If no one knows of an English translation, would it be possible to have someone translate these and keep the same meter? I'm a little financially challenged at the moment, but I'd be happy to compensate. I need English versions for a devotional project. Many, many thanks.
I was trying to translate the hymn literally, but I stopped because the Latin is very difficult. The last time I encountered this difficulty was when I was translating an Office hymn written in Mozarabic Latin. I'll continue later.
1. O Philumena, who, trembling at the earth soaked by thy own blood, climbest the heavens, if there thou thyself our mercy be, shew thy favour upon these votive promises of the beseeching ones. Construction: Philumena, quae, exhorrens terram madentem sanguine proprio, scandis astra, si qua te pietas nostri, annue votis precantum.
2. While the votive altar heaped with a hundred gifts to thee becometh warm again with embers, virgins and children in a circle applaud with a gladsome strain. Construction: Dum ara votiva cumulata centum donis tibi recalet favilla, virgines puerique circum plaudunt carmine laeto.
3. Neither the madness of the current tyrant overthroweth thee, who art with unalloyed courage, nor mayeth force the fetters on thy blameless neck that thou mayest renounce Christ. Construction: Nec rabies tyranni instantis dejecit te mente solida, sive minetur vincula collo immerenti, ni Christo renuas.
4. Or to leaden whips she who shall be wounded might expose her back, or surrender over the goal in the middle of the circus, her chaste bosom to an arrow that can be fired. Construction: Sive laceranda plumbatis loris nuda[ve]rit terga, [sive] metam, casta pectora, dederit medio circo missili sagittae.
5. Just as thou wert cast unto the raging sea, strength not at all inferior to thee, O Philumena, and courage that knoweth not to be bent, endureth the madness of the waves, breaking open the reef. Construction: Velut icta ponto insano, Philumena, vis haud impar tibi mensque nescia flecti, perstat rabiem fluctuum, refringens cautes.
6. Thou uncouthly exposeth thy neck to the two-edged axe, professing to heaven Him Who Alone Thundereth (the One True God); looking down at Hell, thy Spouse accompanying, thou climbest unto the stars. Construction: Barbare subjici collum bipenni, profitens caelo unicum tonantem; despectans ima, comitante sponso, scandis sidera. 7. Here thou shalt delight, echoing out the threefold praise unto the Father, and unto the Begotten One, and unto the Spirit; protect these subject lands with gentle light.
IMBELLI VIRGINI Meter: Iambic trimeter (?)
1. Unto the unwarring virgin, that stronger she mayeth triumph, in the battle of the Lord, the Ruler of all, giveth wisdom. Construction: The Ruler of all giveth wisdom unto the unwarring virgin that, stronger, she mayeth triumph in the battle of the Lord.
2. Her with such errors, it mocked, that it might seize her: her with such terrors, it treated, that it might destroy her, the prudence of the world! Construction: The prudence of the world mocked her with such errors in order to seize her; it treated her with such terrors in order to destroy her!
3. It is not prudence in the presence of the Lord: what powerlessness are the weapons of man when God fighteth. Construction: It is not prudence in the presence of the Lord [or, the prudence of the world is useless in the presence of the Lord]: [how powerless are the weapons of man] when God fighteth.
4. O with the light of heaven O worthy spectacle! with the chaste virgin unto the perplexed world, the power of Christ preach thou. Construction: O worthy spectacle with heavenly light, preach thou the power of Christ, through the chaste virgin, unto the perplexed world!
5. She, not in battle, is caused to stand unarmed; with the protection of God, protected she approacheth with the Prince of the world. Construction: She is not placed unarmed in battle but approacheth it protected by the protection [or defended by the army] of God, with the Prince of the world.
6. While the world casteth out wicked enticements: Thee, O Christ, it admireth, its pleasure: Receive thou thy spouse. Construction: While the world casteth out wicked enticements, it admireth Thee, O Christ, as its pleasure [Christ as the delight of the world]; receive thou thy spouse [wife].
7. She by a sweet bond unto Christ is joined, Unto the gibbet of her Spouse, as a loving wife, she is nailed and did not see wounds. Construction: She is joined with Christ by a sweet bond; loving, she is nailed [together with Him] to the gibbet of her Spouse, and did not perceive wounds [or injuries].
8. Why do you bind obstacles more mercilessly provided with lionesses? you suspend blows, that unfortunate courage may be more calamitously destroyed. Construction: Why do you bind obstacles more mercilessly provided with lionesses? You suspend blows that unfortunate courage may be more calamitously destroyed.
9. Of worldly trickery untouched by the rubbish, of the wisdom of God supported by the principles, faith doth not err. Construction: Faith, untouched by the rubbish of worldly trickery, strengthened by the principles of the wisdom of God, doth not fail [or err].
10. This is the victory which conquereth the enemy, this is the wisdom, by which the prudent exposeth the foolishness of the ages. Construction: This is the victory which conquereth the enemy; this is the wisdom by which the prudent exposeth the foolishness of the ages.
11. That unto Thee, O Lord, our duty may be pleasing, may we walk the path: with the virgin praying, grant us wisdom. Construction: May we walk the path that our duty may be pleasing unto Thee, O Lord, and grant is wisdom through the intercession of the virgin.
12. To despise that which passeth: to weep for what we have done, to beseech that it mayeth abide, that our spirit may learn this true prudence. Amen. Construction: [continued from above: WISDOM] to despise that which passeth, to weep for what we have done, to beseech that our spirit mayeth abide and learn this true prudence. Amen.
CAUTION: I am not a Latinist by education. Somewhere in these translation, there might be a misplaced absolute ablative or a postpositive. The first hymn uses too much hyperbaton that I have to give up putting the words into meter.
I asked a parent who has kids in St. Philomena homeschool co-op in MD. They liked to learn the hymn. Where can I find the music?
Here's a quick slapdash rendering:
What stars, Philumena, you scale, trembling At the earth wet with your own blood, If you love us, who pray to you Favor our prayers;
While the altar's still warm with votive embers, Heaped with a hundred gifts to you, Maids about, and lads, with happy Song applaud you.
Nor did the madness of the persecuting tyrant Cast you down from your steadfast mind, Whether he threaten you, innocent, unless you renounce Christ, With chains for your neck,
Or strip your back, to be scored with Leaden flails, or in the midst of a circle give Your chaste breast to serve as A target for the arrow.
Your not unequal strength, Philumena, persists As a cliff that breaks the madness of the waves, The blows of a raging sea, and your mind That knows no bending.
Professing the one who thunders from heaven You lay your neck under the barbarian axe Despising things lowest, you scale the stars, Your bridegroom accompanying.
Here be blessed, and sing back praise threefold To the Father, and the Begotten and the nourishing Spirit; Watch thou over these lands below With placid eye.
(the last line can mean both, "with placid/peaceful eye" and "from the placid/peaceful (place of) light")
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I didn't take the time to find out where this poem comes from, but its metrical form, Sapphic Stanza, is ancient and in the best classical form, and it's vocabulary and diction, except for the first stanza, which I can't quite understand perfectly, measure up to good classical Latin. I would guess it was probably written in the Renaissance, when the likes of Jacob Balde were writing in the old Horatian lyric forms.
I found the words in a Manual of the Archconfraternity of St. Philomena, and it seems the music comes from the Matins hymn from the Common of a Virgin Martyr. I'll try to post it tomorrow. The Sequence uses the music from the Annunciation Sequence Mittit ad Virginem.
I've been asked to record a chant Latin hymn for St Philomena and this is great, but I wanted to check the tune was right, as it is a little tricky, or I just don't warm to mode 4. Looking up the Matins hymn for the Common of a Virgin I get Virginis Proles Opifexque Matris, which has a different tune. I don't have the Nocturnale in print, so I'm going from gregobase, which doesn't lend itself to easy browsing. I might see how the tune for Virginis Proles goes.
I wish I had remembered that these existed. I could have suggested at least one of these for the veneration of her first class relic this evening. I'll point my choir director here, for future reference.
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