Crux Fidelis inter omnes

A beautiful hymn perfect for Holy Cross day; this melody seems to be used in the Roman Catholic Church, because I've found several videos that use the same tune.  It's a tune I've never heard before; the hymn in this form seems to be used at Good Friday during the veneration of the cross.  [EDIT:  A commenter notes that "Crux fidelis (also known as Pange lingua... proelium) is a hymn sung during Holy Week at the Officium Lectionis and on Good Friday during the Adoration of the Cross."  Many thanks to him or her.  And sure enough, there's an audio file of the hymn at the Liber Hymarius Wiki page "Hebdomada Sancta - Ad Officium Lectionis."]

The singers in this video are listed at the YouTube page as "Nova Schola Gregoriana directed by Alberto Turco."



The text is here; this particular version of the hymn is made up of verses 8, 1, 2, and 3 of the longer Pange lingua gloriosi, plus the doxology. 

CRUX fidelis,
inter omnes
arbor una nobilis;
nulla talem silva profert,
flore, fronde, germine.
Dulce lignum, dulci clavo,
dulce pondus sustinens!

PANGE, lingua, gloriosi
proelium certaminis,
et super Crucis trophaeo
dic triumphum nobilem,
qualiter Redemptor orbis
immolatus vicerit.

De parentis protoplasti
fraude Factor condolens,
quando pomi noxialis
morte morsu corruit,
ipse lignum tunc notavit,
damna ligni ut solveret.

Hoc opus nostrae salutis
ordo depoposcerat,
multiformis proditoris
ars ut artem falleret,
et medelam ferret inde,
hostis unde laeserat.

Aequa Patri Filioque,
inclito Paraclito,
sempiterna sit beatae
Trinitati gloria,
cuius alma nos redemit
atque servat gratia. Amen.


FAITHFUL Cross!
above all other,
one and only noble Tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
none in fruit thy peers may be;
sweetest wood and sweetest iron!
Sweetest Weight is hung on thee!

SING, my tongue,
the Savior's glory;
tell His triumph far and wide;
tell aloud the famous story
of His body crucified;
how upon the cross a victim,
vanquishing in death, He died.

Eating of the tree forbidden,
man had sunk in Satan's snare,
when our pitying Creator did
this second tree prepare;
destined, many ages later,
that first evil to repair.

Such the order God appointed
when for sin He would atone;
to the serpent thus opposing
schemes yet deeper than his own;
thence the remedy procuring,
whence the fatal wound had come.

Blessing, honor, everlasting,
to the immortal Deity;
to the Father, Son, and Spirit,
equal praises ever be;
glory through the earth and heaven
to Trinity in Unity. Amen.