The Hymns of Prudentius Part 5

G.o.d of Sabaoth is His name: 'tis He Who ne'er began and ne'er shall cease to be, Builder of worlds created at His word; Fountain of Life that flows from out the sky, He breathes within us Faith and Purity, Great Conqueror of Death, Salvation's Lord.

From Him each creature life and vigour gains, And over all the Eternal Spirit reigns Who cometh from the Father and the Son: When, dovelike, on pure hearts the heavenly Guest Descends, they are by G.o.d's own presence blest, As temples where His holy work is done.

But if the taint of vice or guile arise Within the consecrated shrine, He flies With speed from out the sin-defiled cell; For, driven forth by guilt's black, surging tide, The offended G.o.dhead may not there abide Where conscious sin and noisome foulness dwell.

Not chast.i.ty nor childlike faith alone Build up for Christ an everlasting throne Deep in the inmost heart, devoid of shame: But watchful ever must His servants be, Lest the dark power of sated gluttony Should bind about the abode of faith its chain.

Yet simple saints, content with frugal fare, More surely find the Spirit present there, Who is our soul's true strength and heavenly food: Thy love for us a twofold feast supplies, O Father, whence the soul may strengthened rise And eke the body gain new hardihood.

Thus, fed and sheltered by Thy matchless might, The lions' hideous roar could not affright Thy loyal servant in the days of old: He boldly cursed the molten deity And stood with stubborn head uplifted high That scorned to bow before a G.o.d of gold.

Then Babylon's vile mob with fury glows; Death is his doom; and straight the tyrant throws The youth to be his savage lions' prey: But faith and piety Thou still dost save, For lo! the untamed brutes no longer rave, But round G.o.d's unscathed child they gently play.

Close by his side they stand with drooping mane, The grisly, gaping jaws from blood refrain And with rough tongues their whilom prey caress: But when in prayer he raised his hands to heaven And called the G.o.d, from Whom such help was given, Close-prisoned, hungry, and in sore distress,

A winged messenger to earth He sends, Who swiftly through the parting clouds descends To feed His servant, proven by the test: By chance he sees from far the unbought fare Which the good seer Habakkuk's kindly care With rustic art had for the reapers dressed:

Then, grasping in strong hand the prophet's hair, He bears him gently through the rus.h.i.+ng air, Still burdened with the platter's savoury load, Till o'er the lions' den at last they stayed And straightway to the starving youth displayed The food thus brought, by G.o.d's good grace bestowed.

"Take this with joy," he said, "and thankful feed, The bread that in thy hour of direst need, By the great Father sent, Christ's angel brings."

Then Daniel lifts his eyes to heaven above And, strengthened by the wondrous gift of love, "Amen!" he cries, and Alleluia sings.

Thus, therefore, by Thy bounties now restored, Giver of all things good, Almighty Lord, We render thanks and sing glad hymns to Thee: Though prisoned in an evil world we dwell Where sin's grim tyrant rules, Thou dost repel With sovran power our mortal enemy.

He roars around us, and would fain devour, Grinding his angry teeth when 'gainst his power In Thee alone, O G.o.d, we still confide: By evil things we are beset and vexed, Tormented, hated, hara.s.sed and perplexed, Our faith by cruel suffering sorely tried,

Yet help ne'er fails us in our time of need, For Thou canst quell the lions' rage, and feed Our hungry spirits with celestial fare: And if some soul no meagre taste would gain Of that repast, but thirstily is fain Full measure of the heavenly sweets to share,

He by the holy seers of old is fed, And shall partake the loyal reapers' bread Who labour in the eternal Master's field: For nothing sweeter than the Word can be That fell from righteous lips, once touched by Thee, And nought can richer grace to mortals yield.

With this sustained, though vaunting tyranny By unjust judgment doom us straight to die, And starved lions rush these limbs to tear; Confessing ever Thine Eternal Son, With Thee, Almighty Father, ever one, His cross with faith unshaken will we bear.

V. HYMNUS AD INCENSUM LUCERNAE

Inventor rutili, dux bone, luminis, qui certis vicibus tempora dividis, merso sole chaos ingruit horridum, lucem redde tuis Christe fidelibus.

Quamvis innumero sidere regiam 5 lunarique polum lampade pinxeris, incussu silicis lumina nos tamen monstras saxigeno semine quaerere:

Ne nesciret h.o.m.o spem sibi luminis in Christi solido corpore conditam, 10 qui dici stabilem se voluit petram, nostris igniculis unde genus venit.

Pinguis quos olei rore madentibus lychnis aut facibus pascimus aridis: quin et fila favis scirpea floreis 15 presso melle prius conlita fingimus.

Vivax flamma viget, seu cava testula suc.u.m linteolo suggerit ebrio, seu pinus piceam fert alimoniam, seu ceram teretem stuppa calens bibit. 20

Nectar de liquido vertice fervidum guttatim lacrimis stillat olentibus, ambustum quoniam vis facit ignea imbrem de madido flere cac.u.mine.

Splendent ergo tuis muneribus, Pater, 25 flammis mobilibus scilicet atria, absentemque diem lux agit aemula, quam nox c.u.m lacero victa fugit peplo.

Sed quis non rapidi luminis arduam manantemque Deo cernat originem? 30 Moyses nempe Deum spinifera in rubo vidit conspicuo lumine flammeum.

Felix, qui meruit sentibus in sacris caelestis solii visere principem, iussus nexa pedum vincula solvere, 35 ne sanctum involucris pollueret loc.u.m.

Hunc ignem populus sanguinis inc.l.i.ti maiorum meritis tutus et inpotens, suetus sub dominis vivere barbaris, iam liber sequitur longa per avia: 40

qua gressum tulerant castraque caerulae noctis per medium concita moverant, plebem pervigilem fulgure praevio ducebat radius sole micantior.

Sed rex Niliaci littoris invido 45 fervens felle iubet praevalidam manum in bellum rapidis ire cohortibus ferratasque acies clangere cla.s.sic.u.m.

Sumunt arma viri seque minacibus accingunt gladiis, triste canit tuba: 50 hic fidit iaculis, ille volantia praefigit calamis spicula Gnosiis.

Densetur cuneis turba pedestribus, currus pars et equos et volucres rotas conscendunt celeres signaque bellica 55 praetendunt tumidis clara draconibus.

Hic iam servitii nescia pristini gens Pelusiacis usta vaporibus tandem purpurei gurgitis hospita rubris littoribus fessa resederat. 60

Hostis dirus adest c.u.m duce perfido, infert et validis praelia viribus: Moyses porro suos in mare praecipit constans intrepidis tendere gressibus:

praebent rupta loc.u.m stagna viantibus 65 riparum in faciem pervia, sist.i.tur circ.u.mstans vitreis unda liquoribus, dum plebs sub bifido permeat aequore.

p.u.b.es quin etiam decolor asperis inritata odiis rege sub inpio 70 Hebraeum sitiens fundere sanguinem audet se pelago credere concavo:

ibant praecipiti turbine percita fluctus per medios agmina regia, sed confusa dehinc unda revolvitur 75 in semet revolans gurgite confluo.

Currus tunc et equos telaque naufraga ipsos et proceres et vaga corpora nigrorum videas nare satellitum, arcis iust.i.tium triste tyrannicae. 80

Quae tandem poterit lingua retexere laudes Christe tuas? qui domitam Pharon plagis multimodis cedere praesuli cogis iust.i.tiae vindice dextera.

Qui pontum rapidis aestibus invium 85 persultare vetas, ut refluo in salo securus pateat te duce transitus, et mox unda rapax devoret inpios.

Cui ieiuna eremi saxa loquacibus exundant scatebris, et latices novos 90 fundit scissa silex, quae sitientibus dat potum populis axe sub igneo.

Instar fellis aqua tristifico in lacu fit ligni venia mel velut Attic.u.m: lignum est, quo sapiunt aspera dulcius; 95 uam praefixa cruci spes hominum viget.

Inplet castra cibus tunc quoque ninguidus, inlabens gelida grandine densius: his mensas epulis, hac dape construunt, quam dat sidereo Christus ab aethere. 100

Nec non imbrifero ventus anhelitu cra.s.sa nube leves invehit alites, quae conflata in humum, c.u.m semel agmina fluxerunt, reduci non revolant fuga.

Haec olim patribus praemia contulit 105 insignis pietas numinis unici, cuius subsidio nos quoque vescimur pascentes dapibus pectora mysticis.

Fessos ille vocat per freta seculi discissis populum turbinibus regens 110 iactatasque animas mille laboribus iustorum in patriam scandere praecipit.

Illic purpureis tecta rosariis omnis fragrat humus calthaque pinguia et molles violas et tenues crocos 115 fundit fonticulis uda fugacibus.

Illic et gracili balsama surculo desudata fluunt, raraque cinnama spirant et folium, fonte quod abdito praelambens fluvius portat in exitum. 120