The reference in the song to the "gate of Ezekiel" is based on an allegorical interpretation of Ezekiel 44: Et convertit me ad viam portae sanctuarii exterioris quae respiciebat ad orientem et erat clausa et dixit Dominus ad me porta haec clausa erit non aperietur et vir non transiet per eam quoniam Dominus Deus Israhel ingressus est per eam eritque clausa Principi princeps ipse sedebit in ea ut comedat panem coram Domino per viam vestibuli portae ingredietur et per viam eius egredietur, "Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it [was] shut. Then said the Lord unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. [It is] for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of [that] gate, and shall go out by the way of the same."
Tempus adest gratiae,
hoc quod optabamus;
carmina laetitiae
devote reddamus.
CHORUS
Gaudete! gaudete!
Christus est natus ex Maria virgine,
gaudete!
Deus homo factus est,
natura mirante;
mundus renovatus est
a Christo regnante.
CHORUS
Ezechielis porta
clausa pertransitur;
unde lux est orta,
salus invenitur.
CHORUS
Ergo nostra contio
psallat iam in lustro,
benedicat Domino:
salus Regi nostro.
CHORUS
5 comments:
I suspect 'in lustro' in the last stanza should be 'in claustro' - whether a copyist's mistake or the faulty memory of the Finn who had heard the hymn in Bohemia. 'Claustro' would work both in the general and the particular sense of 'cloister', and would rhyme with 'nostro' in mediaeval pronunciation.
Thank you so much for your comment! I "recycle" these every year during the Christmas season, so this year we will have a better version thanks to your comment: much appreciated! Thank you!
I've checked and it looks like "lustro" is the reading everywhere! :-)
it looks like "lustro".
Here is a somewhat halting rendering of the carol in English, attempting to be as literal as possible (for purposes of teaching):
Now rejoice, Jesus Christ is born of Mary
Maid and mother, God and man, now rejoice.
Now the time of grace has come
For which we were yearning
Verses of devoted joy
Gratefully returning
At our God becoming Man
Nature looks in wonder
As Christ puts at-one again
What man tore asunder
Passing through Ezekiel's gate
Reconciliation
When the light originates
There is found salvation
Therefore, let us sing our psalm
At our joyful meeting
Let us bless our Lord and God
with this kingly greeting
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