Poem: O King of the Friday

Whose Limbs Were Stretched On The Cross

O King of the Friday is an ancient Irish hymn of unknown origin. An early printing of the text appeared in The Religious Song of Connacht (1906) in which it's author, Douglas Hyde set down the words as he remembered them from the oral tradition. In the Divine Office (1974), it is included in the Religious Poems Appendix for Lent and Easter.

O KING OF THE FRIDAY

O King of the Friday
Whose limbs were stretched on the Cross,
O Lord who did suffer The bruises, the wounds, the loss,
We stretch ourselves
Beneath the shield of thy might,
Some fruit from the tree of thy pass
Fall on us this night!

En Acetum, Fel, Arundo

14th Century French Carving - Courtesy of Wikipedia

En Acetum, Fel, Arundo is an extract from the 6th century Latin hymn: Pange Lingua Gloriosi Proelium Certaminis by Venantius Fortunatus (c.530-c.600/609). In the Roman Breviary it is sung at Lauds (Morning Prayer) on Good Friday. An audio recording can be found here.


EN ACETUM, FEL, ARUNDO

1. En acetum, fel, arundo,
sputa, clavi, lancea:
mite corpus perforatur,
Sanguis, unda profluit
terra, pontus, astra, mundis,
quo lavantur flumine!

2. Crux fidelis,
inter omnes
arbor una nobilis;
nulla talem silva profert,
flore, fronde, germine.
Dulce lignum, dulci clavo,
dulce pondus sustinens!

3. Flecte ramos, arbor alta,
tensa laxa viscera,
et rigor lentescat ille,
quem dedit nativas,
ut superni membra Regis
miti tendas stipite.

4. Sola digna tu fuisti
ferre saeculi pretium,
atque portum praeparare
nauta mundo naufrago,
quem sacer cruor perunxit,
fusus Agni corpore.

5. Aequa Patri Filioque,
inclito Paraclito,
sempiterna sit beatae
Trinitati gloria,
cuius alma nos redemit
atque servat gratia. Amen.

Gall He Drinks

Painting by Mello da Gubbi - Courtesy of Wikipedia

In the Divine Office (1974) Gall He Drinks is sung at Morning Prayer on Good Friday. It's authorship is unknown. The recommended musical setting is the tune: St. Thomas by John Francis Wade (1711-1786). An alternative tune that can be used in it's place is Irby.

Alternative Tune: Irby

Sing My Tongue of Warfare Ended / Pange Lingua, Gloriosi Proelium Certaminis / + Crux Fidelis

Painting by Gerard David - Courtesy of Wikipedia

Sing My Tongue of Warfare Ended is a translation by Monsignor Ronald A. Knox (1888 - 1957) of the opening 5 verses (+ doxology) of the 6th century Latin hymn: Pange Lingua Gloriosi Proelium Certaminis by Venantius Fortunatus (c.530-c.600/609). As poet of the Merovingian Court, he composed the hymn for the procession that brought a relic of the True Cross to Queen Radegund in 570. In the Mass, this hymn has been traditionally chanted during the Adoration of the Cross on Good Friday. In the Roman Breviary it has been divided into shorter hymns (eg. Crux Fidelis - see 2nd video) which are used during Holy Week. It is believed that Fortunatus' work inspired St. Thomas Aquinas to write his great hymn for the Feast of Corpus Christi: Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium. In the Divine Office (1974), Fr. Knox's translation: Sing My Tongue of Warfare Ended is sung on Good Friday with the Office of Readings. The Divine Office recommends the tune: Mannheim by Friedrich Filitz (1804-1876). An alternative tune that can also be used is Picardy, as featured in the following video.


Alternative Tune: Picardy

PANGE, LINGUA, GLORIOSI PROELIUM CERTAMINIS

1. Pange, lingua, gloriosi
proelium certaminis,
et super Crucis trophaeo
dic triumphum nobilem,
qualiter Redemptor orbis
immolatus vicerit.

2. De parentis protoplasti
fraude Factor condolens,
quando pomi noxialis
morte morsu corruit,
ipse lignum tunc notavit,
damna ligni ut solveret.

3. Hoc opus nostrae salutis
ordo depoposcerat,
multiformis proditoris
ars ut artem falleret,
et medelam ferret inde,
hostis unde laeserat.

4. Quando venit ergo sacri
plenitudo temporis,
missus est ab arce Patris
natus, orbis, Conditor,
atque ventre virginali
carne factus prodiit.

5. Vagit infans inter arcta
conditus praesepia:
membra pannis involuta
Virgo Mater alligat:
et manus pedesque et crura
stricta cingit fascia.

6. Lustra sex qui iam peracta
tempus implens corporis,
se volente, natus ad hoc,
passioni deditus,
Agnus in crucis levatur
immolandus stipite.

7. En acetum, fel, arundo,
sputa, clavi, lancea:
mite corpus perforatur,
Sanguis, unda profluit
terra, pontus, astra, mundis,
quo lavantur flumine!

8. Crux fidelis,
inter omnes
arbor una nobilis;
nulla talem silva profert,
flore, fronde, germine.
Dulce lignum, dulci clavo,
dulce pondus sustinens!

9. Flecte ramos, arbor alta,
tensa laxa viscera,
et rigor lentescat ille,
quem dedit nativas,
ut superni membra Regis
miti tendas stipite.

10. Sola digna tu fuisti
ferre saeculi pretium,
atque portum praeparare
nauta mundo naufrago,
quem sacer cruor perunxit,
fusus Agni corpore.

11. Aequa Patri Filioque,
inclito Paraclito,
sempiterna sit beatae
Trinitati gloria,
cuius alma nos redemit
atque servat gratia. Amen.
 

Crux Fidelis (Drawn from verses: 8, 1-3, 11 above)

CRUX FIDELIS

1. Crux fidelis,
inter omnes
arbor una nobilis;
nulla talem silva profert,
flore, fronde, germine.
Dulce lignum, dulci clavo,
dulce pondus sustinens!

2. Pange, lingua, gloriosi
proelium certaminis,
et super Crucis trophaeo
dic triumphum nobilem,
qualiter Redemptor orbis
immolatus vicerit.

3. De parentis protoplasti
fraude Factor condolens,
quando pomi noxialis
morte morsu corruit,
ipse lignum tunc notavit,
damna ligni ut solveret.

4. Hoc opus nostrae salutis
ordo depoposcerat,
multiformis proditoris
ars ut artem falleret,
et medelam ferret inde,
hostis unde laeserat.

4. Quando venit ergo sacri
plenitudo temporis,
missus est ab arce Patris
natus, orbis, Conditor,
atque ventre virginali
carne factus prodiit.

5. Aequa Patri Filioque,
inclito Paraclito,
sempiterna sit beatae
Trinitati gloria,
cuius alma nos redemit
atque servat gratia. Amen.