Christe, Redemptor Omnium

Today's carol is an ancient Latin hymn dating back to the 6th century, and it has formed part of Catholic Vespers during the Christmas season. You can find an English translation at the Preces Latinae website. You can find a MIDI file and sheet music at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas website.

The words are sometimes attributed to Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan in the fourth century. While Ambrose was the author of several hymns in iambic meter with four-line stanzas, as in this hymn, it seems unlikely that this hymn was actually written by Ambrose.

Christe, Redemptor omnium,
ex Patre, Patris unice,
solus ante principium
natus ineffabiliter,

Tu lumen, tu splendor Patris,
tu spes perennis omnium,
intende quas fundunt preces
tui per orbem servuli.

Salutis auctor, recole
quod nostri quondam corporis,
ex illibata Virgine
nascendo, formam sumpseris.

Hic praesens testatur dies,
currens per anni circulum,
quod a solus sede Patris
mundi salus adveneris;

Hunc caelum, terra, hunc mare,
hunc omne quod in eis est,
auctorem adventus tui
laudat exsultans cantico.

Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo
redempti sumus sanguine,
ob diem natalis tui
hymnum novum concinimus.

Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
qui natus es de Virgine,
cum Patre et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula.

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