295 Confringamus
Carnis desideria,
Et cum iustis
Et electis
Caelestia gaudia
300 Gratulari
Mereamur
Per aeterna saecula.
VENI, SANCTE SPIRITUS
One of the most famous of all medieval hymns, Veni, Sancte Spiritus was composed in the late 12th century, possibly by the archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton. The meter is trochaic, with seven syllables per line; the rhyme scheme is AABCCB, with the third and sixth lines of each stanza ending in -ium.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus,
Et emitte caelitus
305 Lucis tuae radium.
Veni, pater pauperum,
Veni, dator munerum,
Veni, lumen cordium.
Consolator optime,
310 Dulcis hospes animae,
Dulce refrigerium,
In labore requies,
In aestu temperies,
In fletu solacium.
315 O lux beatissima,
Reple cordis intima
Tuorum fidelium.
Sine tuo nomine
Nihil est in homine,
320 Nihil est innoxium.
Lava quod est sordidum,
Riga quod est aridum,
Sana quod est saucium;
Flecte quod est rigidum,
325 Fove quod est frigidum,
Rege quod est devium.
Da tuis fidelibus
In te confidentibus
Sacrum septenarium;
330 Da virtutis meritum,
Da salutis exitum,
Da perenne gaudium.
