Heri nocte prima (from Polish)

Here is a Polish Christmas carol translated into Latin, which Aleksandra Klęczar was kind enough to send to me from Poland (she teaches in the Classics Department at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow). In her note, she explains that the translator of most of the carols which she has sent is the famous Polish classicist Ryszard Ganszyniec (1888-1958).

This carol is called Heri nocte prima in Latin, A wczora z wieczora in Polish.


Heri nocte prima

Heri nocte prima (bis)
Ex caelesti aula (bis)

Nuntium pervenit (bis)
Virgo Filium gignit (bis)

Deum infinitum (bis)
In praesepi situm (bis)

Dei ex mandato (bis)
In Bethleem lato. (bis)

A wczora z wieczora

A wczora z wieczora, a wczora z wieczora
z niebieskiego dwora, z niebieskiego dwora.

Przyszła nam nowina, przyszła nam nowina:
Panna rodzi Syna, Panna rodzi Syna.

Boga prawdziwego, Boga prawdziwego,
nieogarnionego, nieogarnionego.

Za wyrokiem Boskim, za wyrokiem boskim
w Betlejem żydowskim, w Betlejem żydowskim.