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Poulenc - Hymne

Hymne (traduit du Bréviaire Romain

Poulenc (1947)

Sombre nuit, aveugles ténèbres,
Fuyez: le jour s'approche et l'Olympe blanchit;
Et vous, démons, rentrez dans vos prisons funèbres;
De votre empire affreux un Dieu nous affranchit.

Le soleil perce l'ombre obscure;
Et les traits éclatants qu'il lance dans les airs,
Rompant le voile épais qui couvrait la nature,
Redonnent la couleur et l'âme à l'univers.

O Christ, notre unique lumière,
Nous ne reconnaissons que tes saintes clartés.
Notre esprit t'est soumis; entends notre prière,
Et sous ton divin joug range nos volontés.

Souvent notre âme criminelle
Sur sa fausse vertu téméraire s'endort;
Hâte-toi d'éclairer, ô lumière éternelle,
Des malheureux assis dans l'ombre de la mort.

Gloire à Toi, Trinité profonde,
Père, Fils, Esprit Saint: qu'on t'adore toujours,
Tant que l'astre des temps éclairera le monde
Et quand les siècles même auront fini leur cours.

Jean Racine

Hymn (translated from the Roman Breviary

 

Sombre night, blind shadows,
flee: the day is drawing near and Olympus is growing pale;
and you, demons, go back into your funereal prisons;
a God delivers us from your dreadful empire.

The sun pierces the dim shadow;
and the blinding shafts which it throws into the airs,
bursting the thick veil which covered nature,
give colour and soul back to the universe.

O Christ, our only light,
we acknowledge only thy sacred lights.
Our soul is surrendered unto thee; hear our prayer,
and array our wills beneath thy divine yoke.

Often our culpable soul
rashly goes to sleep upon its false virtue;
hurry, o eternal light, to shine on
wretches seated in the shadow of death.

Glory unto Thee, profound Trinity,
Father, Son, Holy Ghost: let thee be ever worshipped
as long as the star of time shines on the world
and when even the centuries have run their course.

© translated by Christopher Goldsack

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