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.

Hail, This Festival Day

Ave Maria, the Maid Who Bore Us the Redeemer

Hail, This Festive Day is a John Dunn adaption of the 1906 Maurice Frederick Bell (1862-1947) translation of the Latin hymn: Salve, Festa Dies by the poet and priest of the Merovingian Court, Venantius Fortunatus (530-609). It remains a custom in some monasteries to go in procession through the cloister singing Salve, Festa Dies on the way to Chapel for the praying of Lauds on Easter morning. Hail, This Festive Day is sung to the original tune, Salve Festa Dies. First published in the English Hymnal of 1906 with Bell's translation, the melody was originally credited to "Anonymous", but later publications named the English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) as the writer. In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.



HAIL THEE, FESTIVAL DAY by Maurice F. Bell (Public Domain)

Refrain: Hail thee, festival day!
              Blest day that art hallowed forever;
              Day wherein Christ arose,
              Breaking the kingdom of death.

1. Lo, the fair beauty of earth,
from the death of the winter arising,
every good gift of the year
now with its Master returns.

2. He who was nailed to the Cross
 is God and the Ruler of all things;
all things created on earth
worship the Maker of all.

3. God of all pity and power,
let thy word be assured to the doubted;
light on the third day returns:
rise, Son of God, from the tomb!

4. Ill doth it seem that thy limbs
 should linger in lowly dishonor;
ransom and price of the world,
veiled from the vision of men.

5. Loosen, O Lord, the enchained,
the spirits imprisoned in darkness;
rescue, recall into life those
who are rushing to death.

6. Ill it beseemeth that thou,
by whose hand all things are encompassed,
captive and bound shouldst remain,
deep in the gloom of the rock.

7. Rise now, O Lord, from the grave
and cast off the shroud that enwrapped thee;
thou art sufficient for us;
nothing without thee exists.

8. Mourning they laid thee to rest,
who art Author of life and creation;
treading the pathway of death,
life thou bestowedst on man.

9. Show us thy face once more,
that the ages may joy in thy brightness;
give us the light of day,
darkened on earth at thy death.

10. Out of the prison of death
thou art rescuing numberless captives;
freely they tread in the way
whither their Maker has gone.

11. Jesus has harrowed hell;
he had led captivity captive;
darkness and chaos and death
flee from the face of the light.

Hail Thee, Festival Day / Salve, Festa Dies

Blest Day!

Hail Thee, Festival Day is a 1906 Anglican minister, Maurice F. Bell (1862-1947) translation of the Latin processional hymn for Easter, Sal­ve Fes­ta Di­es (sung by Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis in the 2nd video) by Venan­ti­us For­tu­na­tus (c.530-c.609). After recovering from an eye ailment, in 565 he embarked on a pilgrimage from his native Italy to the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours, from whose intercession he attributed the healing. He became an important poet in the Merovingian Court and was eventually appointed Bishop of Poitiers. Although often referred to as a "Saint", he has never been formally canonized by the Church. The tune, Salve, Festa Dies was composed for Bell's text in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). In the Liturgy of the Hours, Hail Thee, Festival Day is used at Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost.

Tune: Salve, Festa Dies

HAIL THEE, FESTIVAL DAY by Maurice Bell, 1906 (Public Domain)

EASTER REFRAIN:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blessed day to be hallowed forever;
Day when our Lord was raised,
Breaking the kingdom of death.

ASCENSION REFRAIN:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blessed day to be hallowed forever;
Day when our risen Lord
Rose in the heavens to reign.

PENTECOST REFRAIN:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blessed day to be hallowed forever;
Day when the Holy Ghost
Shone in the world full of grace.

2. Lo, the fair beauty of the earth,
From the death of the winter arising!
Every good gift of the year
Now with its Master returns.

3. He who was nailed to the cross
Is Ruler and Lord of all people.
All things created on earth
Sing to the glory of God.

4. Daily the loveliness grows,
Adorned with glory of blossom;
Heaven her gates unbars,
Flinging her increase of light.

5. Rise from the grave now,
O Lord, The author of life and creation.
Treading the pathway of death,
New life You give to us all.

6. God the Almighty Lord,
The Ruler of earth and the heavens,
Guard us from harm without;
Cleanse us from evil within.

7. Jesus the health of the world,
Enlighten our minds, great
Redeemer, Son of the Father supreme,
Only begotten of God.

8. Spirit of life and of power,
Now flow in us, fount of our being,
Light that enlightens us all,
Life that in all may abide.

9. Praise to the giver of good!
O lover and author of concord,
Pour out your balm on our days;
Order our ways in your peace.



SALVE, FESTA DIES by Venantius Fortunatus (Public Domain)

REFRAIN:
Salve, festa dies, toto venerabilis aevo. qua deus infernum vicit et astra tenet

1. Ecce renascentis testatur gratia mundi omnia cum domino dona redisse suo.

2. Namque triumphanti post tristia Tartara Christo undique fronde nemus, gramina flore favent.

3. Legibus inferni oppressis super astra meantem laudant rite deum lux polus arva fretum.

4. Qui crucifixus erat, deus ecce per omnia regnat, dantque creatori cuncta creata precem. salve, festa dies.

5. Christe salus rerum, bone conditor atque redemptor, unica progenies ex deitate patris.

6. Qui genus humanum cernens mersisse profundo, ut hominem eriperes es quoque factus homo

7. Nec voluisti etenim tantum te corpore nasci, sed caro quae nasci, pertulit atque mori

8. Fexequias pateris vitae auctor et orbis, intras mortis iter dando salutis opem.

9. Tristia cesserunt infernae vincula legis expavitque chaos luminis ore premi.

10. Depereunt tenebrae Christi fulgore fugatae et tetrae noctis pallia crassa cadunt.

11. Pollicitam sed redde fidem, precor, alma potestas: tertia lux rediit, surge, sepulte meus.

12. Non decet. ut humili tumulo tua membra tegantur, neu pretium mundi vilia saxa premant.

13. Lintea, precor, sudaria linque sepulchro: tu satis es nobis et sine te nihil est.

14. Solvecatenatas inferni carceris umbras et revoca sursum quidquid ad ima ruit.

15. Redde tuam faciem, videant ut saecula lumen, redde diem qui nos te moriente fugit.

16. Sed plane inplesti remeans, pie victor, ad orbem: Tartara pressa iacent nec sua iura tenent.

17. Inferus insaturabiliter cava gruttura pandens, qui rapuit semper, fit tua praeda, deus.

18. Evomit absorptam trepide fera belua plebem et de fauce lupi subtrahit agrnus oves.

19. Rex sacer, ecce tui radiat pars magna triumphi, cum puras animas sancta lavacra beant

20. Candidus egreditur nitidis exercitus undis atque vetus vitium purgat in amne novo.

21. Fulgentes animas vestis quoque candida signat et grege de niveo gaudia pastor habet.