English Anima Christi
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    Dear all, attached is my adaptation of a chant - I'd love feedback.

    The Latin version is copied from an old xerox our schola uses which doesn't have the quality of having been copied from a book, but rather having been typed up and printed out years ago. If anyone has heard this version of the Anima Christi before, I'd love a reference. We sometimes sing it after Communion. People in the congregation are very fond of it.

    The Latin version here is rewritten by me, using the Caeciliae font in the Pages application (from Apple). I'm not the most skilled at it (I have to keep the tutorial open for reference as I go), and didn't fuss about the line lengths coming out different at this point. The attachment is a PDF, but happy to upload the other if anyone wants it.

    Below that in the same document is my attempt at an English version. I made a few minor changes to the melody to adapt to the syllabic changes (particularly around "Et jube me venire ad te."). I would love any feedback on this, including on the translation (which I think I muddled from various online sources like wikipedia, though I don't remember. I don't know if there is an "official" version of this prayer?).

    Thank you!
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Incardination M. Jackson Osborn
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    I have two versions one I think is from the institute, and is different from the above, the other is in Cantuale Romano Seraphicum. When I am back from Holiday I will check my library.
    Edit. it is not in the Cantuale! but see below.
    Thanked by 2Incardination CatherineS
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    The official translation would be from the Enchiridion Indugentiarum (formerly the Raccolta). The Raccolta was printed from the early 1800's through 1950; the Enchiridion started being printed in the 1950's.

    In the 1968 Enchiridion, the text is:
    Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
    Body of Christ, save me.
    Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
    Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
    Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
    O good Jesus, hear me.
    Within your wounds, hide me.
    Separated from you let me never be.
    From the malignant enemy, defend me.
    At the hour of death, call me.
    To come to you, bid me,
    That I may praise you in the company
    Of your Saints, for all eternity.
    Amen.

    Interestingly, the 1910 Raccolta was surprisingly different, and neither is the version to which I have been accustomed to see in prayer books and missals (which was quite surprising to me).

    My chant version is also slightly different - not sure where it came from. I typically alternate men / women on the verses, with everyone together on the refrain.

    EDIT: I've added an additional version in chant notation.
    005 Anima Christi - ANON.pdf
    97K
    093 NEW Anima Christi - ANON.pdf
    21K
    Thanked by 3CatherineS tomjaw M. Jackson Osborn
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    Interesting! The one I have is the only version I've ever heard besides the ubiquitous and enormously popular Frisina. I like yours, too, Incardination.
    Thanked by 1Incardination
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    @Incardination the 1910 / 1911 Raccolta was the 6th? and last edition of the English Raccolta, translated by Ambrose St John (friend of Newman). The 1968 edition printed by Benziger brothers was a different translation. Of course both translations were for private use. I suspect that this prayer is not in the Benediction manual and so does not have a translation for public use. Don't worry the distinction between private prayers and public prayers has long fallen into obscurity.
    Hand Missals will have other translations, the St. Andrew's Daily Missal 1962 ed. has a good one.
    Thanked by 1Incardination
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    Have done an online search,

    There are 4 versions on Gregobase, sadly they do not tell us where they are from, you will need to scroll down...
    https://gregobase.selapa.net/incipit.php?letter=A

    It is also found on CPDL http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Anima_Christi

    A google image search "Anima Christi" chant gives quite a few options, including it set to ANIMA CHRISTI the melody for the Hymn 'Soul of my Saviour'

    Here is the translation made by Bl. John Henry Newman, this is found in at least one edition of the St. Andrews Daily Missal.
    Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
    Body of Christ, be my salvation;
    Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;
    Water of Christ's side, wash out my stains;
    Passion of Christ, my comfort be;
    O good Jesus, listen to me;
    In Thy wounds I fain would hide;
    Ne'er to be parted from Thy side;
    Guard me, should the foe assail me;
    Call me when my life shall fail me;
    Bid me come to Thee above,
    With Thy saints to sing Thy love,
    World without end.
    Amen.

    Edward Caswall's translation is the hymn "Soul of my Saviour, Sanctify my breast" found in many Catholic Hymn Books. N.B. other attributions (Hegarty) can be found. https://hymnary.org/text/soul_of_my_savior_sanctify_my_breast#instances
    Thanked by 3Incardination CatherineS CHGiffen
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    Oh, dumb question, but I've never heard it said: Do English speakers call the Missal a "MISS-el" or a "miss-AL"? I've only heard it in Brazilian Portuguese, which says "miss-AW".
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    Super thanks for the links to Gregobase and Hymnary. I had seen them before but they'd slipped off my radar. Great resources.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,369
    CatherineS - stress on the first syllable as here
    Thanked by 1CatherineS
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    On the topic of pronunciation:

    If an English hymn has the word "Cherubim" in it, is it pronounced like "Ker..." or "Cher(ry Pie)"? And is the '-bim' (or 'phim' of Seraphim) short to rhyme with "hymn"? or long like "beam"? I've never heard an English speaker say these!

    Also if a hymn rhymes "hear our cry" with "misery" are we supposed to really make that rhyme? That is a bit forced, no? What's normal?
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    A. Cherry Pie Phim.
    B. Don't force the rhyme.

    (My $.02)
    Thanked by 1CatherineS
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,369
    That's more difficult, opinion is divided, googling 'Cherubim pronunciation' gives examples of both. Both words are taken directly from the Hebrew (and are plural). Cherry is general, pedants (like me), or should I say persons with a superior knowledge, have a hard k sound but the same vowel, this is how one speaker sounds in Hebrew https://forvo.com/word/כרובים/ In English everybody rhymes it with hymn.
    There are lots of poor rhymes in hymns, unfortunately.
    Thanked by 1CatherineS
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Catherine,

    It partly depends on where you are. As a related (but admittedly distinct) example, Bach's famous English chorale, "Jesu, Joy of [OUR?] desiring" has an initial first word which causes odd pronunciations.
    Some people pronounce the word "Hey-zoo" (because they're misled by Spanish).
    Some people pronounce the word "Yeah-zoo" (because they're following an understanding of Latin)
    Still other people pronounce the word "Jee-zuss", figuring that the editors left off the s, or that in a restoration of anything, its modern version is always to be preferred.
    I was taught to pronounce the word "Jhee-zyoo", which, I understand, is the correct Saxon pronunciation (as evidenced by Shakespeare's use of this phonetic key)

    Cherubim becomes Ker-u-BEEM if your choirmaster is trying to capture the Hebrew.
    It becomes KER-u-beem if he's trying to capture the Latin.
    It is CHAIR-you-bim if someone's trying to mimic Kings, Cambridge, and not quite succeeding.
    On this side of the pond, however, it's usually Cheir-oo-bim.
    Thanked by 3CatherineS tomjaw Liam
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    What fun!

    I suppose I'm thinking of something like "Hail Holy Queen, Enthroned Above," which has a line about Cherubim. I don't think of that sort of vernacular hymn as one in which there might be intellectual battles over Latin versus Hebrew and so on. But who knows!
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    I suppose I'm thinking of something like "Hail Holy Queen, Enthroned Above," which has a line about Cherubim.


    I have the impression for that song (pace CGZ, in advance) that there's a subtle bit of alliteration relating to each of the angelic choirs mentioned in the refrain. In the latter half you sing:

    Sing with us, ye Seraphim

    So, preceding it I always assumed it was sung with "Ch" as in "Chair" as this sound most closely paralled the "tr" in "triumph"

    Triumph, all ye Cherubim

    as evidenced by Shakespeare's use of this phonetic key


    As much as the Bard is to be admired, his pronunciation is somewhat suspect sometimes. Depending on the edition, he has Henry the Fifth returning to "Callice" or Calais" - the first being the phonetic attempt at the latter, I guess. But then he also has Bottom [playing Piramus] exclaiming of Thisbe's dew rag,

    Thy mantle good!/
    What, stained with blood?

    Having played the latter part, I can attest that rhyming the latter to the former can be utilized to great effect. Nowadays, I question whether Henry V or Midsummer Night's Dream is the funnier play . . .
    Thanked by 1CatherineS
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Stimson,

    My point about Shakespeare's phonetics is that the word Jesu is frequently spelled Jhesu, suggesting a particular pronunciation of the word. The Jh (spelling) originates either in England or the south of France, so far as I can tell.
    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab M. Jackson Osborn
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    I think that the spelling 'Jhesu', which we see often in antique English literature, reflects an intent to stress that 'Jhesu' is to be pronounced just like it is spelt - with a sound close to a very soft 'G'. As is commonly known by now, even 'Jesu' was, in English, pronounced as Anglo-Saxon 'jheesoo' (just like the Italian 'Gesu'), not Italianate Latin 'yaysoo'. The English (like other peoples) have a long history of Anglicising (or 'nationalising) what were to them 'foreign' words. Hence, as Stimson notes, the English really did pronounce 'Calais' as 'Callice' - not 'Calay'. Shakespeare merely spelt the word as it was normally pronounced by his countrymen. 'Calice' is, actually, a more authentic pronunciation in that it preserves the 's' which the French dropped. The 's' in 'Calais' is, as far as French goes, purely vestigial.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,767
    There's really only one pronunciation of Jesu in English, unless you're a Lutheran chorister raised on Bach (not that that's a very bad thing).
    I'm a little perturbed that the forvo link for כרובים offers the translation "Cabbage", though.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    Notwithstanding the fallibility of school teachers and uninformed choral people, 'Jesu' is an Anglo-Saxon as well as a Latin word. In Anglo-Saxon (and by extension, English) it is pronounced 'Jheesoo' ('j' like a very soft 'g'). The illiterate boastfully sing 'yaysu, joy of man's desiring' (if, that is, they can get away with singing 'man's') when they should be singing 'jheesoo'. This is all the more important when singing mediaeval and renaissonce carols and other middle English or early modern (or even modern modern) English literature. In sum, 'Jesu' is an Anglo-Saxon as well as a Latin word, and in the context of English, it is correctly pronounced 'Jheesoo', not the Italianate Latin, 'Yaysoo'.
    ___________________________________

    As for 'cabbage', friend Richard, that is what Prince Phillip lovingly calls HM the Queen.
    Thanked by 2Incardination CatherineS
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