Latinised Hymns

God, whose city's sure foundation

God, whose city's sure foundation
Stands upon his holy hill,
By his mighty inspiration
Chose of old and chooseth still
Men of every race and nation
His good pleasure to fulfil.

Here in England through the ages,
While the Christian years went by,
Saints, confessors, martyrs, sages,
Strong to live and strong to die,
Wrote their names upon the pages
Of God's blessed company.

Some there were like lamps of learning
Shining in a faithless night,
Some on fire with love, and burning
With a flaming zeal for right,
Some by simple goodness turning
Souls from darkness unto light.

As we now with high thanksgiving
Their triumphant names record,
Grant that we, like them, believing
In the promise of thy word,
May, like them, in all good living
Praise and magnify the Lord.

C.A. Alington

Deus, urbem qui fundavit
colle stabilem sacro,
vehementer inspiravit
e quocumque populo
quos et legat et legavit
ex suo consilio.

Nos in Anglia priores
Christiani praeeunt:
sancti, vates, confessores,
martyres perstiterunt,
atque Dei servitores
manu sua scripti sunt.

Horum barbaras pellebat
lux doctrinae tenebras,
hos et amor incendebat
et cupita veritas,
horum nocte deducebat
mera virtus animas.

Quique eorum praedicamus
nomina cum gratiis,
pariter tuis fidamus,
Domine, pollicitis,
nec minus bene vivamus
cumque laudibus tuis.

MM 24.3–9.4.01