Sunday, September 6, 2009

Magnus Liber Organi

Natus Est Rex


A king is born
of the Virgin Mary,
salvation of the world,
the way of eternal life,
whom the undefiled and pious mother
brought forth.

O what joy goes forth
into the church
by reason of this birth,
the presence of Christ
and his grace
and grace.

He causes
heavenly joy.
They are destined
for the land.
The entrance is laid open.
Faithflessmess,
pride,
power,
the enemy is broken.

The entry
is restored.
The king, born
in a manner becoming to man,
gives entry
and, lost
and abandoned
to generation,
man is set free.

The world praises
a new king
with song
of new melodies.
He has brought us out
from the pool of darkness
and weight
of lingering woes.

Adam, whom the enemy
weakened and deceived,
had lost the kingdom
which God had given him,
and his grace
and grace.

He causes...

Now the words
of the prophets are fulfilled,
for unto us
a child God
is born,
as was testified by the holy scriptures,
for in his death
is the salvation of our souls....

First Adam
brought us to death.
Then he
returned us to life.
He has blessed the flesh,
taken on in a wondrous fashion,
he who is seated at the right hand
of the Father.

Because he has restored admittance
lost by the taste
It was neither a debt
nor our merit,
but only grace
and grace.

He causes....

Saturday, September 5, 2009

A Lammas Ladymass

O quam glorifica

O how thou glitterest with glorious radiance,
virgin Mary, royal offspring of the tribe of David,
sitting exalted above
all the celestial beings of the empyrean.

Thou, chaste mother with virginal honor,
hast with thy holy womb prepared
the breast's palace for the lord of angels;
hence Christ is born, God incarnate,

whom the whole worshipping world adores,
before whom now every knee is rightly bent,
and from whom we beg, when though comest,
the casting out of darkness and the joys of light.

Grant this, father of all light,
through your own son by the Holy Spirit
who lives with you in bright heaven,
reigning and ruling forevermore.

--Translation: Ernest H. Sanders (v.1-3) and Susan Hellauer (v.4)

Agnus dei

Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.

Glory to God in the Highest

"I uttered: Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. Lord, I have fled to Thee, teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God, For Thou art the fountain of life. In Thy light we shall see light."
--Vespers: Glory to God in the Highest

Blessed Art Thou O Lord

The Resurrection Evlogitaria is chanted at every Sunday Matins.

Blessed art thou, O Lord,
teach me thy statutes.
The assembly of angels was amazed
to see thee numbered among the dead,
Thou who hadst destroyed the might of death,
O Saviour,
and who hast raised up Adam with Thyself,
and who hast freed all men from Hades.
Blessed art thou, O Lord,
teach me thy statutes.
Why do ye mingle myrrh with tears of compassion,
O ye women disciples?
The radiant angel in the grave addressed the myrrh-bearing women:
Behold the grave and exult, f
or the Saviour hath arisen from the sepulcher.
Blessed art thou, O Lord,
teach me thy statutes.
At early morn the myrrh-bearers hastened to thy sepulcher with lamentation;
but an angel came to them and said:
The time for sorrow is ended;
weep no more. And tell the Apostles of the Resurrection.
Blessed art thou, O Lord,
teach me thy statutes.
The myrrh-bearing women came with myrrh unto thy tomb, O Saviour,
and they heard an angel saying unto them:
Why do ye count the Living among the dead?
For, as God, he is risen from the sepulcher.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
We worship the Father and his Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity,
one in Essence, and we cry out with the seraphim:
Holy, Holy, Holy are Thou, O Lord!
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
By giving birth to the Giver of Life, O Virgin,
thou didst rescue Adam from sin,
and thou didst grant Eve joy instead of sorrow;
for the God and Man who was incarnate of thee guided back to life
him that had fallen away therefrom.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
glory to thee, O God!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
glory to thee, O God!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
glory to thee, O God!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Quant Revient (Mo21)

When the return of leaf and flower
signal the arrival of the summer season,
God, that is when I think of Love
who has ever been
courteous and gentle with me.
Her solace pleases me greatly
for her good will
relieves my pain.
Many honors and good things
come to me from being in her service.

--Anonymous 4 Loves Illusion (Montpellier Codex 13 cent)

Friday, August 28, 2009

Decay

Decay

Staring into the sun,

Burdened and taken,

I was thrown away,

I lost everything and I came to a fall,

Blown away and thrown aside:

-

We used to love/ We want to feel/ We need to find

So far away we scream/ We crawl and reach/ We used to see the sun

-

Tears running I feel,

Back against the wall I feel the steel,

Nail in my hand from a broken man,

I wonder if we ever can,

Break free and find the real:

-

We used to love/ We want to feel/ We need to find

So far away we scream/ We crawl and reach/ We used to see the sun

-

Said it out loud,

Looked at the distance in the glass,

I saw what I was as I loaded a bullet,

My former life passed as the trigger pulled,

Ashes blown away/ thrown

-

We need to love/ We need to feel/ We need to find

So far away we scream/ We crawl and reach/ We need to see the sun

-

Silent decay spins,

Following crows as they rise,

Never again will I stray,

Once again I will fall

--Nick Ahern 2005-2006

Monday, August 17, 2009

The Shack

Breathe in me...deep
That I might breathe...and live
And hold me close that I might sleep
Soft held by all you give

Come kiss me wind and take my breath
Till you and I are one
And we will dance among the tombs
Until all death is gone

And no one knows that we exist
Wrapped in each other's arms
Except the One who blew the breath
That hides me safe from harm

Come kiss me wind and take my breath
Till you and I are one
And we will dance among the tombs
Until all death is gone

---The Shack
p233