O Radix Jesse

By now some of you might be thinking that the O Antiphon words might be sounding kind of familiar, even though you’re not really up on your Gregorian Chant.

In fact, these antiphons are some of the earliest attested antiphons in the Divine Office, being mentioned in passing in the works of Saint Boethius in the early sixth century. The version we’re listening to is the Solemn Tone. There are also less complicated versions in the Monastic Tone and the Simple Tone.

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populórum,
super quem continébunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabúntur:
veni ad liberándum nos, jam noli tardáre.

Englished:

O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.