Vexilla regis
Vexilla regis prodeunt is a Latin hymn to the cross of Jesus Christ , written by Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530–609). Text and melody are world famous. The hymn is considered to be an outstanding example of the Christian Latin hymnody.
Metric
The text follows the rules of the iambic meter of the Latin metric . It is recited like an iambic poem . In the hymn Vexilla regis each verse has two metra , so it is a dimeter . Each of the two Metra consists of two feet , whereby the first is either an iambus (υ -) or a spondeus (- -), but the second is always an iambus. Since the verse has a total of four feet, it is also called the Quaternarius .
Metrization and text of the hymn
The Latin text is presented below. In order to be able to sing or recite it more easily, vowels which, according to the elision rules of classical verse doctrine, elide at word boundaries when two vowels meet, that is, cannot be pronounced, are placed in square brackets. For the first word “pretium” in the second verse of the sixth stanza, the “i” should be spoken consonantically. But one could also say “pre-zi-um” and thus start the verse with an anapast (υ υ -); this would also correspond to the rules of the iambic meter.
Metrization | Hymn in Honore sanctae crucis | Hymn in honor of the Holy Cross (translation) |
---|---|---|
——◡ ——— ◡— |
Vexilla regis prodeunt, |
The standards of the king come forward; |
——◡ ——— ◡ ◡ |
Confixa clavis viscera |
The body fastened with nails, |
——◡ — ◡ — ◡— |
Quo vulneratus insuper |
Wherever he was wounded |
——◡ ——— ◡— |
Impleta sunt, quae concinit |
What was fulfilled was what |
——◡ ——— ◡ ◡ |
Arbor decor [a] et fulgida, |
You beautiful, flashing tree, |
◡ — ◡ ——— ◡— |
Beata, cuius brachiis |
Blessed tree, on whose branches |
- ◡ ◡ — ◡ — ◡ ◡ |
Fundis aroma cortice, |
You exude a fragrance from your bark, |
——◡ ——— ◡— |
Salv [e], ara, salve, victima, |
Greetings, altar, greetings, sacrificial lamb |
Hints:
- - long syllable; ◡ short syllable; k vowel shortening; × actually short, but used long
- Vowels in square brackets elide, that is, they are not pronounced.
Liturgical use
In the liturgy ( Liber Usualis , Graduale Romanum ) there were changes and some stanzas were deleted. There are liturgically added stanzas for this. The metrically correct version of the same follows:
Metrization | Liturgical additions | translation |
---|---|---|
——◡ ——— ◡ × |
O crux, ave, spes unica |
Greetings, O cross, you only hope |
——◡ ——— ◡— |
Te, fons salutis Trinitas, |
You, source of salvation, Trinity, |
The hymn Vexilla regis is sung in the Liturgy of the Hours from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday at Vespers , and earlier also on Passion Sunday . It is also taken on the Solemnity of Exaltation of the Cross . It is only rarely used as a processional hymn . Until the reform of the Holy Week liturgy in 1955, the hymn was intended for Good Friday, when the Holy of Holies was brought to the high altar.
In several regional appendices to God's praise (1975) there is the German translation by Peter Soemer The king's banner billows up (e.g. Aachen no. 862, Osnabrück no. 864). The Praise of God (2013) contains under No. 299 the adaptation of The King Victims, his banner shines from the Roman Book of Hours of 1978; the (Münster 1846) is a simplified version of the Gregorian way of singing.
Text analysis
A Vexillum regis is a king's banner; the symbol indicates the kingship of Christ.
Historical background
The hymn was sung for the first time on November 19, 569 in Poitiers as a processional hymn. At that time the cross relic was bought by the Byzantine Emperor Justin II at the request of St. Radegundis ceremoniously transferred to the monastery of La Sainte-Croix.
Settings
The Gregorian setting
The predominant setting in the liturgy is the Gregorian notated in the Graduale Romanum and Liber Usualis . It is maintained by the Gregorian schools, such as the Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis in Milan. Even Maria Carta follows this tune she sings but in the Sardinian language .
Multi-part settings
Multi-part settings exist by Guillaume Du Fay (for three-part choir), Franz Liszt , Anton Bruckner (for four-part mixed choir, WAB 51) and Rihards Dubra . Franz Liszt used three stanzas in his late work Via Crucis .
literature
- Matthew Britt: The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal. New York (2nd edition) 1924, pp. 123-125.
- Guido Maria Dreves, Clemens Blume: A millennium Latin hymn poem. A harvest of blossoms from the Analektika Hymnika with explanations of literary history. Leipzig, OR Reisland, 1909. Part I, pp. 36-38.
- Wolfgang Joseph Emmerig: Instructions for Latin verse art. Fourth much improved edition. JM Daisenberger, Regensburg 1825
Web links
- Vexilla regis from the Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis, Giovanni Vianini, Milan
- Vexilla regis based on the setting by Anton Bruckner
Individual evidence
- ^ Missale Romanum XXVIII. (1920) (PDF; p. 330 of 1220) p. 226