The Advent Sequence: Salus Aeterna

This is an 11th-Century sequence hymn for Advent, found in the Sarum Gradual. Here it is in Hymn Melodies for the Whole Year, from the Sarum Service Books:

SALUS aeterna indeficiens mundi vita,
Lux sempiterna et redemptio vera nostra,
Condolens humana perire saecula
per tentantis numina,
Non linquens excelsa,
adisti ima propria clementia.
Mox tua spontanea gratia assumens humana,
Que fuerant perdita omnia salvasti terrea,
Ferens mundo gaudia.
Tu animas et corpora
Nostra Christe, expia
Ut possidemus lucida
Nosmet habitacula.
Adventu primo justifica,
In secundo nosque libera,
Ut cum, facta luce magna, judicabis omnia,
Compti stola incorrupta,
nosmet tua subsequamur
mox vestigia quocumque visa.

Saviour eternal, health and life of the world unfailing,
light everlasting, and in verity our redeemer.
Grieving that the ages of men
must perish through the tempter’s subtlety,
still in heaven abiding,
thou camest earthward of thine own great clemency.
Then freely and graciously deigning to assume humanity,
to lost ones and perishing gavest thou thy free
deliverance, filling all the world with joy.
O Christ, our souls and bodies cleanse
by thy perfect sacrifice, that we as temples
pure and bright fit for thine abode may be.
By thy former advent justify,
by thy second grant us liberty,
that when in the might of glory thou descendest,
judge of all,
we in raiment undefiled bright may shine,
thy footsteps blest,
where’er they lead us.

Here's the score from that publication:



Oremus Hymnal offers a midi of this tune, here. I cannot find any other version of this online; most of the Sequence hymns (with a few exceptions) have fallen out of use and favor now.

But here is Gabriel Jackson's (b. 1962) gorgeous polyphonic 20th Century setting, masterfully rendered by the BYU Singers:



You can also listen to the St. Thomas Choir of Men & Boys sing this Jackson setting as the Offertory on Advent 1 2010 here (service leaflet here).