Vincent recites the
Pater Noster of Juvencus (c. 330 AD)
[l.1] Sīdereō
genitor residēns in vertice caelī │ Creator / Father sitting in
the starry summit of heaven
- genitor, -tōris [3/m]: father; parent (m); creator
- sīdereus, -a, -um: starry; filled with stars < sīdus, -eris [3/n]: star
- vertex, verticis [3/m]: highest point; summit
[l.2] Nōminis
ōrāmus venerātiō sānctificētur │ May the reverence of (your) name, we pray, be
sanctified
A prayer by its
nature is often expressing what someone wants to happen e.g. in English “May
he rest in peace”. In Latin this is conveyed by the subjunctive, and the
verse contains many examples of it: sānctificētur: May (the
reverence of your name) be sanctified.
[l.3] In nōbīs ¦ Pater
alte ¦ tuī: tranquillaque mundō │ Father
on High, (bring) peaceful things of yours / your peace in us and in the world
pater alte: vocative case < altus, -a, -um: high
[l.4] Adveniat
rēgnumque tuum lūx alma reclaudat │ May your kingdom come and the nourishing
light disclose.
- almus, -a, -um: nourishing; kind
- reclaudō, -ere [3] = reclūdō, -ere [3]: reveal; disclose
Adveniat
rēgnum … tuum: May your kingdom come; subjunctive
lūx alma reclaudat:
may the nourishing light disclose
[l.5] In caelō ut
terrīs fīat clāra voluntās │ In heaven as on earth (the lands) may your will be
made / become clear
- voluntās, -tātis [3/f]: will; desire; free will; Eng. deriv. (via French) volunteer < La: voluntārius, -a, -um: willing
fīat clāra
voluntās: May (your) will become clear; subjunctive
[l.6] Vītālisque
hodiē sānctī substantia pānis │ And today the vital substance of the holy bread
- substantia, -ae [1/f]: material; contents; (here) substance
Note the word
order:
(1) Vītālisque
hodiē (2) sānctī (1) substantia (2) pānis
(1) (and) the
vital substance (2) of the holy bread
Because of the
case endings, Latin words – especially in verse – are often not written
together; in poetry this is known as hyperbaton; a writer may do this to
conform to the rhythm and / or to create a particular effect e.g. to emphasise
certain words or ideas or, in this line (I suspect), to produce alliteration
(the repetition of the same initial sound, usually a consonant) i.e. sānctī
substantia (pānis)
[l.7] Prōveniat
nōbīs; tua mox largītiō solvat │ May it come (forth) to
us; may your generosity soon bestow it
- solvō, -ere [3]: (various meanings) loosen; release; pay; grant
[l.8] Innumera
indulgēns errōris dēbita prāvī │ Indulging (i.e. being lenient
towards / pardoning / forgiving) the countless debts of wicked error
- prāvus, -a, -um: wicked; crooked; depraved; improper etc.
Again, note the
word order as an example of hyperbaton (see the note to l.6)
(1) Innumera
¦ indulgēns ¦ (2) errōris (1) dēbita
prāvī
indulging ¦ the (1)
countless debts (2) of wicked error
And again, you see
the word order manipulated to create alliteration: Innumera
¦ indulgēns; the repetition of vowel and consonants extends
throughout the line:
Innumera ¦ indulgēns
¦ (2) errōris (1) dēbita
prāvī
For reference,
there are three terms used to describe this poetic device:
- Alliteration: repetition of initial sounds, usually consonants: silent seas swell slowly
- Assonace: repetition of vowel sounds inside words: rise high in the bright sky
- Consonance: repetition of consonants (not always initial): stroke of luck
However, they
rarely appear in such strict divisions, but, like line 8 above, as a
combination of devices. One example alone from our era shows how effective such
poetic devices can be, an example of sheer genius: excerpt from the “Witch’s Rap” in the Sondheim
musical Into the Woods. The Baker’s father steals from the Witch’s
garden; note how she growls, hisses, fumes
and spits her words!
Greens greens and nothing but greens! / Parsley,
peppers, cabbages, and celery,
/ Asparagus and watercress
/ And fiddleferns and lettuce. / He said
"Alright!" / But it wasn't quite. / Cause I caught
him / In the autumn / In my garden one night!
You’re not often going
to come across such relentless intensity, but it’s useful to know the terms
when instances of such poetic devices occur.
[l.9] Et nōs haut
aliter concēdere foenora nostrīs │ no differently than we grant debts to our
own (people) [i.e. we do not treat others using different terms]; Compare ll8-9
with the standard version of the prayer (Church of Scotland): Forgive us our
debts / as we forgive our debtors
The same lines
from the Book of Cerne (9th century): Forgive countless debts of our
wicked errors, / no different than we pardon our debtors.
- aliter: otherwise; differently
- concēdō, -ere [3]: (here) allow; grant
- foenus = faenus, -oris [3/n]: (literally) interest on a loan
- haut = haud: not
[l.10] Tētrī saeva
procul temptātiō daemonis absit │ May the savage temptation of
the foul demon be far away
- tēter = taeter, -tra, -trum: foul; offensive; hideous
(1) Tētrī (2)
saeva [procul] (2) temptātiō (1) daemonis
(2) the savage
temptation (1) of the foul demon
[l.11] Aequē malīs
tua nōs in lūcem dextera tollat │ Equally may your right hand raise
us / lift us up from evils into the light
- dextera, -ae [1/f]: right hand
- tollō, -ere [3]: (here) raise; lift up
tua nōs in lūcem dextera: your right hand …
