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Veni Creator Spiritus

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This article is about the hymn. For the Pentecost sequence, seeVeni Sancte Spiritus.
Veni Creator Spiritus
Hymn
First verse
EnglishCome, Creator Spirit
OccasionPentecost
Textc. 809, attributed toRabanus Maurus
LanguageLatin
Meter8 8 8 8
MelodyGregorian chant
Composedc. 1000, attributed toKempten Abbey

Veni Creator Spiritus(Latin: Come, Creator Spirit) is a traditionalChristianhymnbelieved to have been written byRabanus Maurus,a ninth-century German monk, teacher, archbishop, and saint. When the originalLatintext is used, it is normally sung to aGregorian Chanttune first known fromKempten Abbeyaround the year 1000. The hymn has been translated and paraphrased into several languages, and adapted into many musical forms, often as ahymn for Pentecostor for other occasions that focus on theHoly Spirit.

Liturgical use[edit]

Veni Creator Spiritus:Gregorian chant
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As an invocation of the Holy Spirit,Veni Creator Spiritusis sung in theCatholic Churchduring liturgical celebrations on the feast ofPentecost,at bothTerceandVespers.It is also sung at occasions such as theCollege of Cardinalsentering theSistine Chapelduring apapal conclave,theconsecrationofbishops,theordinationofpriests,theprofessionof members ofreligious institutes,administering thesacramentofConfirmation,thededication of churches,the convening ofsynodsor councils, thecoronationof monarchs, theRed Massstarting the judicial year, and the beginning of other similar solemn events. It is also traditional to chant the hymn onNew Year's Dayto obtain a plenaryindulgence.

Martin Lutherused the hymn as the basis for his Pentecostchorale"Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist",first published in 1524.

Veni Creator Spiritusis also widely used inAnglicanliturgies, where it has appeared since the publication of the1550 ordinaland continues to appear, for example, in theordinalof the1662Book of Common Prayer,and in the Novena to The Holy Ghost inSaint Augustine's Prayer Book,published in 1947.[1]The translation "Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire" was by BishopJohn Cosinin 1625, and has since been sung at all subsequentBritish coronations.Another English example is "Creator Spirit, by whose aid", written in 1690 byJohn Drydenand published inThe Church Hymn Book(1872, n. 313).[2]

Text[edit]

Several variations of the lyrics exist. Below are the original ninth-century text and a classicizing revision published in 1632 underPope Urban VIII.The former is used in some Protestant churches and certain Catholic religious orders, while the latter is used in mostsecularCatholic parishes.[citation needed]A versified English translation follows.

Original text[3]

Veni Creator Spiritus,
Mentes tuorum visita,
Imple superna gratia,
Quae tu creasti pectora.

Qui Paraclitus diceris,
Donum Dei altissimi
Fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
Et spiritalis unctio.

Tu septiformis munere,
Dexterae Dei tu digitus,
Tu rite promissum Patris,
Sermone ditans guttura.

Accende lumen sensibus:
Infunde amorem cordibus:
Infirma nostri corporis
Virtute firmans perpeti.

Hostem repellas longius,
Pacemque dones protinus:
Ductore sic te praevio,
Vitemus omne noxium.

Per te sciamus da Patrem,
Noscamus atque Filium;
Te utriusque Spiritum
Credamus omni tempore.

Gloria Patri Domino,
Natoque qui a mortuis
Surrexit, ac Paraclito,
In saeculorum saecula. Amen.

1632 revision[3]

Veni Creator Spiritus,
Mentes tuorum visita,
Imple superna gratia,
Quae tu creasti pectora.

Qui diceris Paraclitus,
Altissimi donum Dei,
Fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
Et spiritalis unctio.

Tu septiformis munere,
Digitus Paternae dexterae,
Tu rite promissum Patris,
Sermone ditans guttura.

Accende lumen sensibus:
Infunde amorem cordibus:
Infirma nostri corporis
Virtute firmans perpeti.

Hostem repellas longius,
Pacemque dones protinus:
Ductore sic te praevio,
Vitemus omne noxium.

Per te sciamus da Patrem,
Noscamus atque Filium;
Teque utriusque Spiritum
Credamus omni tempore.

Deo Patri sit gloria,
Et Filio qui a mortuis
Surrexit, ac Paraclito,
In saeculorum saecula. Amen.

English translation[4]

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
Vouchsafe within our souls to rest;
Come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid
And fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

To Thee, the Comforter, we cry,
To Thee, the Gift of God Most High,
The Fount of life, the Fire of love,
The soul's Anointing from above.

The sev'n-fold gifts of grace are Thine,
O Finger of the Hand Divine;
True Promise of the Father Thou,
Who dost the tongue with speech endow.

Thy light to every thought impart
And shed Thy love in every heart;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.

Drive far away our wily Foe,
And Thine abiding peace bestow;
If Thou be our protecting Guide,
No evil can our steps betide.

Make Thou to us the Father known;
Teach us the eternal Son to own
And Thee, whose name we ever bless,
Of both the Spirit, to confess.

Praise we the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, with them One;
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow! Amen.

Notable English translations[edit]

Since theEnglish Reformationin the 16th century, there have been more than fifty English-language translations and paraphrases ofVeni Creator Spiritus.[5]The version attributed toArchbishop Cranmer,his sole venture into English verse, first appeared in the Prayer Book Ordinal of 1550. It was the only metrical hymn included in the Edwardian liturgy. In 1561John Dayincluded it after the psalms in his incomplete metrical psalter of that year. From 1562 onwards, inThe Whole Booke of Psalmes,Day printed Cranmer's version at the start of the metrical paraphrases.[6]In terms of concision and accuracy, Cranmer compares poorly with Luther. Cranmer's sixth stanza, which mentions theLast Judgementand religious strife within Christendom ( "the last dreadful day... strife and dissension..." ), was a new addition, with no parallel in the Latin original or in Luther's version.

The version included in the 1662 revision of theBook of Common Prayercompressed the content of the original seven verses into four (with a two-line doxology), but retained the Latin title. It was written by BishopJohn Cosinfor thecoronationof KingCharles I of Great Britainin 1625.[7]The same words have been used at every coronation since, sung by the choir after theCreedand before theAnointing.[8]The first verse is:

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
and lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.[9]

During theCoronation of Charles III and Camillain 2023, for the first time, the words were translated and also sung inIrish Gaelic,Scots GaelicandWelsh,in addition to English.[10]The Cosin text was translated and arranged byGrahame Davies,Iain Urchadan and Damian McManus.[11][12]

Another well-known version by the poetJohn Drydenwas first published in his 1693 work,Examen Poeticum.It has six-line verses and hence must be sung to ahymn tunein 88 88 88meter,such as "Melita"byJohn Bacchus Dykes,[13]or else adapted in part to theCMwith alleluias of "Lasst uns erfreuen".[14]Dryden's first verse is:

Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world's foundations first were laid,
Come, visit every pious mind;
Come, pour thy joys on humankind;
From sin and sorrow set us free,
And make thy temples worthy thee.

German paraphrases[edit]

Martin Lutherwrote aparaphrasein German, "Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist"(literally: Come, God Creator, Holy Ghost) as aLutheran hymnforPentecost,first published in 1524, with a melody derived from the chant of the Latin hymn. It appears in the Protestant hymnalEvangelisches Gesangbuchas EG 126.[15]

Heinrich Bonepublished his own German paraphrase in 1845, "Komm, Schöpfer Geist, kehr bei uns ein"(literally: Come, Creator Spirit, visit us), also using an adaptation of the plainchant melody. It appears in the German Catholic hymnalGotteslob(2013) and its 1975 predecessor.

A rhymed German translation or paraphrase, "Komm, Heiliger Geist, der Leben schafft" (literally: Come, Holy Spirit who creates life), was written byFriedrich Dörrto a melody close to the Gregorian chant, published in 1972. It became part of theGotteslobhymnal in 1975, and the second edition in 2013, as GL 342 in the section "Pfingsten – Heiliger Geist" (Pentecost – Holy Spirit).

Musical settings[edit]

Over the centuries, Veni Creator Spiritus has inspired the following works by notable composers, in approximate chronological order:

References[edit]

  1. ^Saint Augustine's Prayer Book(1967) [1947]. (Revised ed.) West Park, New York: Holy Cross Publications. p. 316.
  2. ^"Creator Spirit, by whose aid".hymnary.org.Retrieved22 August2023.
  3. ^abMcGrath, George Warren (1939).The Revision of the Hymns of the Roman Breviary under Urban VIII(PDF)(Thesis). Loyola University. p. 149.Retrieved2023-04-29.
  4. ^Based onEdward Caswall1849, fromThe Lutheran Hymnal.Concordia Publishing House. 1941. p. 233.
  5. ^Nutter, Charles S.; Tillett, Wilbur F.The Hymns and Hymn Writers of The Church(Smith & Lamar, 1911), p. 108.
  6. ^Quitslund, Beth.The Reformation in Rhyme: Sternhold, Hopkins and the English Metrical Psalter(Ashgate, 2008), pp. 204, 229.
  7. ^Aquilina, Ivan D.The Eucharistic Understanding of John Cosin and His Contribution to the 1662 Book Of Common Prayer(University of Leeds, 2002), p. 6.
  8. ^"Guide to the Coronation Service".Westminster Abbey. Archived 11 December 2013.
  9. ^"The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II".Oremus.org.Retrieved14 October2020.
  10. ^"Grahame Davies - Welsh poet, editor and literary critic".grahamedavies.Retrieved2023-08-21.
  11. ^Robinson, Matthew (6 May 2023)."King Charles's Coronation: Read the order of service in full".The Telegraph.
  12. ^Coronation of King Charles III: Veni Creator Spiritus (in four British Languages) & Zadok the Priest,retrieved2023-08-21
  13. ^"Creator Spirit, by whose aid".Hymnary.org.Retrieved14 October2020.
  14. ^"Creator Spirit, By Whose Aid"(PDF).Oregon Catholic Press.Retrieved9 May2017.
  15. ^"EG 126: Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist"(PDF).Evangelisches Gesangbuch.Carus-Verlag. 2013.Retrieved14 November2023.
  16. ^"Veni Creator Spiritus (Titelouze, Jean) - IMSLP".imslp.org.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  17. ^"Veni creator Spiritus, H.54 (Charpentier, Marc-Antoine) - IMSLP".imslp.org.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  18. ^"Veni creator Spiritus, H.69 (Charpentier, Marc-Antoine) - IMSLP".imslp.org.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  19. ^"Veni creator Spiritus, H.70 (Charpentier, Marc-Antoine) - IMSLP".imslp.org.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  20. ^"Veni Creator Spiritus, S.14 or 14bis (Lalande, Michel Richard de) - IMSLP".imslp.org.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  21. ^"Komm Gott Schöpfer, heiliger Geist, P.223 (Pachelbel, Johann) - IMSLP".imslp.org.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  22. ^Sharp, G. B. (1972). "The Organist's Repertory. 11: Nicolas de Grigny, 1672-1703".The Musical Times.113(1553): 705–707.doi:10.2307/956248.JSTOR956248.
  23. ^Veni creator spiritus, hymne du // saint esprit(Ms. autogr ed.). 1723.
  24. ^Bertoni 1765(Ms ed.). 1765.
  25. ^Giroust, François (1787)."Veni creator // par Mr Giroust. En 1787 (manuscrit autographe)".Gallica.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  26. ^Veni Creator: [4 voix d'hommes].Paris: chez Madame Maeyens Couvreur. 1866.
  27. ^"Phantasie über 'Veni Creator Spiritus' (Capocci, Filippo) - IMSLP".imslp.org.Retrieved2024-01-05.
  28. ^Matthew-Walker, Robert (Winter 2021). "Zsolt Gárdonyi: Toccata – Veni creator spiritus für Orgel".The Organ.100(395): 55.ProQuest2509373185.
  29. ^"CREATION".danforrest.Retrieved2024-06-16.

External links[edit]

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