A Sortis Ortus Cardine

A SORTIS ORTUS CARDINE
Words: Caelius Sedulius, 5th Century (A solis ortus cardine); translated from Latin to English by John Mason Neale in Hymnal Noted, 1862.
Music: "St. John’s Highlands," composer unknown.
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
"Alstone," Christopher Edwin Willing (1830-1904)
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"Canonbury," adapted from Robert Alexander Schumann’s "Nachtstück," Opus 23, No. 4, 1839
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"Duke Street," attributed to John Hatton, 1793
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1. A solis ortus cardine
Adusque¹ terrae limitem
Christum canamus Principem,
Natum Maria Virgine.

2. Beatus auctor sæculi
Servile corpus induit,
Ut carne carnem liberans
Non² perderet quod condidit.

3. Clausae parentis viscera
Caelestis intrat gratia;
Venter puellae baiulat
Secreta quae non noverat.

4. Domus pudici pectoris
Templum repente sit Dei;
Intacta nesciens virum
Verbo concepit Filium.³

5. Enixa est puerpera
Quem Gabriel prædixerat,
Quem matris alvo gestiens
Clausus Ioannes senserat.

6. Fœno iacere pertulit,
Præsepe non abhorruit,
Parvoque lacte pastus est
Per quem nec ales esurit.

7. Gaudet chorus cœlestium
Et Angeli canunt Deum,⁴
Palamque sit pastoribus
Pastor, Creator omnium.

8. Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula.⁵

Notes:

1. Or: Et usque ... Return

2. Or: Ne. Return

3. Concepit alvo Filium. Return

4. Or: Et Angeli canunt Deo; Return

5. Or: From Hopkins (below):

8. Gloria Tibi, Domine,
Qui natus es de Virginie,
Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu,
In sempiterna sæcula. Amen

Note:

The first seven stanzas of this hymn have a pattern whereby the first letter of the first line of these verses run: A B C D E F G. The balance of the original 23-verse poem, Paean Alphabeticus de Christo, continues this pattern. The eighth verse is a later addition, and not a part of the original.

Hymns on this site based on A Solis Ortus Cardine:

From Lands That See The Sun Arise, John Mason Neale
From East To West, John Ellerton
Now Praise We Christ, The Holy One, Richard Massie
Christum wir sollen loben schon, Martin Luther

An English literal translation can be found at CPDL: A Solis Ortus Cardine. Latin-English and German-English translations can be found at the Bach Cantatas website: A Solis Ortus Cardine. OxfordBlogs has this interesting discussion: A Solis Ortus Cardine.

The portion of the original poem is also the basis of an Epiphany hymn, Hostis Herodis Impie, and a hymn to the Holy Innocents. See: Paean Alphabeticus de Christo (with notes).

Sheet Music "Morning Hymn" from J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), #64, p. 97.
Text: "Altered from Hymnal Noted"

"Original Melody of the V^th Century, reduced.
Harmony by Dr. F. Layriz"