Cum vox sanguinis

Saint Ursula and Companions

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FORM Hymn to Saint Ursula
DIFFICULTY High
LENGTH Long
VOCAL RANGE E4-A5
EDITION SOURCE Dendermonde f.169 recto-f.170 recto

1. Cum vox sanguinis
Ursule et innocentis turbe eius
ante thronum Dei sonuit,
antiqua prophetia venit
per radicem Mambre
in vera ostensione Trinitatis
et dixit:

2. Iste sanguis nos tangit,
nunc omnes gaudeamus.

3. Et postea venit congregatio Agni,
per arietem in spinis pendentem,
et dixit:

4. Laus sit in Ierusalem
per ruborem huius sanguinis.

5. Deinde venit sacrificium vituli
quod vetus lex ostendebat,
sacrificium laudis
circumamicta varietate,
et que faciem Dei Moysi obnubilabat,
dorsum illi ostendens.

6. Hoc sunt sacerdotes
qui per linguas suas Deum ostendunt
et perfecte eum videre non possunt,
et dixerunt:

7. O nobilissima turba,
virgo ista que in terris Ursula vocatur
in summis Columba nominatur,
quia innocentem turbam
ad se collegit.

8. O Ecclesia, tu es laudabilis
in ista turba.

9. Turba magna, quam incombustus rubus
(quem Moyses viderat) significat,
et quam Deus in prima radice plantaverat
in homine quem de limo formaverat,
ut sine commixtione viri viveret,
cum clarissima voce clamavit
in purissimo auro, thopazio,
et saphiro circumamicta in auro.

10. Nunc gaudeant omnes celi,
et omnes populi cum illis ornentur.
Amen.

1. When the voice of Ursula’s blood
and of her innocent retinue’s blood
sounded before the throne of God,
an ancient prophecy came up
through the root of Mamre
in a true vision of the Trinity
and said:

2. “This blood touches us,
now let us all be glad.”

3. And after came the flock of the Lamb,
came through the ram caught in the thorns,
and said:

4. “Let there be praise for Jerusalem
through the flush of this blood.”

5. Then came the sacrifice of a calf
which the old law prescribed,
a sacrifice of praise
clad about in the embroidery
which obscured God’s face from Moses,
revealing only His back.

6. Such are the priests
who point to God with their tongues
and cannot completely see him,
and they said:

7. “O splendid-most retinue,
the girl called Ursula on earth
is called the Dove in the heavens,
because she gathers
the gentle flock to her.”

8. Oh Church, you are praiseworthy
in this flock.

9. The abundant flock, represented by
the unburnt bush that Moses saw
(which God had rooted from the very start
in the man he had fashioned from mud
so that it could live without male infiltration),
cried out in the clearest voice,
cloaked in purest gold, topaz,
and sapphire, wrapped up in gold.

10. Now may all the heavens rejoice
and all the peoples be adorned with them.
Amen.

Symphonia manuscript sources

Dendermonde Codex folios 169 verso-170 recto
Click here for source image. (External link)

Riesencodex folios 477 verso-478 recto
Click here for source image. (External link)

Transcription Notes

Reisencodex eliminates vs. 8.

 

Musical transcription by Allison Mondel
English translation by Hugh McElroy

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[ LAST UPDATE 11.26.24 ]