Præcursor Altus Luminis: The Great Forerunner of the Morn: Hymn for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist by Venerable Bede.
Præcursor Altus Luminis: The Great Forerunner of the Morn: Hymn for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist by Venerable Bede.
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Præcursor altus luminis,
Et præco verbi nascitur,
Lætare, cor fidelium,
Lucemque gaudens accipe.
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Miranda cuius seculi
Nativitas per angelum
Innotuit parentibus.
Pia fide iam præditis,
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Sublime cui vocabulum
Ioannes ipse Gabriel
Imponit, et clarissima
Ipsius acta præcinit.
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Qui matris adhuc parvulus
Vulva retentus, spiritum
Percepit almus gratiæ,
Testis futurus gratiæ.
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Necdumque natus iam dedit
De luce testimonium,
Quod natus admirabili
Complevit ipse in gloria.
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Hic plurimos ex Israel
Christi fidei subdidit,
Et corda patrum in filios,
Docens superna, transtulit.
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In Eliæ qui spiritu
Venit prophetæ, semitam
Parare Christo ac plebibus
Iter salutis pandere
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Quo fœminarum in filiis
Propheta maior nullus est,
Quin ipse miris actibus
Plus quam propheta claruit.
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Baptisma pœnitentiæ
Qui prædicabat ac dedit,
Turbasque Iesu gratiæ
Illuminandas obtulit.
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Ipsumque Iesum qui omnia
Sancto lavans in spiritu
Emundat, in Iordanici
Tinxit fluento gurgitis.
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Et baptizato protinus
Aperta vidit æthera,
Nobis suo baptismate
Pandit polique regiam.
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Atque in columba spiritum,
Illum super descendere
Vidit, doli qui nescius
Mentes requirit simplices.
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Audivit et vocem patris,
Dilectus hic est filius
A sæculo, dixit, meus,
In quo mihi complacui.
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Edoctus his oraculis
Baptista Iesum prædicat
Natum Dei, qui in spiritu
Sancto fideles abluat.
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Quid sermo noster amplius
Huius canat præconia?
De quo patris vox filio
Olim locuta præcinit:
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En mitto, dixit, angelum,
Tuam paret qui semitam,
Vultuque præcurrat tuum
Solem rubens ut Lucifer.
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The great forerunner of the Morn,
The Herald of the Word, is born;
And faithful hearts shall never fail
With thanks and praise his light to hail.
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With heav’nly message Gabriel came,
That John should be that herald’s name;
And with prophetic utt’rance told
His actions great and manifold.
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John, still unborn, yet gave aright
His witness to the coming Light;
And Christ fulfill’d it, at His Birth,
Right gloriously o’er all the earth.
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Of women born shall never be
A greater Prophet than was he:
Whose mighty deeds exalt his fame
To greater than a Prophet’s name.
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But why should mortal accents raise
The hymn of John the Baptist’s praise?
Of whom, or ere his course was run,
Thus spake the Father to the Son:
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Behold My herald, who shall go
Before Thy Face, Thy way to show:
Shall shine, as with the Day-Star’s gleam,
Before Thine own eternal beam.
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All laud to God the Father be:
All laud, Eternal Son, to Thee:
All laud, as is for ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete. Amen.