Salve Festa Dies

Have a listen to the venerable hymn, chanted but once a year: Salve Festa Dies

Ant. Salve festa dies toto venerabilis aevo
Qua Deus infernum vicit et astra tenet

Ant. Hail, festal day, venerable of all ages
By which God conquers hell and holds the stars

1. Ecce renascentis testatur gratia mundi
Omnia cum Domino dona redisse suo

1. Behold, it declares grace for a reborn world
All gifts have returned with their Lord.

2. Namque triumphanti post tristia tartara Christo
Undique fronde nemus gramina flore favent

2. For indeed, after hellish sorrows, to the triumphing Christ:
grove with green and buds with flower, everywhere give laud.

3. Qui crucifixus erat Deus, ecce per omnia regnat
Dantque Creatori cuncta creata precem

3. The Crucified One was God, behold He reigns over all things,
and all creation offers prayer to its Creator.

4. Christe, salus rerum, bone Conditor atque Redemptor
Unica progenies ex Deitate Patris

4. O Christ, the salvation of all things,
good Creator and Redeemer, only begotten Son of God the Father.

5. Qui genus humanum cernens mersisse profundo
Ut hominem eriperes es quoque factus homo

5. You Who, seeing mankind to have plunged to the deep,
that you might save man, were also made man.

6. Funeris exsequias pateris vitae auctor et orbis
Intras mortis iter dando salutis opem

6. That Thou, the author of life and the world, might open
the way of death and the grave by giving hope of salvation.

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Text and translation (also see these pages for history of the chant).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!