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Da, puer, plectrum, choraeis ut canam
fidelibus
dulce carmen et melodum, gesta Christi insignia.
Hunc camena nostra solum pangat, hunc laudet lyra.
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Christus est, quem rex sacerdos adfuturum
protinus
infulatus concinebat uoce corda et tympano,
spiritum caelo influentem per medullas hauriens.
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5 |
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Facta nos et iam probata pangimus
miracula,
testis est orbis nec ipsa terra quod uidit negat,
comminus deum docendis proditum mortalibus.
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Corde natus ex parentis ante mundi
exordium,
alfa et v cognominatus, ipse fons et clausula
omnium quae sunt fuerunt quaeque post futura sunt.
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10 |
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Ipse iussit, et creata, dixit ipse,
et facta sunt
terra caelum fossa ponti trina rerum machina,
quaeque in his uigent sub alto solis et lunae globo.
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15 |
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Corporis formam caduci, membra morti
obnoxia
induit, ne gens periret primoplasti ex germine,
merserat quam lex profundo noxialis tartaro.
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O beatus ortus ille, uirgo cum puerpera
edidit nostram salutem feta sancto spiritu
et puer redemptor orbis os sacratum protulit!
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20 |
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Psallat altitudo caeli, psallite
omnes angeli,
quidquid est uirtutis usquam psallat in laudem dei,
nulla linguarum silescat, uox et omnis consonet.
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Ecce, quem uates uetustis concinebant
saeculis,
quem profetarum fideles paginae spoponderant,
emicat promissus olim; cuncta conlaudent eum!
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25 |
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Cantharis infusa lymfa fit Falernum
nobile,
nuntiat uinum minister esse promptum ex hydria,
ipse rex sapore tinctis obstupescit poculis.
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30 |
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“Membra morbis ulcerosa, uiscerum
putredines
mando ut abluantur” inquit, fit ratum, quod iusserat.
Turgidam cutem repurgant uulnerum piamina.
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Tu perennibus tenebris iam sepulta
lumina
inlinis limo salubri sacri et oris nectare;
mox apertis hac medella lux reducta est orbibus.
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35 |
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Increpas uentum furentem quod
procellis tristibus
uertat aequor fundo ab imo uexet et uagam ratem;
ille iussis obsecundat, mitis unda sternitur.
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Extimum uestis sacratae furtim mulier
attigit,
protinus salus secuta est; ora pallor deserit,
sistitur riuus cruore qui fluebat perpeti.
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40 |
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Exitu dulcis iuuentae raptum ephebum
uiderat,
orba quem mater supremis funerabat fletibus;
“Surge” dixit; ille surgit, matri et adstans redditur.
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45 |
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Sole iam quarto carentem, iam sepulcro
absconditum
Lazarum iubet uigere reddito spiramine;
faetidum iecur reductus rursus intrat halitus.
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…
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Tu cibus panisque noster, tu perennis
suauitas;
nescit esurire in aeuum qui tuam sumit dapem,
nec lacunam uentris inplet, sed fouet uitalia.
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61 |
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Clausus aurium meatus et sonorum
nescius
purgat ad praecepta Christi crassa quaeque obstacula,
uocibus capax fruendis ac susurris peruius.
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65 |
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Omnis aegritudo cedit, languor omnis
pellitur,
lingua fatur quam ueterna uinxerant silentia,
gestat et suum per urbem laetus aeger lectulum.
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…
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Sol refugit et lugubri sordidus ferrugine
igneum reliquit axem seque maerens abdidit;
fertur horruisse mundus noctis aeternae chaos.
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80 |
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Solue uocem, mens sonora, solue linguam
mobilem,
dic tropaeum passionis, dic triumfalem crucem,
pange uexillum notatis quod refulget frontibus.
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…
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Tunc patres sanctique multi conditorem
praeuium
iam reuertentem secuti tertio demum die
carnis indumenta sumunt eque bustis prodeunt.
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97 |
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Cerneres coire membra de fauillis
aridis,
frigidum uenis resumptis puluerem tepescere,
ossa neruos et medullas glutino cutis tegi.
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100 |
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Post, ut occasum resoluit uitae et
hominem reddidit,
arduum tribunal alti uictor ascendit patris
inclytam caelo reportans passionis gloriam.
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105 |
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Macte iudex mortuorum, macte rex
uiuentium,
dexter in parentis arce qui cluis uirtutibus,
omnium uenturus inde iustus ultor criminum!
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Te senes et te iuuentus, paruulorum
te chorus,
turba matrum uirginumque, simplices puellulae
uoce concordes pudicis perstrepant concentibus.
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110 |
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Fluminum lapsus et undae, litorum
crepidines,
imber aestus nix pruina, silua et aura, nox dies
omnibus te concelebrent saeculorum saeculis!
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Questions
1. What form and meter is this hymn written in? Describe the rhythm
and any irregularities (for instance, the rhythm of lines 40 and
103) using the terms and forms of Latin lyric that you know.
2. Prudentius is using the form of (pagan) Latin hymns. How does
he signal, in the first and second stanzas and the second to last
stanza in particular, the genre of his song? What vocabulary does
he use? What kind of event does he want his reader/singer to picture?
What picture is evoked in lines 22-4? Is this picture congruent
with the framing picture of the poem, or does it contrast in some
way?
3. Note the stress on sickness and health (of body and soul).
Discuss this image as it appears in lines 40-48, 61-69 and 79-84.
Especially notice that, in 64-69 and 79-84 especially, the image
of health is bound up with the idea of hearing and speaking. Are
there echoes of this idea within lines 40-48, which deal more obviously
with the physical health restored by Christ in his miracles on earth?
Also, what is the purpose of health of body, in lines 79-84?
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