At Lauds on Epiphany
From Cathemerinon ("The Hymns of Prudentius"), Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-405)
English Translations:
First
of Cities, Bethlehem, by
Bishop Richard Mant (1776–1848)
Bethlehem of
Noblest Cities, by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878)
Earth Has Many A Noble City
,
Translated by Edward Caswall,
alt.
Let Other Cities
Strive, Which Most (Probably) John Dryden. Primer, 1706.
Than Mightiest Cities Mightier Far (J.
W. Copeland)
The Noblest Cities
Upon Earth (Translation: "H. Trend.")
From the Roman Breviary.
O SOLA magnarum urbium
maior Bethlehem, cui contigit
ducem salutis caelitus
incorporatum gignere.
Haec stella, quae solis rotam
vincit decore ac lumine,
venisse terris nuntiat
cum carne terrestri Deum.
Videre postquam illum Magi,
eoa promunt munera:
stratique votis offerunt
thus, myrrham, et aurum regium.
Regem Deumque annuntiant
thesaurus, et fragrans odor
thuris Sabaei, ac myrrheus
pulvis sepulchrum praedocet.
Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
qui apparuisti gentibus,
cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula.
Note:
This hymn is composed of four verses from the Hymn for the Epiphany from Prudentius' (384-413) Cathemerinon, which is 52 stanzas long. In 1568, four short hymns were assembled from selected stanzas from Prudentius' hymn and introduced into the Breviary by Pope Pius V.
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