Catholic CornucopiadCheney

Aurora jam spargit polum

The dawn is sprinkling in the east

The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal

  1. Aurora jam spargit polum:
    Terris dies illabitur:
    Lucis resultat spiculum:
    Discedat omne lubricum.
  2. Phantasma noctis exsulet:
    Mentis reatus corruat:
    Quidquid tenebris horridum
    Nox attulit culpæ, cadat.
  3. Ut mane, quod nos ultimum
    Hie deprecamur cernui,
    Cum luce nobis effluat,
    Hoc dum canore concrepat.
  4. Deo Patri sit gloria,
    Ejusque soli Filio,
    Cum Spiritu Paraclito,
    Nunc et per omne sæculum.
  1. The dawn is sprinkling in the east
    Its golden shower, as day flows in;
    Fast mount the pointed shafts of light:
    Farewell to darkness and to sin!
  2. Away, ye midnight phantoms all!
    Away, despondence and despair!
    Whatever guilt the night has brought,
    Now let it vanish into air.
  3. So, Lord, when that last morning breaks,
    Looking to which we sigh and pray,
    O may it to Thy minstrels prove
    The dawning of a better day.
  4. To God the Father glory be,
    And to His sole-begotten Son;
    Glory, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
    While everlasting ages run,
Author: Ambrosian, 5th or 6th cent. Meter: Iambic dimeter. Translation by Father Caswall. There are twelve translations.
  1. “The dawn now overspreads the heavens; day glides over the earth; rays of light mount on high; may every unclean thing depart.”
  2. “Let phantoms of the night be banished; let guilt of soul depart; whatever dreadful thing of evil the night brought with it, let it vanish with the darkness.” Constr.: Quidquid horridum culpæ nox attulit, tenebris cadat.
  3. “That on the last morning, together with the light, that which we here humbly pray for, and what accords with our song, may issue forth (come) to us.” Constr.: Ut cum luce (æterna) mane (illud) ultimum nobis effluat, quod nos hic, dum hoc canore concrepat, deprecamur cernui. This stanza is very obscure. It seems to contain a reference to the present morning, and to the last morning—at the end of time. In this sense it might be rendered: “While the present morning resounds with song (canore), we here with profound humility beg (deprecamur cernui) that the last morning may also dawn (effluat) for us with light eternal.” Abp. Bagshawe translates mane ultimum as referring to Saturday—“On this morn of the week the last.” The following is from an anonymous translation in the Hymnal Noted:
    So that last morning, dread and great,
    Which we with trembling hope await,
    With blessed light for us shall glow,
    Who chant the song we sang below.
Copyright Benziger Brothers, 1922. Online Edition Copyright David M. Cheney, 2019.