader of religion; grant a mind established in solid faith.
§40Fac iungar numero redivivo glorificatus, §41adcaelum invitans consortia terrigenarum, §42SPES, DEUS, AETERNAE STATIONIS CONCILIATOR!
Make me, glorified, to be joined to the revived number, inviting the fellowships of earthborn men to heaven, HOPE, O GOD, RECONCILER OF THE ETERNAL STATION!

Notes

  1. §2veniales — The nominative plural masculine of the adjective venialis ('pardonable' or 'seeking pardon'), functioning as a predicative appositive to the subject of invigilamus ('we'), meaning 'seeking pardon'.
  2. §3his ... oratis — A dative plural dependent on the deponent verb adstipulare (second-person singular imperative of adstipulor, 'to assent to, favor'). The participle oratis is used substantively to mean 'prayers'.
  3. §4cognoscier — An archaic passive infinitive of the verb cognoscere (equivalent to classical cognosci). It forms an accusative with infinitive clause with specimen ... inreprehensum as its subject accusative, acting as the object of da.
  4. §13mensis — A spelling variant of the ablative plural mensis (from mensa, 'table, food'), functioning as an ablative of instrument ('break the fasts with tables of food'). Alternatively, it could be read as the genitive singular of mensis ('of the month'), but the former fits the liturgical context of breaking a fast better.
  5. §15effarier — An archaic passive infinitive of the deponent verb effari ('to speak, praise', equivalent to classical effari). It forms an accusative with infinitive clause with modicos ('the humble') as the subject accusative and omnipotentem ('the Almighty') as the direct object, acting as the object of da.
  6. §20tinguentia — The neuter accusative plural of the present participle of tinguere ('to wet, baptize'), used substantively to mean 'baptisms, washings'. It functions as the direct object of promeruerunt.
  7. §30modulatus — The nominative plural of the fourth-declension noun modulatus ('melody, singing'), serving as the subject of the plural verb resonant. The relative pronoun quem (referring back to domino) is the object of resonant.
  8. §36clarificandis — The dative plural of the gerundive clarificandus, used substantively to mean 'those (or the things) to be glorified', serving as the indirect object of the participle adnectens ('binding/joining').

Cite this passage

Ausonius, Prayer in Rhopalic Verses §1-42. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:stoa0045.stoa020.humanitext-lat2:1-42

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