Pope Urban the Somethingth strikes again!

My hymnbook was transcribed largely from the Liber Usualis circa 1962 which uses the “improvements” from the humanist Pope Urban.

One praiseworthy development of the Second Vatican Council and ensuing liturgical upheavals was to roll back these misguided revisions and go back to the Medieval Latin, or close enough.

So, in fine, I can’t seem to find a video to perfectly match my hymnbooks, and I’m not sure it’s worth pursuing. The differences are minor enough that you can learn the tune - the transposition of the words silva and talem in the chorus are the main difficulty. If you can cope with that, then you’ll do well.

At least now I know why I keep getting those words mixed up when I go to sing it!

Nevertheless this remains one of my favourites.

Chorus or refrain

Little crossword puzzle just for this stanza

Crux fidelis inter omnes, arbor una nobilis:

Crux fidelis inter omnes, arbor una nobilis:

Cross faithful among all tree one noble

Faithful cross above all others, one and only noble tree

nulla silva talem profert, fronde, flore, germine.

nulla silva talem profert, fronde, flore, germine.

none forest such {brings forth} {in foliage} {in flower} {in seed}

None in foliage, none in blossom, None in fruit thy peer may be.

Dulce lignum, dulces clavos, dulce pondus sustinet.

Dulce lignum, dulces clavos, dulce pondus sustinet.

sweet wood sweet nails sweet weight {it holds up}

Sweetest wood and sweetest iron, Sweetest weight is hung on thee!

First Verse

Little crossword puzzle just for this stanza

Pange, lingua, gloriosi proelium certaminis

Pange, lingua, gloriosi proelium certaminis

sing tongue glorious battle {of the struggle}

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle, sing the last, the dread affray,

et super crucis trophaeo dic triumphum nobilem,

et super crucis trophaeo dic triumphum nobilem,

and over {of the cross} trophy say triumph noble

o’er the Cross, the victor’s trophy, sound the high triumphal lay,

qualiter redemptor orbis immolatus vicerit.

qualiter redemptor orbis immolatus vicerit.

how Redeemer {of the world} {having been immolated} {will have conquered}

how, the pains of death enduring, earth’s Redeemer won the day.

Second Verse

Little crossword puzzle just for this stanza

De parentis protoplasti fraude Factor condolens,

De parentis protoplasti fraude Factor condolens,

from parents archetypal cheating maker {suffering greatly}

Eating of the tree forbidden, man had sunk in Satan's snare,

quando pomi noxialis morte morsu corruit,

quando pomi noxialis morte morsu corruit,

when apple noxious death bitten {it collapses}

when our pitying Creator did this second tree prepare;

ipse lignum tunc notavit, damna ligni ut solveret.

ipse lignum tunc notavit, damna ligni ut solveret.

itself wood then {has noted} damage {of the wood} {in order to} fix

destined, many ages later, that first evil to repair.