Hymnus Ad Exequias Defuncti
Deus ignee fons animarum,duo qui socians elementavivum simul ac moribundumhominem Pater effigiasti:
Tua sunt, tua rector utraque,tibi copula iungitur horum,tibi, dum vegetata cohaerent,et spiritus et caro servit.
Rescissa sed ista seorsumsolvunt hominera perimuntque,humus excipit arida corpus,animae rapit aura liquorem.
Quia cuncta creata necesse estlabefacta senescere tandem,conpactaque dissociari,et dissona texta retexi.
Hanc tu, Deus optime, mortemfamulis abolere paratusiter inviolabile monstras,quo perdita membra resurgant:
Ut, dum generosa caducisceu carcere clausa ligantur,pars illa potentior extet,quae germen ab aethere traxit.
Si terrea forte voluntasluteum sapit et grave captat,animus quoque pondere victussequitur sua membra deorsum.
At si generis memor igniscontagia pigra recuset,vehit hospita viscera secum,pariterque reportat ad astra.
Nam quod requiescere corpusvacuum sine mente videmus,spatium breve restat, ut altirepetat conlegia sensus.
Venient cito secula, cum iamsocius calor ossa revisatanimataque sanguine vivohabitacula pristina gestet.
Quae pigra cadavera pridemtumulis putrefacta iacebant,volucres rapientur in aurasanimas comitata priores.
Hinc maxima cura sepulcrisinpenditur: hinc resolutoshonor ultimus accipit artuset funeris ambitus ornat.
Candore nitentia claropraetendere lintea mos est,adspersaque myrrha Sabaeocorpus medicamine servat.
Quidnam sibi saxa cavata,quid pulchra volunt monumenta,nisi quod res creditur illisnon mortua, sed data somno?
Hoc provida Christicolarumpietas studet, utpote credensfore protinus omnia viva,quae nunc gelidus sopor urget.
Qui iacta cadavera passimmiserans tegit aggere terrae,opus exhibet ille benignumChristo pius omnipotenti:
Quin lex eadem monet omnesgemitum dare sorte sub una,cognataque funera nobisaliena in morte dolere.
Sancti sator ille Tobiaesacer ac venerabilis heros,dapibus iam rite paratisius praetulit exequiarum.
Iam stantibus ille ministriscyathos et fercula liquit,studioque accinctus humandifleto dedit ossa sepulcro.
Veniunt mox praemia caelopretiumque rependitur ingens:nam lumina nescia solisDeus inlita felle serenat.
Iam tunc docuit Pater orbis,quam sit rationis egenismordax et amara medela,cum lux animum nova vexat.
Docuit quoque non prius ullumcaelestia cernere regna,quam nocte et vulnere tristitoleraverit aspera mundi.
Mors ipsa beatior inde est,quod per cruciamina letivia panditur ardua iustiset ad astra doloribus itur.
Sic corpora mortificataredeunt melioribus annis,nec post obitum recalescensconpago fatiscere novit.
Haec, quae modo pallida tabocolor albidus inficit ora,tunc flore venustior omnisanguis cute tinget amoena.
Iam nulla deinde senectusfrontis decus invida carpet,macies neque sicca lacertossuco tenuabit adeso.
Morbus quoque pestifer, artusqui nunc populatur anhelos,sua tunc tormenta resudansluet inter vincula mille.
Hunc eminus aere ab altovictrix caro iamque perenniscernet sine fine gementemquos moverat ipse dolores.
Quid turba superstes ineptaclangens ululamina miscet,cur tam bene condita iuraluctu dolor arguit amens?
Iam maesta quiesce querela,lacrimas suspendite matres,nullus sua pignora plangat,mors haec reparatio vitae est.
Sic semina sicca virescuntiam mortua iamque sepulta,quae reddita caespite ab imoveteres meditantur aristas.
Nunc suscipe terra fovendum,gremioque hunc concipe molli:hominis tibi membra sequestrogenerosa et fragmina credo.
Animae fuit haec domus olimfactoris ab ore creatae,fervens habitavit in istissapientia principe Christo.
Tu depositum tege corpus,non inmemor illa requiretsua munera fictor et auctorpropriique aenigmata vultus.
Veniant modo tempora iusta,cum spem Deus inpleat omnem;reddas patefacta necesse est,qualem tibi trado figuram.
Non, si cariosa vetustasdissolverit ossa favillis,fueritque cinisculus arensminimi mensura pugilli.
Nec, si vaga flamina et auraevacuum per inane volantestulerint cum pulvere nervos,hominem periisse licebit.
Sed dum resolubile corpusrevocas, Deus, atque reformas,quanam regione iubebisanimam requiescere puram?
Gremio senis addita sanctirecubabit, ut est Eleazar,quem floribus undique septumDives procul adspicit ardens.
Sequimur tua dicta redemptor,quibus atra morte triumphanstua per vestigia mandassocium crucis ire latronem.
Patet ecce fidelibus amplivia lucida iam paradisi,licet et nemus illud adire,homini quod ademerat anguis.
Illic precor, optime ductor,famulam tibi praecipe mentemgenitali in sede sacrari,quam liquerat exul et errans.
Nos tecta fovebimus ossaviolis et fronde frequenti,titulumque et frigida saxaliquido spargemus odore.
Words in this poem 29
- copula n.
- The word which unites the subject and predicate. [L., bond, band. See Couple.]
- humus n.
- That portion of the soil formed by the decomposition of animal or vegetable matter. It is a valuable constituent of soils. Graham. [L., the earth, ground, soil.]
- aura n.
- Any subtile, invisible emanation, effluvium, or exhalation from a substance, as the aroma of flowers, the odor of the blood, a supposed fertilizing emanation from the pollen of flowers, etc.
- tandem adv.
- One after another; -- said especially of horses harnessed and driven one before another, instead of abreast. [L. tandem at length (of time only), punningly taken as meaning, lengthwise.]
- optime n.
- One of those who stand in the second rank of honors, immediately after the wranglers, in the University of Cambridge, England. They are divided into senior and junior optimes. [L., adv. fr. optimus the best.]
- iter n.
- A passage; esp., the passage between the third and fourth ventricles in the brain; the aqueduct of Sylvius. [L. See Eyre.]
- forte n.
- The strong point; that in which one excels. fort"a The construction of a fable seems by no means the forte of our modern poetical writers. Jeffrey. [IT. forte: cf. F. fort. See Fort.]
- animus n.
- Animating spirit; intention; temper. nimus furandi Etym: [L.] [L., mind.]
- quod v.
- Quoth; said. See Quoth.
- breve n.
- A note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. It was formerly of a square figure (as thus: Moore. [It. & (in sense 2) LL. breve, fr. L. brevis short. See Brief.]
- ambitus n.
- The exterior edge or border of a thing, as the border of a leaf, or the outline of a bivalve shell. [L. See Ambit, Ambition.]
- quid n.
- A portion suitable to be chewed; a cud; as, a quid of tobacco. [See Cud.]
- nisi conj.
- Unless; if not. [L.]
- sopor n.
- Profound sleep from which a person can be roused only with difficulty. [L.]
- passim adv.
- Here and there; everywhere; as, this word occurs passim in the poem. [L.]
- opus n.
- A work; specif. (Mus.), a musical composition. [L. See Opera.]
- quin n.
- A European scallop (Pecten opercularis), used as food. [Prov.
- inde a.
- Azure-colored; of a bright blue color. Rom. of R.
- cute a.
- Clever; sharp; shrewd; ingenious; cunning. [An abbrev. of acute.]
- victrix n.
- Victress. C. Bronté. [L.]
- bene n.
- A prayer; boon. [AS. b.]
- dolor n.
- Pain; grief; distress; anguish. [OE. dolor, dolur, dolour, F. douleur, L. dolor, fr. dolere. See 1st Dole.]
- quiesce v. i.
- To be silent, as a letter; to have no sound. M. Stuart. [L. quiescere, akin to quies rest, quiet. See Quiet, a. & n.]
- credo n.
- The creed, as sung or read in the Roman Catholic church. [L. See Creed.]
- fictor n.
- An artist who models or forms statues and reliefs in any plastic material. Elmes. [L.]
- inane a.
- Without contents; empty; void of sense or intelligence; purposeless; pointless; characterless; useless. [L. inanis.]
- dives n.
- The name popularly given to the rich man in our Lord's parable of the [L., rich.]
- ductor n.
- One who leads. Sir T. Browne. [L., fr. ducere to lead.]
- fronde n.
- A political party in France, during the minority of Louis XIV., who opposed the government, and made war upon the court party. [F.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Hymnus Ad Exequias Defuncti is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Hymns of Prudentius, Project Gutenberg ebook #14959; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Prudentius, Hymnus Ad Exequias Defuncti, in The Hymns of Prudentius (1905), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #14959, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/prudentius-hymns/hymnus-ad-exequias-defuncti.html, id L23683.
Form and metre
Hymnus Ad Exequias Defuncti is 172 lines in 43 stanzas of 4 lines each. The metre is trochaic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 87%).
See other poems in trochaic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 A-A- animarumA · elementa · moribundumA · effigiasti
- 9 -A-A corpus · videmusA · alti · sensusA
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Deus ignee fons animarum, | 8 | ········ |
| duo qui socians elementa | 9 | /˘······· |
| vivum simul ac moribundum | 10 | ····//···· |
| hominem Pater effigiasti: | 8 | /˘/˘···· |
| Tua sunt, tua rector utraque, | 7 | ···/˘·· |
| tibi copula iungitur horum, | 10 | /·/˘˘····· |
| tibi, dum vegetata cohaerent, | 10 | /········· |
| et spiritus et caro servit. | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| Rescissa sed ista seorsum | 8 | ········ |
| solvunt hominera perimuntque, | 9 | ········· |
| humus excipit arida corpus, | 10 | /˘···˘/˘/˘ |
| animae rapit aura liquorem. | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| Quia cuncta creata necesse est | 9 | ·······˘/ |
| labefacta senescere tandem, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| conpactaque dissociari, | 7 | ······· |
| et dissona texta retexi. | 9 | ········· |
| Hanc tu, Deus optime, mortem | 8 | ···/˘˘/˘ |
| famulis abolere paratus | 9 | ········· |
| iter inviolabile monstras, | 9 | /˘······· |
| quo perdita membra resurgant: | 9 | ·˘/˘····· |
| Ut, dum generosa caducis | 9 | ········· |
| ceu carcere clausa ligantur, | 8 | ········ |
| pars illa potentior extet, | 8 | ········ |
| quae germen ab aethere traxit. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Si terrea forte voluntas | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| luteum sapit et grave captat, | 8 | ········ |
| animus quoque pondere victus | 8 | /˘˘···/˘ |
| sequitur sua membra deorsum. | 8 | /˘˘····· |
| At si generis memor ignis | 9 | ········· |
| contagia pigra recuset, | 8 | ········ |
| vehit hospita viscera secum, | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| pariterque reportat ad astra. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Nam quod requiescere corpus | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| vacuum sine mente videmus, | 7 | /˘····· |
| spatium breve restat, ut alti | 8 | ········ |
| repetat conlegia sensus. | 8 | ········ |
| Venient cito secula, cum iam | 9 | ········· |
| socius calor ossa revisat | 9 | ··/˘/˘··· |
| animataque sanguine vivo | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| habitacula pristina gestet. | 10 | ·········· |
| Quae pigra cadavera pridem | 9 | ········· |
| tumulis putrefacta iacebant, | 10 | ·········· |
| volucres rapientur in auras | 8 | ······/˘ |
| animas comitata priores. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Hinc maxima cura sepulcris | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| inpenditur: hinc resolutos | 9 | ········· |
| honor ultimus accipit artus | 10 | /˘······/˘ |
| et funeris ambitus ornat. | 9 | ····/˘˘·· |
| Candore nitentia claro | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| praetendere lintea mos est, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| adspersaque myrrha Sabaeo | 7 | ······· |
| corpus medicamine servat. | 8 | /˘······ |
| Quidnam sibi saxa cavata, | 9 | ········· |
| quid pulchra volunt monumenta, | 9 | ········· |
| nisi quod res creditur illis | 9 | /˘······· |
| non mortua, sed data somno? | 8 | ····/˘·· |
| Hoc provida Christicolarum | 9 | ········· |
| pietas studet, utpote credens | 8 | ········ |
| fore protinus omnia viva, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| quae nunc gelidus sopor urget. | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| Qui iacta cadavera passim | 9 | ·······˘/ |
| miserans tegit aggere terrae, | 8 | ········ |
| opus exhibet ille benignum | 9 | /˘······· |
| Christo pius omnipotenti: | 9 | /˘/˘····· |
| Quin lex eadem monet omnes | 7 | ····˘/· |
| gemitum dare sorte sub una, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| cognataque funera nobis | 8 | ······/˘ |
| aliena in morte dolere. | 7 | ······· |
| Sancti sator ille Tobiae | 6 | ······ |
| sacer ac venerabilis heros, | 11 | ··//·····/˘ |
| dapibus iam rite paratis | 8 | ········ |
| ius praetulit exequiarum. | 8 | ········ |
| Iam stantibus ille ministris | 8 | ········ |
| cyathos et fercula liquit, | 8 | ········ |
| studioque accinctus humandi | 8 | ········ |
| fleto dedit ossa sepulcro. | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| Veniunt mox praemia caelo | 7 | ······· |
| pretiumque rependitur ingens: | 8 | ········ |
| nam lumina nescia solis | 8 | ·/˘˘··/˘ |
| Deus inlita felle serenat. | 8 | ········ |
| Iam tunc docuit Pater orbis, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| quam sit rationis egenis | 8 | ········ |
| mordax et amara medela, | 9 | ···˘/˘··· |
| cum lux animum nova vexat. | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| Docuit quoque non prius ullum | 7 | ······· |
| caelestia cernere regna, | 7 | ······· |
| quam nocte et vulnere tristi | 7 | ······· |
| toleraverit aspera mundi. | 10 | ········/˘ |
| Mors ipsa beatior inde est, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| quod per cruciamina leti | 8 | ········ |
| via panditur ardua iustis | 9 | /˘······· |
| et ad astra doloribus itur. | 10 | ··/˘······ |
| Sic corpora mortificata | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| redeunt melioribus annis, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| nec post obitum recalescens | 9 | ········· |
| conpago fatiscere novit. | 8 | ········ |
| Haec, quae modo pallida tabo | 9 | ········· |
| color albidus inficit ora, | 10 | /˘······/˘ |
| tunc flore venustior omni | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| sanguis cute tinget amoena. | 8 | ········ |
| Iam nulla deinde senectus | 7 | ······· |
| frontis decus invida carpet, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| macies neque sicca lacertos | 8 | /˘·/˘··· |
| suco tenuabit adeso. | 8 | ········ |
| Morbus quoque pestifer, artus | 8 | ······/˘ |
| qui nunc populatur anhelos, | 9 | ········· |
| sua tunc tormenta resudans | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| luet inter vincula mille. | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| Hunc eminus aere ab alto | 8 | ······/˘ |
| victrix caro iamque perennis | 8 | /˘/˘···· |
| cernet sine fine gementem | 7 | ······· |
| quos moverat ipse dolores. | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Quid turba superstes inepta | 8 | ········ |
| clangens ululamina miscet, | 9 | ········· |
| cur tam bene condita iura | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| luctu dolor arguit amens? | 8 | ··/˘··˘/ |
| Iam maesta quiesce querela, | 8 | ···˘/··· |
| lacrimas suspendite matres, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| nullus sua pignora plangat, | 8 | ········ |
| mors haec reparatio vitae est. | 10 | ······/˘˘/ |
| Sic semina sicca virescunt | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| iam mortua iamque sepulta, | 7 | ······· |
| quae reddita caespite ab imo | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| veteres meditantur aristas. | 9 | /˘····˘/˘ |
| Nunc suscipe terra fovendum, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| gremioque hunc concipe molli: | 7 | ······· |
| hominis tibi membra sequestro | 10 | ···/······ |
| generosa et fragmina credo. | 10 | ········/˘ |
| Animae fuit haec domus olim | 8 | ········ |
| factoris ab ore creatae, | 6 | ······ |
| fervens habitavit in istis | 9 | ········· |
| sapientia principe Christo. | 8 | ···˘/˘/˘ |
| Tu depositum tege corpus, | 8 | ·˘/˘˘·/˘ |
| non inmemor illa requiret | 9 | ········· |
| sua munera fictor et auctor | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| propriique aenigmata vultus. | 8 | ········ |
| Veniant modo tempora iusta, | 9 | ········· |
| cum spem Deus inpleat omnem; | 7 | ······· |
| reddas patefacta necesse est, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| qualem tibi trado figuram. | 9 | ··/······ |
| Non, si cariosa vetustas | 8 | ········ |
| dissolverit ossa favillis, | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| fueritque cinisculus arens | 8 | ······/˘ |
| minimi mensura pugilli. | 9 | ········· |
| Nec, si vaga flamina et aurae | 9 | ········· |
| vacuum per inane volantes | 8 | /˘·˘/˘/˘ |
| tulerint cum pulvere nervos, | 8 | ········ |
| hominem periisse licebit. | 8 | /˘˘····· |
| Sed dum resolubile corpus | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| revocas, Deus, atque reformas, | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| quanam regione iubebis | 7 | ······· |
| animam requiescere puram? | 8 | ········ |
| Gremio senis addita sancti | 9 | ········· |
| recubabit, ut est Eleazar, | 10 | ·····˘/··· |
| quem floribus undique septum | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Dives procul adspicit ardens. | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Sequimur tua dicta redemptor, | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| quibus atra morte triumphans | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| tua per vestigia mandas | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| socium crucis ire latronem. | 8 | ········ |
| Patet ecce fidelibus ampli | 9 | ········· |
| via lucida iam paradisi, | 10 | /˘˘/˘····· |
| licet et nemus illud adire, | 9 | ········· |
| homini quod ademerat anguis. | 10 | ·········· |
| Illic precor, optime ductor, | 9 | ····/˘˘/˘ |
| famulam tibi praecipe mentem | 9 | ···/····· |
| genitali in sede sacrari, | 9 | ········· |
| quam liquerat exul et errans. | 9 | ········· |
| Nos tecta fovebimus ossa | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| violis et fronde frequenti, | 7 | ······· |
| titulumque et frigida saxa | 9 | ········· |
| liquido spargemus odore. | 8 | ········ |
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