# Hymns

- Author: [Sedulius](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/sedulius/)
- Latin title: *Hymni*
- Date: ca. 425-450 (approximate)
- Source: Johann Huemer, ed., Sedulii opera omnia, CSEL 10 (Vienna: Gerold, 1885) (Latin text: Huemer, CSEL 10, digitized by Open Greek and Latin (csel-dev, University of Leipzig), CC BY-SA 4.0)

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/sedulius-hymni/
- Passages: 2

## Hymn 1 (108 lines)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/sedulius-hymni/1/#p-1
- Source: CSEL 10:156
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: In a hymn of repeating couplets Sedulius traces sacred history from the devil's fall and Adam's sin through the figures of the Old Testament (Abel, the flood, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, the Exodus, the conquest, Gideon, Jephthah, David) to their fulfillment in Christ's birth, death, resurrection and coming judgment, ending with a doxology to the Trinity.

### Latin text

Cantemus, socii, Domino, cantemus honorem,
Dulcis amor Christi personet ore pio.
Primus ad ima ruit magna de luce superbus:
Sic homo, cum tumuit, primus ad ima ruit.
Vnius ob meritum cuncti periere minores:
Saluantur cuncti unius ob meritum.
Sola fuit mulier, patuit quae ianua leto:
Et qua uita redit, sola fuit mulier.
Frater iniquus erat iustum qui perculit olim:
Damnator Christi frater iniquus erat.
Transitus ille monet, quid prima amisit origo:
Quid uentura parent, transitus ille monet.
Arca leuatur aquis, homines ut perderet aequor:
Ne pereant homines, arca leuatur aquis.
Sume, pater, populos pro nati uulnere cunctos:
Cum tradis Christum, sume, pater, populos.
Hostia summa Patris, tacitis signata figuris:
Quam reserat Christus, hostia summa Patris.
Claudicat ecce uidens Dominum, dum praeualet, heres:
Aspera gens Christum claudicat ecce uidens.
Reppulit ille famem, uenditus crimine fratrum:
Venditus est Christus, reppulit ille famem.
Perfide, corde peris, dum uastant omnia plagae:
Dum cessant plagae, perfide, corde peris. Agnus ab hoste sacer reuocauit sanguine patres:
Sanguine nosque refert agnus ab hoste sacer.
Obruit unda nefas populo gradiente per aequor:
Nunc populis mundi obruit unda nefas.
Murmurat impietas, manna ueniente refecta:
Panis adest Christus, murmurat impietas.
Plebs sibi dura caput terrae cultoris adoptat:
Abstulit, heu, Christum plebs sibi dura caput.
Lex dedit indicium ueteris de crimine poenae:
Quodque salus ueniat, lex dedit indicium. En lapis inriguus, satiare, incredule, fonte:
Qui Christum reprobus, en lapis inriguus.
Carpitur igne sacro munus uotumque piorum:
Seditiosa tribus carpitur igne sacro.
Regna beata Patris legis non contigit heres:
Iesus dispensat regna beata Patris.
Distruit arca Dei, muros dum circuit, hostem:
Sic hostem mundi distruit arca Dei.
Area uellus habet, madido sed uellere sicca est:
Siccum tota madens area uellus habet.
Vincis honore Dei promisso in munere gentes:
Affectum natae uincis honore Dei.
Tu decus omne tuis, qui sternis caede Goliam:
Qui uincis mundum, tu decus omne tuis.
Maxima dona Dei cuncti cecinere prophetae:
Impleuit Christus maxima dona Dei.
Pondera dura tulit mandatum legis et iram:
Gratia mandati pondera dura tulit.
Virgo Maria nitet nullo temerante pudore:
Post partum pueri uirgo Maria nitet.
Filius hic hominis fit maxima quaestio mundi:
Nobiscum Deus est filius hic hominis.
Gaudia magna Dei mundus percepit et ambit:
Respuit, heu, mundus gaudia magna Dei.
Signa mouent populos, cernunt magnalia caeci:
Nulla tamen duros signa mouent populos.
Aspera mors populis ligno deducta cucurrit:
Aufertur ligno aspera mors populis.
Ipse tulit Dominus pro poenis munera seruis:
Pro seruis poenas ipse tulit Dominus.
Vita beata necem miseris auertere uenit:
Pertulit a miseris uita beata necem.
Lumen adesse Dei persensit tartarus ingens:
Nec cernunt homines lumen adesse Dei.
Mors fera per hominem miserum sibi subdidit orbem:
Subdita congemuit mors fera per hominem.
Suscitat ecce genus morti pater ille profanus:
Ad uitam Christus suscitat ecce genus.
Hic populus Dominum dura ceruice negauit:
Suscepit primus hic populus Dominum.
Sanguine laeta redit fuso gens impia Christi:
Gustato Christi sanguine laeta redit.
Crimina cuncta suis terrenus contulit auctor:
Dissoluit Christus crimina cuncta suis.
Libera corda sibi facinus deuinxerat olim:
Nunc reficit Christus libera corda sibi.
Fortia uincla dedit peccati saeua potestas:
Dulcis amor Christi fortia uincla dedit.
Iam super astra sedet, cuncti exultate fideles:
Perfide, quid saeuis? iam super astra sedet.
Mortuus ille tonat, caelum terramque subegit:
Quid facient hostes? mortuus ille tonat.
Pellitur umbra die, Christo ueniente figura:
Christus adit gentes, pellitur umbra die.
Te properare docent et signa et saecula prima:
Nos sacra quae gerimus te properare docent.
Vnicus adueniens firmauit uota priorum:
Vota dedit nobis unicus adueniens.
Passio, Christe, tui conpleuit munera legis:
Munera nostra replet passio, Christe, tui.
Hic homo qui Deus est, spes est antiqua priorum:
Spes in fine piis hic homo, qui Deus est.
Munus erit fidei toto credentibus aeuo:
Qui dedit ut credant, munus erit fidei.
Te ueniente, Deus, mundanus concidit error:
Occidit hic mundus te ueniente, Deus.
Gratia plena Dei est, quae totis gentibus extat:
Abscedant sectae, gratia plena Dei est.
Sola columba redit, quae totum circuit orbem:
Discedant corui, sola columba redit.
Adueniet Dominus dare digna piis, mala prauis:
Credite iam, miseri, adueniet Dominus.
Visio, Christe, tui tormentum et poena malorum est:
Gloria cuncta bonis uisio, Christe, tui.
Gloria magna Patri, semper tibi gloria, Nate:
Cum sancto Spiritu gloria magna Patri.

### English translation (Claude)

Let us sing, companions, to the Lord, let us sing his honor;
let the sweet love of Christ resound from a pious mouth.
First the proud one fell to the depths from the great light:
so man, when he swelled with pride, first fell to the depths.
Through the guilt of one all those after him perished:
all are saved through the merit of one.
It was a woman alone who opened the door to death:
and she through whom life returns, it was a woman alone.
A wicked brother it was who once struck down the just:
the condemner of Christ, a wicked brother it was.
That Passover warns what the first origin lost:
what things to come prepare, that Passover warns.
The ark is lifted by the waters when the sea would destroy men:
lest men perish, the ark is lifted by the waters.
Take, Father, all peoples in return for your Son's wound:
when you hand over Christ, take, Father, the peoples.
The Father's highest victim, signified in silent figures:
which Christ unlocks, the Father's highest victim.
See, the heir limps, seeing the Lord while he prevails:
the harsh nation, seeing Christ, see, limps.
He drove off famine, sold by the crime of his brothers:
Christ was sold, he drove off famine.
Faithless one, you perish in heart while the plagues lay all waste:
when the plagues cease, faithless one, you perish in heart.
The holy lamb called the fathers back from the enemy by blood:
by blood the holy lamb brings us back from the enemy.
The wave overwhelmed wickedness as the people walked through the sea:
now for the peoples of the world the wave overwhelms wickedness.
Impiety murmurs, though refreshed as the manna comes:
Christ the bread is present, impiety murmurs.
The hard people adopts a tiller of the earth as its head:
alas, the hard people took Christ away as its head.
The law gave a sign from the crime of an old punishment:
and that salvation would come, the law gave a sign.
See, the watering rock; be satisfied from its spring, unbeliever:
the rock you rejected, Christ, see, the watering rock.
The gift and the vow of the pious are taken by sacred fire:
the seditious tribe is taken by sacred fire.
The heir of the law did not reach the Father's blessed kingdom:
Jesus dispenses the Father's blessed kingdom.
The ark of God destroys the enemy as it goes round the walls:
so the ark of God destroys the enemy of the world.
The threshing floor has a fleece, but is dry while the fleece is wet:
the whole threshing floor, wet, has a dry fleece.
You conquer the nations by the honor of God in the promised gift:
you conquer love for your daughter by the honor of God.
You are all the glory of your people, who lay Goliath low:
you who conquer the world, you are all the glory of your people.
All the prophets sang the greatest gifts of God:
Christ fulfilled the greatest gifts of God.
The command of the law and wrath brought hard burdens:
the grace of the command bore the hard burdens.
The virgin Mary shines, her chastity violated by none:
after giving birth to the boy, the virgin Mary shines.
This Son of Man becomes the greatest question of the world:
God with us is this Son of Man.
The world received and embraces the great joys of God:
alas, the world rejects the great joys of God.
Signs move the peoples, the blind see mighty works:
yet no signs move the hard peoples.
Harsh death, brought by a tree, ran upon the peoples:
harsh death is taken from the peoples by a tree.
The Lord himself bore gifts for his servants in place of punishments:
for his servants the Lord himself bore the punishments.
Blessed Life came to turn death away from the wretched:
blessed Life endured death from the wretched.
Huge Tartarus perceived that the light of God was present:
yet men do not see that the light of God is present.
Fierce death subjected the world to itself through wretched man:
fierce death, subjected, groaned through a man.
See, that profane father rouses a race for death:
Christ, see, rouses a race for life.
This people denied the Lord with a stiff neck:
this people first received the Lord.
The impious nation that shed the blood of Christ returns glad:
having tasted Christ's blood, it returns glad.
The earthly author brought all crimes on his own:
Christ dissolved all crimes for his own.
Crime had once bound free hearts to itself:
now Christ remakes free hearts for himself.
The cruel power of sin gave strong chains:
the sweet love of Christ gave strong chains.
Now he sits above the stars; exult, all you faithful:
faithless one, why do you rage? Now he sits above the stars.
He who died thunders, he has subdued heaven and earth:
what will his enemies do? He who died thunders.
The shadow, the figure, is driven off by day as Christ comes:
Christ comes to the nations, the shadow is driven off by day.
Both the signs and the first ages teach you to hasten:
the sacred rites we perform teach you to hasten.
The Only-begotten, coming, confirmed the hopes of those before:
the Only-begotten, coming, gave hopes to us.
Your passion, Christ, fulfilled the gifts of the law:
your passion, Christ, fills our gifts.
This man who is God is the ancient hope of those before:
the hope of the pious at the end is this man who is God.
He will be the gift of faith to believers through all time:
he who granted them to believe will be the gift of faith.
At your coming, God, worldly error fell:
this world perished at your coming, God.
Full is the grace of God, which stands out among all nations:
let the sects depart; full is the grace of God.
The dove alone returns, which goes round the whole world:
let the ravens depart; the dove alone returns.
The Lord will come to give the pious what they deserve, and evil to the wicked:
believe now, wretched ones; the Lord will come.
The sight of you, Christ, is the torment and punishment of the wicked:
all glory for the good is the sight of you, Christ.
Great glory to the Father, glory always to you, Son:
with the Holy Spirit, great glory to the Father.

### Scripture references

- Isa 14:12: echo, medium confidence
- Rom 5:12–19: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 4:8: allusion, high confidence
- Exod 12:11–13: allusion, medium confidence
- Gen 7:17: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 22:1–13: allusion, medium confidence
- Gen 32:24–31: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 37:28: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 41:53–57: allusion, medium confidence
- Exod 14:28: allusion, high confidence
- Exod 16:2–4: allusion, high confidence
- John 6:35: echo, medium confidence
- Num 14:4: echo, low confidence
- Num 20:11: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Cor 10:4: allusion, medium confidence
- Num 16:35: allusion, medium confidence
- Deut 34:4: allusion, medium confidence
- Josh 6:20: allusion, high confidence
- Judg 6:37–40: allusion, high confidence
- Judg 11:30–39: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Sam 17:49–51: allusion, high confidence
- Isa 7:14: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 1:23: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Pet 2:24: echo, medium confidence
- Matt 27:25: echo, low confidence
- Heb 10:1: echo, medium confidence
- Gen 8:7–12: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 25:31–46: echo, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Sedulius's first hymn is written in elegiac couplets in which the second half of each pentameter repeats the opening of the hexameter (epanalepsis).
- 'That Passover' (transitus) is the Passover of Exod 12. 'A tiller of the earth' (line 27) is obscure; perhaps the leader Israel wished to choose to return to Egypt (Num 14:4).
- Lines 55–56 call the Jewish people both deniers of Christ and the first to receive him; the hymn's language about them is translated as written.
- Line 85: 'Let the sects depart' refers to heretical or schismatic groups.

### Citation (SBL)

Sedulius, Hymn. 1 (CSEL 10:156; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sedulius-hymni/1).

## Hymn 2 (92 lines)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/sedulius-hymni/1/#p-2
- Source: CSEL 10:164
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: In an alphabetical hymn Sedulius sings the life of Christ from the virgin birth, the shepherds, the magi and the holy innocents, through his baptism and miracles, to his betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, victory over hell and return to heaven.

### Latin text

A solis ortus cardine
Adusque terrae limitem
Christum canamus principem,
Natum Maria uirgine.
Beatus auctor saeculi
Seruile corpus induit,
Vt carne carnem liberans
Non perderet quod condidit.
Clausae parentis uiscera
Caelestis intrat gratia,
Venter puellae baiulat
Secreta quae non nouerat.
Domus pudici pectoris
Templum repente fit Dei,
Intacta nesciens uirum
Verbo creauit filium.
Enixa est puerpera
Quem Gabrihel praedixerat,
Quem matris aluo gestiens
Clausus Iohannes senserat.
Faeno iacere pertulit,
Praesepe non abhorruit,
Paruoque lacte pastus est,
Per quem nec ales esurit.
Gaudet chorus caelestium,
Et angeli canunt Deum,
Palamque fit pastoribus
Pastor creatorque omnium.
Hostis Herodes impie,
Christum uenire quid times?
Non eripit mortalia
Qui regna dat caelestia.
Ibant magi qua uenerant,
Stellam sequentes praeuiam;
Lumen requirunt lumine,
Deum fatentur munere.
Katerua matrum personat,
Conlisa deflens pignora,
Quorum tyrannus milia
Christo sacrauit uictimam.
Lauacra puri gurgitis
Caelestis agnus attigit,
Peccata qui mundi tulit
Nos abluendo sustulit.
Miraculis dedit fidem,
Habere se Deum patrem,
Infirma sanans corpora
Et suscitans cadauera.
Nouum genus potentiae:
Aquae rubescunt hydriae,
Vinumque iussa fundere
Mutauit unda originem.
Orat salutem seruulo
Nixus genu centurio,
Credentis ardor plurimus
Extinxit ignes febrium.
Petrus per undas ambulat
Christi leuatus dextera:
Natura quam negauerat
Fides parauit semitam.
Quarta die iam fetidus
Vitam recepit Lazarus,
Mortisque liber uinculis
Factus superstes est sibi.
Riuos cruoris torridi
Contacta uestis obstruit,
Fletu rigante supplicis
Arent fluenta sanguinis.
Solutus omni corpore,
Iussus repente surgere,
Suis uicissim gressibus
Aeger uehebat lectulum.
Tunc ille Iudas carnifex
Ausus magistrum tradere,
Pacem ferebat osculo,
Quam non habebat pectore.
Verax datur fallacibus,
Pium flagellat impius,
Crucique fixus innocens
Coniunctus est latronibus.
Xeromyrrham post sabbatum
Quaedam uehebant compares,
Quas adlocutus angelus
Viuum sepulchro non tegi.
Ymnis uenite dulcibus,
Omnes canamus subditum
Christi triumpho tartarum,
Qui nos redemit uenditus.
Zelum draconis inuidi
Et os leonis pessimi
Calcauit unicus Dei
Seseque caelis reddidit.

### English translation (Claude)

From the turning point of the sun's rising
to the boundary of the earth
let us sing of Christ the prince,
born of the virgin Mary.
The blessed author of the world
put on a servant's body,
so that, freeing flesh by flesh,
he might not lose what he had made.
Heavenly grace enters
the womb of a closed mother;
a girl's womb carries
secrets which she had not known.
The house of a chaste breast
suddenly becomes the temple of God;
untouched, not knowing a man,
she conceived a son by a word.
The mother brought forth
him whom Gabriel had foretold,
whom John, leaping in his mother's womb,
shut in, had perceived.
He endured lying on hay,
he did not shrink from the manger,
and he was fed with a little milk
through whom not even a bird goes hungry.
The choir of heaven rejoices,
and angels sing to God,
and to the shepherds is made known
the Shepherd and Creator of all.
Herod, impious enemy,
why do you fear that Christ is coming?
He does not snatch away mortal kingdoms
who gives heavenly ones.
The magi went where they had come,
following the star before them;
by light they seek the Light,
by their gift they confess God.
The troop of mothers cries aloud,
weeping for their dashed children,
whose thousands the tyrant
made a sacrifice to Christ.
The heavenly Lamb touched
the bath of the pure stream;
he who took on himself the sins of the world
took them away by washing us.
He gave proof by miracles
that he had God as his Father,
healing weak bodies
and raising corpses.
A new kind of power:
the water jars blush red,
and the water, commanded to pour out wine,
changed its origin.
Kneeling, the centurion
begs health for his servant boy;
the great ardor of the believer
quenched the fires of fever.
Peter walks over the waves,
held up by Christ's right hand:
faith prepared a path
which nature had denied.
On the fourth day, already stinking,
Lazarus received life,
and, free from the chains of death,
became his own survivor.
The garment, touched, stopped
the streams of hot blood;
as the suppliant's tears watered it,
the flows of blood dried up.
Loosed in his whole body,
suddenly commanded to rise,
the sick man in turn carried his bed
on his own feet.
Then that butcher Judas,
daring to betray his master,
offered with a kiss the peace
which he did not have in his heart.
The truthful one is handed over to liars,
the impious scourges the pious,
and the innocent, fixed to the cross,
is joined to robbers.
After the Sabbath certain women companions
were bringing dry myrrh,
and the angel told them
that the living one is not held by a tomb.
Come with sweet hymns,
let us all sing of Tartarus
subdued by Christ's triumph,
who, sold, redeemed us.
The zeal of the envious dragon
and the mouth of the most wicked lion
the Only-begotten of God trod down,
and returned himself to the heavens.

### Scripture references

- Ps 113:3 (112:3 LXX): echo, medium confidence
- Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 1:26–38: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 1:41: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- Ps 147:9 (146:9 LXX): echo, medium confidence
- Luke 2:8–14: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 2:1–16: allusion, high confidence
- John 1:29: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 3:13–16: allusion, high confidence
- John 2:1–11: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 8:5–13: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 14:28–31: allusion, high confidence
- John 11:39–44: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 9:20–22: allusion, high confidence
- Mark 2:11–12: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 26:48–49: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 23:33: allusion, high confidence
- Mark 16:1–6: allusion, high confidence
- Ps 91:13 (90:13 LXX): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- The stanzas begin with the letters of the alphabet in order (A solis ortus … Zelum draconis). Parts of it were sung in the church's liturgy at Christmas and Epiphany ('A solis ortus cardine', 'Hostis Herodes impie').

### Citation (SBL)

Sedulius, Hymn. 2 (CSEL 10:164; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sedulius-hymni/2).