The fast, as taught by holy lore,
we keep in solemn course once more;
the fast to all men known, and bound
in forty days of yearly round.

The law and seers that were of old
in diverse ways this Lent foretold,
which Christ, all seasons' King and Guide,
in after ages sanctified.

More sparing therefore let us make
the words we speak, the food we take,
our sleep and mirth,-- and closer barred
be every sense in holy guard.

In prayer together let us fall,
and cry for mercy, one and all,
and weep before the Judge's feet,
and his avenging wrath entreat.

Thy grace have we offended sore,
by sins, O God, which we deplore;
but pour upon us from on high,
O pardoning One, thy clemency.

Remember thou, though frail we be,
that yet thine handiwork are we;
nor let the honor of thy name
be by another put to shame.

Forgive the sin that we have wrought;
increase the good that we have sought;
that we at length, our wanderings o'er,
may please thee here and evermore.

We pray thee, Holy Trinity,
One God, unchanging Unity,
that we from this our abstinence
may reap the fruits of penitence.

Words: Latin, sixth century;
trans. John Mason Neale

Jackson. I don't know why, but John Mason Neale produced many, many excellent hymn texts and translations that were once more fashionable than they now seem to be, which is really quite unfortunate.

MJO, it's the second great Lenten hymn attributed to Saint Gregory the Great, entitled Ex more docti mystico. I lifted the translation from Cyberhymnal Oremos ( http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t131.html ) and cannot vouch for its complete correspondence to what Dr. Neale originally published.

Both WLP/Paluch and GIA have used a translation by Peter Scagnelli ("Again We Keep This Solemn Fast") the past few decades in their hymnals. But Fr. Scagnelli freely admits that his text is "after John M. Neale." In other words, a reworking of Neale's text - in 5 stanzas, rather than 8.

Catholics often sing both of Gregory's hymns (the other being Clarum decus jejunii - "The Glory of These Forty Days") to ERHALT UNS HERR.

John Julian’s Dictionary of Hymnology has interesting information on this hymn text (Ex more docti mystico), its origins, and various translations. Julian states that the hymn is found in two manuscripts of the 11th century in the British museum. A 15th century manuscript has slight variations, and attributes the original text to St. Gregory the Great.

Julian’s Dictionary of Hymnology, last revised in 1907, is a classic two-volume work, available on the internet as a PDF (large file!)

Many thanks for this, Chuck: it makes up for your tale about the paint-thinning painter (not to mention that dreadful one about Esau!)... tee, hee.

The melody we use at home: Don't know if it is 100th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvgduI3lquA

Text we use:

The Fast, as taught by holy lore,
we keep in so-lemn course once more:
the fast to all men known, and bound
in for-ty days of year-ly round.

The law and seers that were of old
in divers ways this Lent fore-told,
which Christ, all sea-sons' King and guide,
in af-ter a-ges sanc-ti-fied.

More spa-ring there-fore let us make
the words we speak, the food we take,
our sleep and mirth, -and clo-ser barr’d
be e-v’ry sense in ho-ly guard:

Avoid the e-vil thoughts that roll
like waters o'er the heed-less soul;
nor let the foe oc-ca-sion find
our souls in sla-ve-ry to bind.

In pray’r to-ge-ther let us fall,
and cry for mer-cy, one and all,
and weep be-fore the Jud-ge's feet,
and His a-ven-ging wrath entreat.

Thy grace have we o-ffended sore,
by sins, O God, which we de-plore;
but pour u-pon us from on high,
O pard’-ning One, Thy cle-men-cy.

Remem-ber Thou, though frail we be,
that yet Thine hand-i-work are we;
nor let the ho-nor of Thy Name
be by a-no-ther put to shame.

Forgive the sin that we have wrought;
increase the good that we have sought:
that we at length, our wan-d’rings o'er,
may please Thee here and e-vermore.

We pray thee, Ho-ly Trinity,
One God, unchang-ing U-ni-ty,
that we from this our ab-sti-nence
may reap the fruits of pe-nitence. A-men.

Exquisite!

indeed!