Aurora Lucis Rutilat

Light’s glittering morn bedecks the sky;
Heaven thunders forth its victor cry;
The glad earth shouts its triumph high,
And groaning hell makes wild reply:

While He, the King of glorious might,
Treads down death’s strength in death’s despite,
And, trampling hell by victor’s right,
Brings forth His sleeping Saints to light.

Fast barred beneath the stone of late
In watch and ward where soldiers wait,
Now shining in triumphant state,
He rises victor from death’s gate.

Hell’s pains are loosed and tears are fled,
Captivity is captive led;
The angel crowned with light hath said,
“The Lord is risen from the dead!”

We pray Thee, King with glory decked,
In this our Paschal joy, protect
From all that death would fain effect
Thy ransomed flock, Thine own elect.

To Thee Who, dead, again dost live,
All glory, Lord, Thy people give;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.

Amen.

V. In Thy resurrection, O Christ, alleluia.
R. Let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia.

(Hymn for Lauds, Easter Season)

I’ve been meaning to post this since Easter. In fact, I think I was planning on posting it last Easter Season, but we were on Camino.

The poetic quality of the hymn translations is just one of the many things I love about the Monastic Diurnal.