The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky / Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera / Quem Terra, Pontus, Sidera

Whose Might They Own, Whose Praise They Tell

The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky is a John Mason Neale (1818-1866) translation of the 6th century Latin in hymn, Quem Terra, Pontes, Aethera (see 2nd video) attributed to the Bishop of Tours, Venantius Fortunatus (c.530-c.600). According to changes made to the Roman Breviary in 1632, the hymn was sung on Feast Days of the Blessed Virgin Mary in two parts: the first at Matins and the other, O Gloriosa Virginum at Lauds. The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky is set to the tune: Eisenach by the Lutheran Pastor, Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630). In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.



THE GOD WHOM EARTH, AND SEA, AND SKY by John M. Neale, 1854 (Public Domain)

 1. The God Whom earth, and sea, and sky,
Adore, and laud, and magnify,
Who o’er their threefold fabric reigns,
The virgin’s spotless womb contains.

 2. The God Whose will by moon and sun
And all things in due course is done,
Is borne upon a maiden’s breast,
By fullest heavenly grace possest.

3. How blest the mother, in whose shrine
The great Artificer Divine,
Whose hand contains the earth and sky,
Vouchsafed, as in His ark, to lie!

4. Blest, in the message Gabriel brought;
Blest, by the work the Spirit wrought:
From whom the Great Desire of earth
 Took human flesh and human birth. 

5. All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, virgin-born, to Thee!
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.

Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera: Sacred Motet by William Byrd

QUEM TERRA, PONTUS, AETHERA by Venan­ti­us For­tu­na­tus

1. Quem terra, pontus, aethera
colunt, adorant, praedicant,
trinam regentem machinam
claustrum Mariae baiulat.

2. Cui Luna, Sol, et omnia
deserviunt per tempora,
perfusa caeli gratia,
gestant Puellae viscera.

3. Beata Mater, munere,
cuius supernus Artifex,
mundum pugillo continens,
ventris sub arca clausus est.

4. Beata caeli nuntio,
fecunda Sancto Spiritu,
desideratus Gentibus,
cuius per alvum fusus est.

5. Iesu, Tibi sit gloria,
qui natus es de Virgine,
cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.


Quem Terra, Pontus, Sidera

QUEM TERRA, PONTUS, SIDERA (1632 Revision)

1. Quem terra, pontus, sidera
colunt, adorant, praedicant,
trinam regentem machinam
claustrum Mariae baiulat.

2. Cui Luna, Sol, et omnia
deserviunt per tempora,
perfusa caeli gratia,
gestant Puellae viscera.

3. Beata Mater, munere,
cuius supernus Artifex,
mundum pugillo continens,
ventris sub arca clausus est.

4. Beata caeli nuntio,
fecunda Sancto Spiritu,
desideratus Gentibus,
cuius per alvum fusus est.

5. Iesu, Tibi sit gloria,
qui natus es de Virgine,
cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.