Friday, March 21, 2008

particeps gloriae

Långfredag med ett smakprov Abelard.
Det sägs att det var hans Heloise som övertalade honom att skriva dessa hymner till det kloster där hon var abedissa:

Solus ad victimam procedis, Domine,
morti te offerens quam venis tollere:
quid nos miserrimi possumus dicere
qui quae commisimus scimus te luere?

Nostra sung, Domine, nostra sunt crimina:
quid tua criminum facis supplicia?
quibus sic compati fac nostra pectora,
ut vel compassio digna sit venia.

Nox ista flebilis praesensque triduum
quod demorabitur fletus sit verperum,
donec laetitiae mane gratissimum
surgente Domino sit maestis redditum.

Tu tibi compati sic fac nos, Domine,
tuae participes ut simus gloriae;
sic praesens triduum in luctu ducere,
ut risum tribuas paschalis gratiae.

Och såsom förra året bjuds det på översättning av Helen Waddell, på intet sätt ordagrann och en smula fri (som man hittar i den utmärkta Penguin-pocketen Mediaeval Latin Lyrics), men poetisk och stämningsfull (annan finns här):

Alone to sacrifice thou goest, Lord,
Giving thyself to death whom thou has slain.
For us thy wretched folk is any word,
Who know that for our sins this is thy pain?

For they are ours, O lord, our deeds, our deeds,
Why must thou suffer tourture for our sin?
let our hearts suffer for thy passion, Lord,
That sheer compassion may thy mercy win.

This is that night of tears, the three days' space,
Sorrow abiding of the eventide,
Until the day break with the risen Christ,
And hearts that sorrowed shall be satisfied.

So may our hearts have pity on thee, Lord,
That they may sharers of thy glory be:
Heavy with weeping may the three days pass,
To win the laughter of thine Easter day.

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