A solis ortus cardine (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina)

Music files

L E G E N D

Disclaimer

How to download

ICON	SOURCE
	File details
	Help

• CPDL #:       Finale-2005
  

Editor: Charles H. Giffen (added 2005-03-17).   Score information: Letter, 9 pages, 286 kbytes   Copyright: Edition copyright by Charles H. Giffen

Edition notes: Musica ficta clearly indicated.

General Information

Title: A solis ortus cardine

Composer: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Motet, Hymn
Language: Latin
Instruments: none, a cappella
Published:

Description: Palestrina follows a common practice of his time by setting only odd-numbered stanzas (five of them) of the Gregorian chant Mode 3 hymn text, it being understood that the even-numbered stanzas would be chanted (and the first stanza chanted as an introduction). It is interesting to note that the hymn text, by Caelius Sedulis (5th-century) has the peculiar feature that the stanzas begin with successive letters of the alphabet: A, Beatus, Castae, Domus, Enixa, Foeno, Gaudet, etc.

External websites:

Text and translations

Original text: Latin text

A solis ortus cardine

Ad usque terrae limitem

Christum canamus Principem,

Natum Maria Virgine.

Beatus auctor saeculi

Servile corpus induit,

Ut carne carnem liberans

Non perderet quod condidit.

Clausae¹ parentis viscera

Caelestis intrat gratia;

Venter puellae baiulat

Secreta quae non noverat.

Domus pudici pectoris

Templum repente fit Dei;

Intacta nesciens virum

Verbo concepit Filium.²

Enixa³ est puerpera

Quem Gabriel praedixerat,

Quem matris alvo gestiens⁴

Clausus Ioannes senserat.⁵

Foeno iacere pertulit,

Praesepe non abhorruit,

Parvoque lacte pastus est⁶

Per quem nec ales esurit.

Gaudet chorus caelestium

Et Angeli canunt Deum,

Palamque fit pastoribus

Pastor, Creator omnium.

Iesu, tibi sit gloria,

Qui natus es de Virgine,

Cum Patre et almo Spiritu,

In sempiterna saecula. Amen.

Changes by Pope Urban VIII in 1632 to the Roman Breviary (some incorporated by Palestrina):

¹Castae

²Enititur (not in Palestrina)

³Concepit alvo Filium.

⁴Quem ventre Matris gestiens, (not in Palestrina)

⁵baptismata clausum senserat (not in Palestrina)

⁶Et lacte modicus pastus est

Translation(s): English translation

From the rising of the sun

to the ends of the earth,

let us sing of Christ the Prince,

born of the Virgin Mary.

The blessed creator of the world

put on a servant’s body,

so that, liberating the flesh through taking flesh,

he would not lose what he had made.

The virgin mother's belly

is filled with heavenly grace;

the girl’s womb carries

secrets which she has not known.

The modest dwelling of her body

becomes God’s new temple;

untouched, not knowing a man,

at a word she conceived the Son in her womb.

By her birth pangs she brought forth

the one whom Gabriel had foretold,

and whom the Baptist, leaping within the womb,

had recognised as Lord.

He consented to lie in the hay;

he did not shrink from the manger;

and with little milk he was fed,

who does not allow even the birds to hunger.

The heavenly chorus rejoices,

and the angels sing God's praise,

and to the shepherds is now made known

the Shepherd who is the creator of all.

Jesus, to you be glory,

who are born of a virgin,

with the Father and the loving Spirit,

for eternal ages. Amen.

Supplied by Mick Swithinbank with thanks to Jamie Reid Baxter for much help