O Sol salutis, intimis

Jesu, salvation’s Sun Divine

The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal

O Sol salutis, intimis
Jesu, refulge mentibus,
Dum nocte pulsa gratior
Orbi dies renascitur.
Dans tempus acceptabile,
Da, lacrimarum rivulis
Lavare cordis victimam,
Quam læta adurat caritas.
Quo fonte manavit nefas,
Fluent perennes lacrimæ,
Si virga pœnitentiæ
Cordis rigorem conterat.
Dies venit, dies tua,
In qua reflorent omnia:
Lætamur et nos in viam
Tua reducti dextera.
Te prona mundi machina
Clemens adoret Trinitas,
Et nos novi per gratiam
Novum canamus canticum.

Jesu, salvation’s Sun Divine,
Within our inmost bosoms shine,
With light all darkness drive away
And give the world a better day.
Now days of grace with mercy flow,
O Lord, the gift of tears bestow,
To wash our stains in every part,
Whilst heavenly fire consumes the heart.
Rise, crystal tears, from that same source
From whence our sins derive their course;
Nor cease, till hardened hearts relent,
And softened by your streams, repent.
Behold, the happy days return,
The days of joy for them that mourn;
May we of their indulgence share,
And bless the God that grants our prayer.
May heaven and earth aloud proclaim
The Trinity’s almight fame;
And we, restored to grace, rejoice
In newness both of heart and voice.

Author: Unknown, 6^th cent. Meter: Iambic dimeter. Translation from the Primer of 1706, probably by John Dryden; first three lines altered. There are twelve translations. First line of Original Text: Jam Christe sol justitiæ. Liturgical Use: Hymn for Lauds on Sundays and week-days during Lent. “In this hymn Lent is regarded as a season of waiting and penitential preparation for the Second Creation at Easter” (Dict. of Hymnology, p. 576). According to Duffield “It expresses the early Christian attitude towards God’s works, connecting the looked-for Easter with the renewal of the world by spring” (Latin Hymn-Writers and Their Hymns, p. 335).

“O Jesus, Sun of salvation, shine Thou in our inmost souls, till, the night having been dispelled, more welcome day is bornm anew to the world.” This is a hymn for Lauds, which was said at daybreak. As the sun at daybreak dispels the darkness, in like manner we entreat the Sun of salvation, the true Light of the world, to flood our hearts with the quickening beams of His grace.
“Having given this acceptable time, grant also that we cleanse with floods of tears the victim of our heart, which may gladsome charity consume by its flames.” Tempus acceptabile, a time of grace; Lent is preeminently a time of grace. Victima, something offered in sacrifce. There is an allusion here to the purification of the victims of sacrifice in the Old Law, and to their destruction in whole or in part by fire. Such for example were the holocausts, the peace-offerings, and hte sacrifices of propitiation. So too shall “the victim which is out heart” be purified by tears of sorrow, and consumed by the flames of an ardent charity. Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile, ecce nunc dies salutis (II Cor. 6, 2).
“From the selfsame source whence sins arose, shall ceaseless tears arise, if but the rod of penance break the icy coldness of the heart.” Fonte, “the source” is the heart of man. Ab intus enim de corde hominum malæ cogitationes procedunt, adulteria, fornicationes, homicidia (Mark 7, 21). Virga, The rod is a symbol of chastistement, and here, of self-inflicted chastisement.
“The day comes, Thy day, on which all shall bloom anew; then may we too rejoice, led on the way by Thy right hand.” Dies, the day alluded to is probably the new day beginning with the hour of Lauds.
“O loving Trinity, may the whole fabric of the universe humbly adore Thee, and we, renewed by Thy grace, would sing Thee a new song of praise.” Prona, prostrate.