The name of Saint Columba is associated with many poems, prayers and hymns. Inevitably, scholars find that in the majority of cases, the language of these works rules out any link with the saint and they are usually dated to a later period. Below is the text of one of these hymns, Adiutor Laborantium, in its Latin original and English translation:
Adiutor laborantium,
Bonorum rector omnium,
Custos ad propugnaculum,
Defensorque credentium,
Exaltator humilium,
Fractor superbientum,
Gubernator fidelium,
Hostis impoenitentium,
Index cunctorum iudicum,
Castigator errantium,
Costa vita viventium,
Lumen et pater luminum,
Magna luce lucentium,
Nulli negans sperantium,
Opem atque auxilium,
Precor ut me homunculum,
Quassatum ac miserrimum,
Remigantem per tumultum
Saeculi istius infinitum
Trahat post se ad supernum
Vitae portum pulcherimum
Xristus;... infinitum
Ymnum sanctum in seculum
Zelo subtrahas hostium
Paradisi in gaudium.
Per te, Christe Ihesu,
Qui vivis et regnas
Bonorum rector omnium,
Custos ad propugnaculum,
Defensorque credentium,
Exaltator humilium,
Fractor superbientum,
Gubernator fidelium,
Hostis impoenitentium,
Index cunctorum iudicum,
Castigator errantium,
Costa vita viventium,
Lumen et pater luminum,
Magna luce lucentium,
Nulli negans sperantium,
Opem atque auxilium,
Precor ut me homunculum,
Quassatum ac miserrimum,
Remigantem per tumultum
Saeculi istius infinitum
Trahat post se ad supernum
Vitae portum pulcherimum
Xristus;... infinitum
Ymnum sanctum in seculum
Zelo subtrahas hostium
Paradisi in gaudium.
Per te, Christe Ihesu,
Qui vivis et regnas
O helper of workers,
ruler of all the good,
guard on the ramparts
and defender of the faithful,
who lift up the lowly
and crush the proud,
ruler of the faithful,
enemy of the impenitent,
judge of all judges,
who punish those who err,
pure life of the living,
light and Father of lights
shining with great light,
denying to none of the hopeful
your strength and help,
I beg that me, a little man
trembling and most wretched,
rowing through the infinite storm
of this age,
Christ may draw after Him to the lofty
most beautiful haven of life
... an unending
holy hymn forever.
From the envy of enemies you lead me
into the joy of paradise.
Through you, Christ Jesus,
who live and reign
Content Copyright © Trias Thaumaturga 2012-2015. All rights reserved.
Content Copyright © Trias Thaumaturga 2012-2015. All rights reserved.
2 comments:
I just listened to this hymn on https://youtu.be/zCin6wpPzR0 -- it was wonderful! This hymn even shows how very Orthodox St. Columba was.
It did strike me as odd, though, that the ending was so abrupt. "Qui vivis at regnas"? It looks like the rest of the sentence was dropped AND there is a typo: shouldn't it be "qui vivis et regnas"? And shouldn't the next half of the line have it read something like "Qui vivis et regnas in aeternum"? Or even "Qui vivis et regnas in aeternum cum Patro et Spiritu Sancto, Amen"?
Thank you for flagging up the typo for me. I suppose it didn't strike me as ending abruptly since it is very common to simply end with qui vivis et regnas in the breviary etc. on the understanding that the reader automatically adds on the rest of the formula for themselves.
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