1. Heri mundus exultavit,
Et exultans celebravit
Christi natalitia:
Heri chorus angelorum
Prosecutus est caelorum
Regem cum laetitia.
1. Yesterday, with exultation
Joined the world in celebration
Of her promis’d Saviour’s birth;
Yesterday the Angel nation
Pour’d the strains of jubilation
O’er the Monarch born on earth.
2. Protomartyr et Levita,
Clarus fide, clarus vita,
Clarus et miraculis,
Sub hac luce triumphavit,
Et triumphans insultavit
Stephanus incredulis.
2. But to-day, o’er death victorious,
By His faith and actions glorious,
By His miracles renown’d,
Dared the Deacon Protomartyr
Earthly life for Heav’n to barter,
Faithful midst the faithless found.
3. Fremunt ergo tanquam ferae,
Quia victi defecere
Lucis victi adversarii:
Falsos testes statuunt,
Et linguas exacuunt
Viperarum filii.
3. In a hopeless strife engaging,
They like savage beasts are raging,
Adversaries of the light;
False the witnesses they set;
Tongues like swords the rabble whet,
Viper brood of darkest night.
4. Agonista, nulli cede;
Certa certus de mercede,
Perservera, Stephane:
Insta falsis testibus,
Confuta sermonibus
Synagogam Satanae.
4. Forward, champion, in thy quarrel!
Certain of a certain laurel,
Holy Stephen, persevere!
Perjur’d witnesses confounding
Satan’s Synagogue astounding
By thy doctrine true and clear.
5. Testis tuus est in caelis,
Testis verax et fidelis,
Testis innocentiae.
Nomen habes coronati,
Te tormenta decet pati
Pro corona gloriae.
5. Lo! in Heaven thy Witness liveth:
Bright and faithful proof He giveth
Of His Martyr’s blamelessness:
Thou by name a Crown impliest;
Meetly then in pangs thou diest
For the Crown of Righteousness!
6. Pro corona non marcenti
Perfer brevis vim tormenti,
Te manet victoria.
Tibi fiet mors, natalis,
Tibi poena terminalis
Dat vitae primordia.
6. For a crown that fadeth never,
Bear the torturer’s brief endeavour;
Victory waits to end the strife:
Death shall be thy birth’s beginning,
And life’s losing be the winning
Of the true and better Life.
7. Plenus Sancto Spiritu
Penetrat intuitu
Stephanus caelestia.
Videns Dei gloriam
Crescit ad victoriam,
Suspirat ad praemia.
7. Whom the Holy Ghost endueth,
Whom celestial sight embueth,
Stephen penetrates the skies;
There God’s fullest glory viewing
There his victor strength renewing
For his near reward he sighs.
8. En a dextris Dei stantem
Iesum, pro te dimicantem,
Stephane, considera.
Tibi caelos reserari,
Tibi Christum revelari
Clama voce libera.
8. See, as Jewish foes invade thee,
See how Jesus stands to aid thee!
Stands to guard His champion’s death:
Cry that opened Heaven is shown thee:
Cry that Jesus waits to own thee:
Cry it with thy latest breath!
9. Se commendat Salvatori,
Pro quo dulce ducit mori
Sub ipsis lapidibus.
Saulus servat omnium
Vestes lapidantium,
Lapidans in omnibus.
9. On his Saviour’s aid relying,
Sweet to him the pain of dying,
’Neath the fearful rain of stone:
Paul amidst the stoning throng,
Guarding garments, makes the wrong
Of the angry Jews his own.
10. Ne peccatum statuatur
His, a quibus lapidatur,
Genu ponit et precatur,
Condolens insaniae:
In Christo sic obdormivit,
Qui Christo sic obedivit,
Et cum Christo semper vivit,
Martyrum primitiae.
10. As the dying Martyr kneeleth,
For his murderers he appealeth,
And his prayer their pardon sealeth,
For their madness grieving sore;
Then in Christ he sleepeth sweetly,
Who His pattern kept completely,
Martyr first-fruits, evermore!
Tr. John Mason Neale, _Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences_, London.
Masters, 1867, p. 134.
St. 3, tr. Stephen A. Hurlbut. Quoted by permission of author. Stanzas
11, 12 omitted.