This is the hymn used in the Liturgia Horarum for Lauds on the Feast of Saint Benedict, July 11. It is a new composition by one of spiritual sons, Don Anselmo Lentini. It was first published in Latinitas, 1954. The meter is sapphic stanzas (more on that later). It is a very fine composition, and the language isn't too difficult. Feel free to ask any grammatical questions I have not addressed in the comment box.
Lēgifer prūdens, venerande doctor
Quī nitēs celsīs meritīs per orbem,
Dēnuō complē, Benedīcte, mundum
Lūmine Christī.
Flōruit per tē novus atque mīrō
Gentium nexū sociātus ordō;
Jūribus sacrīs tua vox subēgit
Dulciter omnēs.
Līberōs Jēsū pariterque servōs
Rēgulā magnā statuisti alumnōs,
Quōs amor fōtus precibus revinxit
Et labor ūnus.
Jamque frāternē, duce tē, labōrent,
Mūtuō certent populī favōre,
Gaudeant pācis refovēre semper
Dōna beātæ.
Clāritas Pātrī genitæque Prōlī,
Flāminī Sanctō decus atque cultus,
Grātiā quōrum tibi tanta laudis
Glōria lūcet.
Expert lawgiver, learned man worthy of honour, by thy noble merits resplendent throughout the earth, O Benedict, fill and perfect the world anew with the light of Christ.
1. prudens: it means "learned", especially in the law, hence our English word "jurisprudence"
3. comple: imperative of complere, which means primarily to "fill", but also "to finish" or "make perfect", from this latter meaning the English word "complete" is derived.
The first stanza begins with a direct address to Saint Benedict, and the first word, legifer, emphatically places first his most important attribute: the Rule.
Through thee a new company of men united by an admirable bond flourished; thy voice didst by sweetness bring them all under the sacred law.
5&6. The subject is ordo gentium, which is both novus and miro nexu sociatus.
7. subegit: perfect of subigo, which + dative means "to bring under" in this context, not the harsher English derivative "to subject". juribus sacris: plural for the sake of the meter.
8. omnes: refers to the "ordo gentium".
The second stanza highlights St. Benedict’s second most important gift to the Church, his Order, which has not merely flourished in all lands itself, but caused Europe to flourish by preserving and fostering culture and learning after the fall of the classical world, but more importantly, by their great service of regular prayer throughout the day on behalf of the Church. Vox: Saint Benedict speaks to us through his rule. Juribus sacris: either refers to the Christian life in general, or to the Rule specifically.
Equally freemen and slaves to Christ, in the great Rule thou didst decree thy pupils to be, whom a love fostered in prayer and one and the same work have restored to life.
9. Jesu: dative. Liberos & servos: both are predicates of alumnos, not attributive.
10. statuisti: perfect of statuere, which literally means "to set upright". In this context it means "to decree" or "prescribe", from where the English word "statute" comes. This is usually followed with a jussive clause with ut + the subjunctive, but here the construction is an accusative (alumnos) plus an implied infinitive esse. This is the common construction when statuere means "to regard", or "consider", but the context does not really allow the verb to be construed as such. The final "i" of statuisti is elided.
11. fotus: past participle of foveo, to be construed with precibus, an ablative of means.
In this stanza, we have Dom Lentini’s summation of Saint Benedict’s Rule. On being both servant and free cf. “qui enim in Domino vocatus est servus libertus est Domini similiter qui liber vocatus est servus est Christi” (I Corinthians 7.22) (For he that is called in the Lord, being a bondman, is the freeman of the Lord. Likewise he that is called, being free, is the bondman of Christ.) The amor fotus precibus and the labor of lines 11 & 12 echo the famous Benedictine motto “Ora et Labora” which sums the monk’s way of life as prayer and work.
With thee as their leader, let all people labour and toil now as brothers with mutual good-will; may they always delight in restoring the gift of blessed peace.
13. Jamque: very emphatic, because of its place at the beginning of the line, the –que, and because it accompanies the jussive subjunctive (laborent & certent), so that it means "straightway", "at once". duce te: ablative absolute.
14. certent: an odd choice of verb because of its connotations which do not fit the context particularly well, but probably chosen because its basic meaning implies great exertion.
15. gaudeant: to be construed with the infinitive refovere, replacing the more common construction with an object clause to give the reason for rejoicing. The direct object of refovere is dona pacis beatæ
This stanza highlights the reasons why Pope Paul VI declared Saint Benedict the principal patron of Europe.
Fame, glory and worship, be to the Father, the only-begotten Son, and Holy Ghost, on whose account the glory of thy great renown shines forth.
17. Claritas: literally means "brightness", but here "fame" or "renown".
18. Flamen: "wind", almost indentical to the more common spiritus, "breath", and often used interchangeably in hymns for the sake of the meter.
19. Gratia: ablative; adverbial use meaning “for the sake of” or “on account of” + the genitive. tibi: dative energicus or of “interest”, shows towards whom the action is directed. The most convenient translation into English is by using a possessive. tanta: nominative, grammatically modifies the subject gloria, but is probably a transferred epithet, agreeing with laudis according to the sense.
20. lucet: "shines", but in poetry it commonly means "is manifest" or "visible".
The doxology continues to address the main subject of the hymn, Saint Benedict, which is a typical stylistic choice of Dom Anselmo Lentini. As the principal editor of the new hymnal for the Liturgia Horarum, he took special care to revise all the common doxologies in this way. For his reasons, see Introduction, sections 63, 64, 67, 68 in Lentini, Anselmo. Hymni Instaurandi Breviarii Romani. Vatican City: 1968.
1 comment:
Interesting to know.
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