Cantiques pour moi tes volontés (Taizé)

Cantiques pour moi tes volontés,
je me rappelle dans la nuit ton nom.


Text: Ps 119, 54-55

See my other blog postings in the "Taizé" series of chants.

Official Taizé Community Website

Wikipedia information on the Taizé Community
- in French
- in English

Jésus Christ, ô clarté d'en haut (Свете тихий / Φῶς ἱλαρὸν / Taizé)

Jésus Christ, ô clarté d'en haut,
radieux reflet des gloires du Dieu saint,
Lumière qui viens du ciel éclairer nos sentiers!
Le crépuscule vient, paisible,
le soir sera descen du bientôt sur nous,
Lumière éternelle, nous t'adorons! Gloire à toi, Père saint!
Dieu de clarté, à Jésus ton Fils, au Saint-Esprit.
Nos louanges s'élèvent vers toi, alléluia! Amen.

Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης ἀθανάτου Πατρός, 
οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος,
Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν,
ἰδόντες φῶς ἐσπερινόν, ὑμνοῦμεν Πατέρα,
Υἱόν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Θεόν.
Ἄξιόν σε ἐν πᾶσι καιροῖς ὑμνεῖσθαι φωναῖς αἰσίαις,
Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν ὁ διδούς· διὸ ὁ κόσμος σὲ δοξάζει.

Свете тихий святыя славы,
Безсмертнаго, Отца Небеснаго,
Святаго Блаженнаго, Иисусе Христе!
Пришедше на запад солнца,
видевше свет вечерний, поем Отца,
Сына и Святаго Духа, Бога. Достоин еси
во вся времена пет быти гласы преподобными,
Сыне Божий, живот даяй, темже мир Тя славит.

Jesus Christ, joyful light
of the immortal Father's divine glory in heaven,
the holy and blessed one!
Coming to the hour of sunset,
in the light of evening we sing to the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, our God. Your are worthy
at all times to be praised by the songs of holy voices,
Son of God, giver of life: the universe sings your glory.

See my other blog postings in the "Taizé" series of chants.

Official Taizé Community Website

Wikipedia information on the Taizé Community
- in French
- in English

Day is Done, But Love Unfailing (James Quinn)

1. Day is done, but love unfailing
Dwells ever here;
Shadows fall, but hope, prevailing,
Calms every fear.
Loving Father, none forsaking,
Take our hearts, of Love’s own making,
Watch our sleeping, guard our waking,
Be always near.

2. Dark descends, but light unending
Shines through our night;
You are with us, ever lending
New strength to sight:
One in love, your truth confessing,
One in hope of heaven’s blessing,
May we see, in love’s possessing,
Love’s endless light!

3. Eyes will close, but you unsleeping
Watch by our side;
Death may come, in love’s safekeeping
Still we abide
God of love, all evil quelling,
Sin forgiving, fear dispelling,
Stay with us, our hearts indwelling,
This eventide.

Text: James Quinn (b. 1919)
Tune: AR HYD Y NOS 84.84.884 

O Trinity, Most Blessed Light

1. O Trinity, most blessed Light,
O Unity of sovereign might,
As now the fiery sun departs,
Shed Thou Thy beams within our hearts.

2. To Thee our morning songs of praise,
To Thee our evening prayer we raise;
Thee may our glory evermore
In lowly reverence adore.

3. All praise to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore
Forever and forevermore.

Attributed to St. Ambrose (397)

Radiant Light Divine (Rufino Zaragoza)

Radiant Light Divine,
shine throughout this night.
Jesus, Holy One,
praise to you our Light.
As the daylight fades,
and come eventide,
dwell among us, Holy Fire.

Cristo,
Luz del mundo,
Luz y Amor.
Cristo,
Luz del mundo,
Luz y Amor.

Composer: Rufino Zaragoza (1990)

See my other blog postings in the Contemporary Catholic series.

Evening Hymn (Henry Balfour Gardiner)

Te lucis ante terminum,
Rerum Creator, poscimus,
Ut pro tua clementia,
Sis praesul et custodia.

Procul recedant somnia,
Et noctium phantasmata:
Hostemque nostrum comprime,
Ne polluantur corpora.

Praesta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar Unice,
Cum Spiritu Paraclito,
Regnans per omne saeculum.

To thee before the close of day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That, with thy wonted favour, thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Withhold from us our ghostly foe,
That spot of sin we may not know.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son,
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.

Historical Background

Text: Latin, 8th-9th century
Music: Henry Balfour Gardiner (1877-1950)

Now the Day is Over

1. Now the day is over,
   Night is drawing nigh,
   Shadows of the evening
   Steal across the sky.
   


2. Jesus, give the weary
   Calm and sweet repose;
   With Thy tend’rest blessing
   May mine eyelids close.


3. Grant to little children
   Visions bright of Thee;
   Guard the sailors tossing
   On the deep, blue sea.


4. Comfort those who suffer,
   Watching late in pain;
   Those who plan some evil
   From their sin restrain.


5. Through the long night watches
   May Thine angels spread
   Their white wings above me,
   Watching round my bed.


6. When the morning wakens,
   Then may I arise
   Pure, and fresh, and sinless
   In Thy holy eyes.

Composer: Joseph Barnby (1868)

O Lord, Support Us

O Lord, support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen,
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in thy mercy,
grant us a safe lodging and a holy rest,
and peace at the last.
Amen.

The Shadows of the Evening Hours

The shadows of the evening hours fall from the darkening sky;
Upon the fragrance of the flowers the dews of evening lie;
Before Thy throne, O Lord of Heavn, we kneel at close of day;
Look on Thy children from on high, and hear us while we pray.

The sorrows of Thy servants, Lord, O do not now despise,
But let the incense of our prayers before Thy mercy rise.
The brightness of the coming night upon the darkness rolls;
With hopes of future glory, chase the shadows from our souls.

Slowly the rays of daylight fade, so fade within our heart
The hopes in earthly love and joy, that one by one depart.
Slowly the bright stars, one by one, within the heavens shine:
Give us, O Lord, fresh hopes in heaven, and trust in things divine.

Let peace, O Lord, Thy peace, O God, upon our souls descend;
From midnight fears and perils, now our trembling hearts defend.
Give us a respite from our toil; calm and subdue our woes.
Through the long day we labor, Lord, O give us now repose.

Text: Adelaide Procter (1862)

Hail! Gladdening Light (Charles Wood)

Hail! gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured
Who is th'immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies - Jesus Christ our Lord!

Now we are come to the Sun's hour of rest;
The lights of evening round us shine;
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine!

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:
Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own. Amen.

Text: Phos Hilaron (Φῶς Ἱλαρόν), Greek, late 3rd century, trans. John Keble (1834)
Music: Charles Wood (1912)

Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.
The darkness is no darkness with Thee, but the night is as clear as the day.
The darkness and the light to Thee are both alike.
God is light and with Him is no darkness at all.
Oh let my soul live and it shall praise Thee.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, for evermore.

Composer: Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)

When rooks fly homeward

When rooks fly homeward
And shadows fall,
When roses fold
On the hay-yard wall,
"When blind moths flutter
By door and tree,
Then comes the quiet
Of Christ to me.

When stars look out
On the Children's Path,
And grey mists gather
On earn and rath,
When night is one
With the brooding sea,
Then comes the quiet
Of Christ to me.

Words: Joseph Campbell
Music: Arthur Baynon

O Lux Beata Trinitas (Mozarabic Chant)

O lux beata trinitas
et principalis unitas
iam sol recedit igneus,
infunde lumen cordibus.

Te mane laudum carmine
te deprecemur vespere
te nostra suplex gloria
per cuncta laudet secula.

Deo Patri sit gloria
eiusque soli Filio
cum Spiritu Paraclito
et nunc et in perpetuum.

Mozarabic Chant, Francisco Ximénes de Cisneros