ROBERT, KING OF FRANCE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT O Thou Holy Spirit, come, The radiance of Thy heavenly light impart. Giver of all increase, come, Come, Thou the light of every human heart. O Thou consolation best, In all labor Thou art rest, In the heat Thou shelterest, Our stay when waves of sorrow o'er us roll. O most beatific light, The inmost deeps of faithful hearts fulfill! Naught in man dispels the night, Nor is there aught that doth not work him ill. Lava quod est sordidum, Riga quod est aridum, Sana quod est saucium; Flecte quod est rigidum, Fove quod est frigidum, Rege quod est devium! Da tuis fidelibus Do Thou cleansing waters send, And let Thy moisture on our drought distill; What is wounded do Thou mend, Wills grown rigid do Thou bend, Let cold and wayward hearts obey Thy will. On Thy faithful ones bestow Thy sevenfold gifts, for lo, they trust in Thee; Praise of virtue do Thou show, Safe departure may we know, And grant to us true joy eternally. MARBOD Marbod, bishop of Rennes, was the son of a fur dealer at Angers. He was born in 1035, became bishop in 1095, and died 1125, at St. Aubin. He left many versified legends of saints, and among his poems is one, "De Gemmis," a long account of the mystical meanings attached by the medieval mind to precious stones. This was a favorite poem in the Middle Ages. In all Latin hymnody, there is no finer instance of rhyme than that which is given in the selection which follows. It has seemed best, in translating, also to keep the metrical form. |