The Hymns at the Lesser Hours: Prime IV

This is the fifth and last post on the topic of the hymns at Prime; see Part I here, which describes the Office of Prime in a general way.  Part II is here; Part III here; Part IV here.


The following are the hymns listed for Prime, in  Hymn melodies for the whole year, from the Sarum service-books:

Daily throughout the year :-

Jam lucis orto sidere

    (1) On Sundays in Advent ... ... ... ... 24

(2) On all Ferias except in Paschal-tide ... ... 1

(3) On Xmas Day, Feasts of the  B.V. M.,  Dedication of a Church, Nativity of S. John Bapt, SS. Peter and Paul, Translation of S. Thomas, Abp., Feast of' Relics, S. Gregory, & S. Ambrose, (if they fall before Passion-tide), S. Augustin of England, if celebrated out of Paschal-tide, S. Augustin of Hippo, S. Michael & all Angels, S. Jerome, & Translation of S. Edward, K. Conf.  ... ... ... ... 3

(4) On the Feast of S. Stephen & the three days following, & on the Feasts of the Circumcision & of S. Vincent ... 27

(5) On the 6th day in the 8ve of Xmas & daily till the Vigil of Epiphany, and on the Vigil, (if it be a Sunday), & on all Feasts, except those of the lowest class, from the 8ve of Spiphany until the Purification of the B. V. M. ... ... ... ...26

(6) On the Vigils of Christmas & Epiphany (not being a Sunday), & on all Ferias & Vigils from Low Sunday to Ascension Day, & on the Vigil of Pentecost, & on all Simple Feasts of the lowest class throughout the year, & during 8ves. ... ... ... ...2

(7) On the Feast of Epiphany, the Sunday within the 8ve, & on the 8ve day ... ... ... ... ... ... 28

(8) On the remaining days of the 8ve ... ... ... 29

(9) On all Sundays from the 8ve of Epiphany until the 1st  Sunday in Lent, when the Service is of the Sunday ... ... 21

(10) On the 1st & 2пd Sundays in Lent ... ...  ... ...30

(11) On the 3d & 4th Sundays in Lent ... ...  ... ...33

(12) On Passion & Palm Sundays, & on Feasts of the Holy Cross  ... ...   ... ... 35

(13) On all Sundays from Low Sunday until Ascension Day, when the Service is of the Sunday ... ... ... ... 37

(14) On Ascension Day & daily until the Vigil of Pentecost, & on the Feast of Corpus Christi ... ... ... ... 41

(15) On Whitsun Day & daily until Trinity Sunday ...  ... ...42

(16) On Trinity Sunday & all following Sundays until Advent, when the Service is of the Sunday ... ... ... ... 43

(17) During the 8ve of the Dedication of a Church, & on all Feasts, except those of the lowest class, from the Purification of the B.V. M.. until Passiontide, & from Trinity until Advent ... ... ... 4

(18) On all Feasts of Apostles & Evangelists out of Xmas & Paschaltides, except SS. Peter & Paul  ... ... ... ...48

(19) During the 8ves of the Assumption & Nativity of the B.V.M.  ... ... ... ... 63

(20) On all Feasts of Saints occurring between Low Sunday & Ascension Day, except the Annunciation of our Lady ...  ... ...39

(21) On the Feast of All Saints  ... ... ... ...3 or 26

[At Christmas-tide (York) : Agnoscat omne seculum ... ... 55]

Iam lucis orto sidere is the one and only hymn prescribed for use at Prime; there are over twenty different melodies in the list above, though!  The melodies used for  Iam lucis orto sidere vary by feast and season - Sundays are counted this way too;  the hymn takes on a melody associated with the season or holy day in which it's sung.  (As you can see from the note above, Agnoscat omne seculum was used only in Christmastide at York; I'll go over that one just briefly at the end.)

This is TPL's entry for Iam lucis orto sidere; it's noted that "This 6th century hymn is used in the Roman Breviary at the Office of Prime. In the Liturgia Horarum it is found at Thursday Lauds for the second and fourth weeks of the Psalter during Ordinary time."   These are the words from that page, in Latin and English (translation by Alan G. McDougall (1895-1964)).

IAM lucis orto sidere,
Deum precemur supplices,
ut in diurnis actibus
nos servet a nocentibus.    

Linguam refrenans temperet,
ne litis horror insonet,
visum fovendo contegat,
ne vanitates hauriat.    

Sint pura cordis intima,
absistat et vecordia:
carnis terat superbiam
potus cibique parcitas.    

Ut cum dies abscesserit,
noctemque sors reduxerit,
mundi per abstinentiam
ipsi canamus gloriam.    

Deo Patri sit gloria,
eiusque soli Filio,
cum Spiritu Paraclito,
nunc et per omne saeculum.
Amen.    

NOW in the sun's new dawning ray,
lowly of heart, our God we pray
that He from harm may keep us free
in all the deeds this day shall see.

May fear of Him our tongues restrain,
lest strife unguarded speech should stain:
His favoring care our guardian be,
lest our eyes feed on vanity.

May every heart be pure from sin,
and folly find no place therein:
scant meed of food, excess denied,
wear down in us the body's pride

That when the light of day is gone,
and night in course shall follow on,
we, free from cares the world affords,
may chant the praises that is our Lord's.

All laud to God the Father be,
all praise, Eternal Son, to Thee;
|all glory, as is ever meet,
to God the Holy Paraclete.
Amen.

Here is the chant score used for Iam lucis orto sidere "On Ascension Day & daily un the Vigil of Pentecost, & on the Feast of Corpus Christi":

This is the same tune used for Aeterne Rex altissime at Ascension Evensong.  Here is an mp3 file of that hymn, called "a Hymn for First Vespers of the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord," by the Lutheran Liturgical Prayer Brotherhood. 


Here is the chant score used for Iam lucis orto sidere "On Whitsun Day & daily until Trinity Sunday":

 
This is the same tune prescribed for the 1st Vespers and Mattins Pentecost hymn, Jam Christus astra ascenderat.  The Lutheran Liturgical Prayer Brotherhood has that one in English as "When Christ Our Lord Had Passed Once More" (mp3).


Here's the chant score used for Iam lucis orto sidere "On Trinity Sunday  & all following Sundays until Advent, when the Service is of the Sunday":

This is the same melody prescribed for Adesto, sancta Trinitas, the hymn for Evensong & Mattins in the Trinity Office.   Here's an mp3 of the St. David's Compline choir (of Austin, TX) singing Adesto, sancta Trinitas to melody #43.   The Lutheran Liturgical Prayer Brotherhood also offers an mp3, using the same melody.


Here is the chant score for melody #4 - another tune used at Prime and at no other time; it's used for Iam lucis orto sidere "During the 8ve of the Dedication of a Church, & on all Feasts, except those of the lowest class, from the Purification of the B.V. M.. until Passiontide, & from Trinity until Advent":

This is one of the four Prime hymn melodies I haven't found recordings for - but I'll again offer the three alternative possibilities I've offered before.

First, here's the entry for Iam lucis orto sidere at The Liber Hynarius Wiki (click the download arrow to open the sound file):

Iam lucis orto sidere (saec. VIII ?)
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Melody: e c d f ef g f e

•   H.IV, p. 233

Giovanni Vianini offers this Ambrosian version of the hymn,



As well as this one, sung to the melody from the Liber Usualis.






Melody #48 is used "On all Feasts of Apostles & Evangelists out of Xmas & Paschaltides, except SS. Peter & Paul":

This is the same melody used on feasts of Apostles & Evangelists at Lauds; I have no sound file for melody #48 so far.


Here is the chant score for melody #63, used for Iam lucis orto sidere   "During the 8ves of the Assumption & Nativity of the B.V.M."

This melody is used for Quem terra, pontus, ethera, the Mattins and Lauds hymn on Assumption, and at Mattins on Purification (Candlemas).   Here's an mp3 of that hymn sung to melody #63; it's LLPB's English version of "The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky."


Here's a peek-in to the SSM Breviary entry for Prime: