Salve Festa Dies - Cool chorus, tricky verses - Easter procession hymn - Hail festival day!

Latin Mass Homeschool Family

Day 88 of #100daysofchant

You guys probably all go to the Easter Vigil and sleep in on Easter Sunday, don't you? Well, some really cool stuff happens while you guys are all sleeping. Easter Sunday has this little known optional procession.

Do you need a translation here when the words are in the video?

Way back when I put A New Book of Old Hymns together, I could not find a translation anywhere. Now they seem to abound on the internet! So many different versions though! There are even variations for Ascension Thursday and Pentecost.

Salve festa dies toto venerabilis aevo

In tempore paschale: qua Deus infernum vicit et astra tenet.

In die ascensione: qua Deus ascendit victor et astra tenet.

In die pentecoste: qua sacer accendit Spiritus igne suos.

Hail festal day, hallowed forever; On which God defeats hell and seizes heaven.

Ecce renascentis testatur gratia mundi

Omnia cum Domino dona redisse suo.

Behold the beauty of the world reborn bears witness that all gifts have returned with their Lord.

Namque triumphanti post tristia tartara Christo

Undique fronde nemus gramina flore favent.

For indeed, from every side leafy groves and meadow flowers greet Christ as he returns in triumph after the gloom of hell.

Qui genus humanum cernes mersisse profundo,

ut hominem eriperes, es quoque factus homo.

When Thou sawest mankind buried in sin Thou becamest man to rescue man.

Tristia cesserunt infernae vincula legis

Expavitque chaos luminis ore premi.

The cruel bondage of hell's tyranny has passed away, Chaos is in terror of being overwhelmed by the face of light.

Pollicitam sed redde fidem, precor, alma potestas,

Tertia lux redii, surge sepulte meus.

O Nourishing Power, fulfil Thy promise, I pray. The third day dawns. Arise, my buried Lord.

Solve catenates inferni carceris umbrae,

et revoca sursum, quiquid ad ima ruit.

Loose the gloomy chains of hell's prison house and call back whatever is plummeting.

Redde tuam faciem, videant ut saecula lumen

redde diem, qui nos, te moriente, fugit.

Show us Thy face again, that the world may see its light. Show us the daylight that fled from us while Thou wast dying.