The Third Day of Advent...

 

        This year, I discovered that Latin is my favourite language to sing in. It doesn't seem to matter that I only understand it haltingly. Perhaps it's the way Latin songs flow, or the fact that Latin songs are generally sacred. There's something about the way the words flow set to music that makes me so very happy.

        I know we started off the season with a macaronic text which contained Latin sentences, but this carol set would not be complete without an entire Latin song of its own.

          This time I chose the beautiful ancient text "Creator Alme Siderum" originally, "Conditor Alme Siderum." It was originally written in the 7th century with the latter title, "Creator of The Stars of Night," but was adapted by some pope in the 1600's to conform to common meter. Unfortunately the "tweaking" changed the hymn immensely from what it was, which was only a recent discovery. The two may as well be different songs. However, this new hymn, while you know I don't appreciate people messing with other people's poetry like that, is still a lovely text and chant. 

In this case I will share the recording first in which they are singing the Latin text, and add the English translation below for you to follow along. This is my favourite arrangement of the chant by Richard Buchard.

           In case you aren't aware, the term "holy Paraclete" in the last stanza is an old term for the Holy Spirit.

 1. Creator of the starry skies!
Eternal Light of all who live!
Jesus, Redeemer of mankind!
An ear to Thy poor suppliants give.

2. When man was sunk in sin and death,
Lost in the depth of Satan's snare,
Love brought Thee down to cure our ills,
By taking of those ills a share.

3. Thou, for the sake of guilty men,
Causing Thine own pure blood to flow,
Didst issue from Thy virgin shrine
And to the cross a Victim go.

4. So great the glory of Thy might,
If we but chance Thy name to sound
At once all heaven and hell unite
In bending low with awe profound.

5. Great Judge of all! in that last day
When friends shall fail and foes combine,
Be present then with us, we pray,
To guard us with Thine arm divine.

6. Power, honor, praise, and glory,
to God the Father and the Son,
and also to the holy Paraclete,
while eternal ages run.

            I love how this song not only celebrates Christ's first coming but looks forward with eagerness to His second coming and the final restoration of all things. And, of course, no ancient Latin hymn would be complete without some sort of "Gloria Patri" at the end, and this one does not disappoint. I half wonder if we shouldn't bring this back into our church singing. Ending each song with a threefold gloria to the Triune God seems to be a solid tradition. What are your thoughts? And, let me know what your favourite language to sing in is, and why.

                Until Tomorrow,

                       ~ Christianna