Alma Lux?
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 420
    Does Anyone know if this Text Exists somewhere:
    We have a hymnal with this hymn for the Immaculate Conception
    But the footnote says its text is originally Latin, 17th Century, "Alma Lux"
    The only "Alma Lux" I can find is the one for the Transfiguration.
    Anyone know if this exists in Latin, what the original music was, and where it came from?

    Text

    Holy light on earth’s horizon,
    Star of hope to those who fall,
    Light amid a world of shadows,
    Dawn of God’s design for all.
    Chosen from eternal ages,
    You alone of all our race
    By your Son’s atoning merits
    Were conceived in perfect grace.

    2
    Mother of the world’s Redeemer,
    Promised from the dawn of time:
    How could one so highly favored
    Share the guilt of Adam’s crime?
    Sun and moon and stars adorn you,
    Sinless Eve, triumphant sign;
    You it is who crushed the serpent,
    Mary, pledge of life divine.

    3
    Earth below and highest heaven,
    Praise the splendor of your state,
    You who now are crowned in glory
    Were conceived immaculate.
    Hail, beloved of the Father
    Mother of his only Son,
    Mystic bride of Love eternal,
    Hail, O fair and spotless one!
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 254
    This misattribution continues to bedevil this hymn text. Written by Fr Fabian Duggan OSB, and published in St. Andrew’s Hymnal, Scotland, 1964. It is NOT a translation of a Latin hymn. Ir remains unclear how E. Caswall's name became attached as transltaor of a text that does not exist. Alma Lux refers to a hymn tune that was written to carry the text. Other tunes used by Anglicans are Blaenwern, William P. Rowlands (1860-1937); Lux eoi (A. Sullivan), and there are a myriad of texts in that meter. Further information, and more tunes, are found here
    https://www.godsongs.net/2015/07/holy-light-on-earths-horizon.html
    Thanked by 5Chrism CHGiffen monasteryliturgist FKulash tomjaw
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 420
    Thank you so much!
  • FKulash
    Posts: 90
    Hi, Rob,

    Written by Fr Fabian Duggan OSB, and published in St. Andrew’s Hymnal, Scotland, 1964


    Is that known for certain, or is that just the most probable attribution? As you said, the text appeared in The St. Andrew Hymnal (#134) with the tune ALMA LUX The tune is attributed to Bernard Sole, OSB, and the text to "Tr. E. Caswall", but it's clearly not a Caswall translation. Other pieces in the hymnal (such as #14 and #149) have tunes attributed to Sole and texts attributed to Duggan, so it seems likely that #134 is also by Sole and Duggan, but is there more solid evidence?
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 254
    The erroneous Caswall translation was because another nearby hymn was his translation. Compositors made and error.
    I edited my post to include this.
    https://www.godsongs.net/2015/07/holy-light-on-earths-horizon.html
    As a one time hymnal editor, it truly is vexing to see how errors get perpetuated. A
    sister pointed out, there is no such Latin Hymn entitled Alme Lux that is a hymn for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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