Veni Creator Spiritus--original words?
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Are the elisions in the Veni Creator due to editing, or are they in the original?

    I'm asking because there is a specific line I am interested in: Infunde_amorem cordibus.

    The question my dissertation is asking is whether the Holy Spirit and charity are identical or distinct, and this line, like Romans 5:5, seems to say that they are distinct. But I've heard that Maurus may have been in the "identical" camp, in which case the text may have been altered.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,789
    This I believe is the original text with variations in other manuscripts in brackets. The below text is from an unpublished work on Latin Hymns.

    Veni, creator Spiritus,
    mentes tuorum visita,
    imple superna gratia
    quae tu creasti pectora.

    Qui Paraclitus diceris,
    donum Dei altissimi,
    fons vivus, ignis, caritas
    et spiritalis unctio.

    Tu septiformis munere,
    dextrae Dei tu digitus,
    tu rite promissum Patris, (promisso)
    sermone ditans guttura. (ditas)

    Accende lumen sensibus,
    infunde amorem cordibus,
    infirma nostri corporis
    virtute firmans perpeti.

    Hostem repellas longius,
    pacemque dones protinus:
    ductore sic te praevio
    vitemus omne noxium.

    Per te sciamus da Patrem,
    noscamus atque Filium;
    te utriusque Spiritum
    credamus omni tempore.

    Gloria Patri Domino
    Natoque, qui a mortuis
    surrexit ac Paraclito
    in saeculorum saecula.

    Have just read through Connelly, he suggests that the doxology above is an addition, he make no comment on "Infunde amorem cordibus" but the following two lines are borrowed from Ambrose's "Intende qui regis Israel". His commentary is well worth a read.

    Have also looked at Britt, and he also makes no comment on that line.

    Manuscripts...
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8447768b/f700.item

    http://cantusdatabase.org/id/008407

    Thanked by 1Ben_Whitworth
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Thanks!

    I've just looked at Julian and he agrees--also agrees that the doxology is added.

    Thank you for the links!!
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