This morning's Matins' lections include familiar passages from the Song of Songs, and much less familiar passages from St. John Chrysostom:
(First, the Latin; English below, courtesy of Divinum Officium)

Cum ad nos advenísset Redémptor nostri géneris, venit prótinus ad suum amícum Ioánnem, dum adhuc esset in ventre matris. Quem cum ex útero in útero aspexísset Ioánnes, términos natúræ concútiens, exclámat: Vídeo Dóminum, qui natúræ impósuit términos, et non exspécto tempus nascéndi. Novem ménsium tempus mihi non est hic necessárium; in me est enim, qui est ætérnus. Egrédiar ex hoc tenebróso tabernáculo, rerum admirabílium compendiósam prædicábo cognitiónem. Sum signum: significábo Christi advéntum. Sum tuba: próferam Fílii Dei in carne dispensatiónem. Tuba canam; eo ipso patérnæ linguæ benedícam, et eam traham, ut loquátur. Tuba canam, et úterum matérnum vivificábo.

Vides, o dilécte, quam sit novum et admirábile mystérium. Nondum náscitur, et sáltibus lóquitur; nondum appáret, et minas inténtat; nondum ei permíttitur clamáre, et per facta audítur; nondum ducit vitam, et Deum prǽdicat; nondum áspicit lucem, et solem índicat; nondum páritur, et próperat præcúrrere. Non fert enim, præsénte Dómino, continéri; non sústinet natúræ exspectáre términos; sed conténdit rúmpere cárcerem ventris, et studet præsignificáre veniéntem Salvatórem. Accéssit, inquit, qui solvit víncula; et quid ego sédeo vinctus, et retíneor ut máneam? Venit Verbum, ut ómnia constítuat; et ego adhuc máneo deténtus? Exíbo, præcúrram, et prædicábo ómnibus: Ecce Agnus Dei, qui tollit peccátum mundi.

Sed dic nobis, Ioánnes, cum adhuc in tenebróso matris útero contineáris, quómodo intuéris et audis? quómodo res divínas contempláris? quómodo éxsilis et exsúltas? Magnum est, inquit, quod perágitur mystérium, et actus ab humána remótus comprehensióne. Mérito ínnovo natúram propter eum, qui est innovatúrus ea quæ sunt supra natúram. Vídeo, etsi adhuc in útero sim; quóniam in útero gestári vídeo solem iustítiæ. Auribus percípio, quóniam nascor vox magni Verbi. Exclámo, quóniam Fílium Patris unigénitum consídero carne indútum. Exsúlto, quóniam univérsi Effectórem vídeo formam, hóminis suscípere. Exsílio, quóniam mundi Redemptórem cógito incorporátum. Præcúrro advéntum eius, et quodámmodo vobis prǽeo confessióne.


As soon as our Redeemer was come among us, He went with haste, while as yet He was in His mother's womb, to visit His friend John. And John, in the one womb, becoming conscious of the Presence of Jesus in the other womb, dashed himself impatiently against the narrow walls of his natural prison, as though crying out: I see the very Lord who hath given nature her bounds, and I wait not for the due season of my birth. There is no need for me to linger here till nine months are ended, for He That is Eternal is with me! I will break out of my dark cell; I will proclaim my full knowledge of many wonders. I am the sign. I will show that the Christ is here. I am the trumpet; let me peal forth the news that the Son of God is come in the flesh. Let me give my trumpet-note, let me bless my father's tongue, and make it to speak again. Let me give my trumpet-note, let me quicken my mother's womb.

Thou seest, O beloved, how new and how strange a mystery is here! John is not born, but by leaping he speaketh; he is yet unseen, and he giveth warning; he is not yet able to cry, but by his acts he is heard. He draweth not yet the breath of life, but he preacheth God. he seeth not yet the light, but he maketh known the Sun! He is not come out of the womb, but he hasteth to play the Fore-runner in the Presence of the Lord. He cannot restrain himself; he rebelleth against the bounds set by nature, and struggleth to break out of the prison of the belly. His longing is to herald the coming Saviour. He saith, as it were: Behold, the Deliverer cometh and am I to remain still bound to abide here? The Word cometh, that He may set right all things and am I still to tarry in prison? I will go forth. I will run before Him, and cry aloud to all men: “Behold the Lamb of God Which taketh away the sin of the world.”

But do thou tell us, O John, how it came to pass that while thou wast still in the darkness of thy mother's womb, thou didst see and hear? How didst thou behold the things of God? How didst thou leap and bound for joy? Great, saith John, is the mystery of that which taketh place here, far from the understanding of men are these doings. It is meet that I should do a new thing in nature for the sake of Him Who is making new things which are beyond nature. I see in the womb, because I see the Sun of righteousness in a womb. I hear, because I am coming as the herald of the Great Word. I cry out, because I espy the Only-begotten Son of the Father clad in Flesh. I bound for joy, because I see that He by Whom all things were made, hath taken upon Him the form of a servant. I leap, because I think of the Redeemer of the world being made Flesh. I run before His coming, and herald His approach unto you with this, as it were, my confession.


Quaeritur:

Is it ever appropriate to take portions of these texts and set them for Liturgical use (either at Matins or at Mass)?

Does anyone know of a setting of these, either for Liturgical or non-liturgical use?