Te Lucis: Compline Hymn for Ascensiontide

Day 19 of #100daysofchant

We sing Compline each night as a family. I made booklets and put them on the internet:

https://compline.brandt.id.au

Great one to ask God to keep away nightmares.

The tune changes for each liturgical season. There are about a dozen tunes to learn.

This is the tune for the night before Ascension Thursday through to just before Pentecost Sunday.

Te lucis ante terminum,
Rerum Creator poscimus,
Ut pro tua clementia
Sis præsul et custodia.

Procul recedant somnia,
Et noctium phantasmata;
Hostemque nostrum comprime,
Ne polluantur corpora.

Præsta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar Unice,
Cum Spiritu Paraclito
Regnans per omne sæculum.

or in English verse:

To thee before the end of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That with Thy wonted favor Thou
Wouldst be our Guard and Keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our eyes,
From nightly fears and fantasies;
Tread under foot our ghostly foe,
That no pollution we may know.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.