Christian Folk, Day Of Joy

Christian Folk, Day Of Joy

Dies est leticiae

For Christmas

Latin words and melody from Latin words and melody from Piæ Cantiones, 1582.

English Translation by the Rev. J. O'Connor

See: Dies est lætitiæ from J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young, with sheet music and notes.

Source: Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #168, pp. 18-19.

1. Christian folk, a day of joy Bid ye one another, Birthday of a Kingly Boy, Virgin is His mother. 'Tis a Child of wonderment, All delight in Him is pent By our human nature; But what speech of man may spell, Or what music utter well, Our Divine Creator.	1. Dies est lætitiæ in ortu regali, Nam processit hodie de ventre virginali Peur admirabilis, totus delectabilis In humanitate, Qui inæstimabilis, est et ineffabilis In divinitate.
When the Son of God uprose From a maid unchilder'd As from lily-stem the Rose, Nature stood bewildered; Saw a Girl encompassing Him who came ere any Spring, Him who all things moulded; Saw how milk of pureness stays Hungry Ancient of the days To her shy breast folded.	2. Orto Dei filio virgine de pura, Ut rosa de lilio, stupescit natura, Quem parit juvencula, natum ante secula Creatorem rerum, Quod uber muniditiæ lac dat pueritiæ Antiquo dierum.
In a stable's murky shade Born is sunlight's Fountain, There is laid the Might that made Field and flood and mountain. Swathed is the small Right Hand At whose beck the stars upstand In celestial stations: Only mother-moving moans Hath the Voice Whose thunder-tones Fulminate o'er nations.	3. In obscuro nascitur, illustrator solis, Stabulo reponitur, princeps terræ molis, Fasciatur destera quæ affixit sidera, Et cœoelos ascendit, Concrepat vagitubus, qui tonat in nubibus, Ac fulgur accendit.
As the sunray passing free Leaveth crystal flawless, Ere and after childbed, she Maid is not at all less. Crystal-pure and hallowed Bides the virgin womb that bred God the Son, and bore Him And for ever pure and blest That sufficing mother-breast Whence He deign'd restore Him.	4. Ut vitrum non læditur, sole penetrante, Sic illæsa creditur, post partum et ante; Felix hæc puerpera cojus casta viscera Deum genuerunt, Et beata ubera in ætate tenera Christum lactaverunt.

Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #168, pp. 18-19.

Note from Rev. Terry:

There are 8 stanzas in the original. For the complete Latin text, see Piæ Cantiones or the present editor's “Old Christmas Carols,” No. 34 [Dies est lætitiæ].

Sheet Music from Richard R. Terry, Old Christmas Carols. Part One. (London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd., n.d., ca. 1923), Carol #34, pp. 46-47.

Notes:

Also compare: Dies est lætitiæ, in four verses, whose source for is J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), #71, pp. 110-111 (with sheet music).

Another translation is Royal Day That Chasest Gloom by Rev. John Mason Neale, Carols for Christmas-tide, 1853 (with sheet music), from Piæ Cantiones, 1582.

A single copy of Piæ Cantiones found its way into the hands of Rev. John Mason Neale and Rev. Thomas Helmore in 1853, and from this exceptionally rare volume an immense amount of music was saved from oblivion. For more information, see Piæ Cantiones.

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