July 15, 2014

Rerum Creator Optime

Cast Out the Slumbers of the Soul

Rerum Creator Optime is attributed to St. Gregory the Great (540-604).  In 1632, in accordance with revisions made to the hymns of the Divine Office by Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), it was altered and changed to Rerum Creator Optime (1632). Both versions are shown below. It is sung at Wednesday Matins in the Roman Breviary.

REMUM CREATOR OPTIME by St. Gregory the Great
Listen

1. Rerum creator optime
rectorque noster, respice;
nos a quiete noxia
mersos sopore libera.

2. Te, sancte Christe, poscimus;
ignosce tu criminibus,
ad confitendum surginmus
morasque noctis rumpimus.

3. Mentes manusque tollimus,
Propheta sicut noctibus
nobis gerendum praecipit
Paulusque gestis censuit.

4. Vides malum quod gessimus;
occulta nostra pandimus,
preces gementes fundimus;
dimitte quod peccavimus.

5. Sit, Christe, rex piisime,
tibi Patrique gloria
cum Spiritu Paraclito,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.


REMUM CREATOR OPTIME (1632 Revision)

1. Rerum creator optime
rectorque noster, respice;
nos a quiete noxia
mersos sopore libera.

2. Te, sancte Christe, poscimus;
ignosce culpis omnibus,
ad confitendum surginmus
morasque noctis rumpimus.

3. Mentes manusque tollimus,
Propheta sicut noctibus
nobis gerendum praecipit
Paulusque gestis censuit.

4. Vides malum quod fecimus;
occulta nostra pandimus,
preces gementes fundimus;
dimitte quod peccavimus.

5. Sit, Christe, rex piisime,
tibi Patrique gloria
cum Spiritu Paraclito,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Your comments are welcome, but they won't be published immediately. I moderate them first, just to weed out spam etc.

- Thanks