Different Versions of Veni Creator
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    Im out and havent access to references- can anyone give me a quick idiot's guide to why there are different versions of the Latin for Veni Creator in the different hymnals & missals in the pews?
    TIA
    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Some might follow the restored texts from the Benedictine usage (which I believe are in the Liber Hymnarius and are now to be universal), and some may follow the older Roman versions from before Vatican II (since they may be familiar to people), which, IIRC, were 'corrected' to follow the then-supposed-rules of classical Latin by Pope Urban(?).
  • Stacy
    Posts: 4
    Breaking Bread actually gives footnotes. Here is what it says:

    Note: The Latin text above is reproduced from the Graduale Romanum, 1974. Textual variants are noted below:

    1) [verse 2: Donum Dei altíssimi,] formerly Altíssimi donum Dei,
    2) [verse 3: Dextrae Dei tu dígitus,] formerly Dígitus patérnae déxterae,
    3) [verse 6: Te utriúsque Spíritum] formerly Teque utriúsque Spíritum
    4) Verse 7 does not appear in the Graduale Romanum, 1974.
  • doneill
    Posts: 207
    Can anybody explain why Digitus paternae dexterae does not conform to the 8.8.8.8. meter and requires an alteration of the rhythm to get the extra syllable in?
  • We sing it as "Dig-tus" to get rid of that extra syllable.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,022
    Or sing both syllables, Digi-tus, as half-value notes, but with a VERY soft "g". This type of combining of syllables happens in many Office hymns. Consider the incipit to "
    Adoro TE devote. There you typically just add another note on that verse.

  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,762
    Here is the original version, from an unpublished work on Latin Hymns,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.

    Variant text in brackets, this Hymn among others was revised by Urban VIII, the revised version can be found in the L.U. c.1930 and later. (my L.U. 1910 ed. has the original words but a different doxology)

    N.B. The Liber Hymnarius may not have the original words, Lentini's red pen found plenty of work editing the original texts!
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn