03 July 2010

Quicquid est in me confractum

Here is my translation of an interesting cento of Bernard's (or Arnulf of Leuven's) "Rhythmica Oratio," which is a long Passion prayer lyric on the parts of Christ's crucified body, the ultimate source of "O Sacred Head Now Wounded," and the source material for the first Lutheran oratorio, Buxtehude's "Membra Jesu Nostri." This present cento represents a clever combination of stanzas from the sections Ad Pedes (to the Feet) and Ad Latus (to the Side), with a final, apparently new, concluding statement. The Latin, shown below, is taken from Val. Herberger's Magnalia Dei (part 6, meditation 52, on the breaking of the tablets of the Law). The numbers in brackets show the section, stanza, and line from Migne (Patrologiae Latinae 184, pp. 1320–21).

WHERESO I am broken ever,
Shattered, maimed, or fraught with fever,
O sweet Jesus, heal me wholly,
Bring me restoration fully,
Apply Thy gentle remedy.

O sweet Jesus, God so tender,
I invoke Thee, my Defender,
For my sin’s relief appealing;
Healed I’ll be with but Thy healing,—
Thy precious blood that washes me.

Lo, in Thee my refuge taking,
Nor, O Jesus, Thee forsaking,
I beseech Thee, Show Thy kindness!
Deign not for my sin and blindness
Me from Thy sacred feet to thrust!

Oh, how sweet and pure the savor!
Jesus Christ, who taste Thee ever,
Conquered by Thy love and sweetness,
See in death but pure completeness,
As in Thy precious wounds they trust.

Translation © Matthew Carver, 2010.

LATIN
Quicquid est in me confractum, [900. st. 6.1]
Dissipatum vel distractum, [900. st. 6.2]
Dulcis Jesu, totum sana, [900. st. 6.3]
Tu restaura, tu complana [900. st. 6.4]
[Tam] pio medicamine. [900. st. 6.5]
Dulcis Jesu, pie Deus, [900. st. 8.1]
Ad te clamo, licet reus: [900. st. 8.2]
Me sanabis hic, ut spero, [900. st. 7.3]
Sana me, et sanus ero, [900. st. 7.4; salvus for sanus]
[In] tuo lavans sanguine. [900. st. 8.5]
Ecce, tibi appropinquo, [901. st. 11.1]
Nec te, Jesu, derelinquo, [? 900. st. 8.2=Parce, Jesu, si delinquo]
Præbe mihi te benignum, [900. st. 8.3]
Ne repellas me indignum [900. st. 8.4]
De tuis sanctis pedibus. [900. st. 8.5]
O quam dulcis sapor iste! [901. st. 16.1]
Qui te gustat, Jesu Christe, [901. st. 16.2]
Tuo victus à dulcore [901. st. 16.3]
Mori posset præ amore [901. st. 16.4]
Fidens tuis vulneribus.1 [No paral.]

1 comment:

Walter said...

Thank you for my 'Panem quotidianum' Matt.
(A super translation: like a penitential psalm !)