A solis ortus cardine

A solis ortus cardine, early Christian melody, 16th century printing

A solis ortus cardine (From the gate of the dawn) is a Latin poem by Coelius Sedulius (died circa 450), narrating Christ's life from His birth to His resurrection. Its 23 verses each begin with a consecutive letter of the alphabet, making the poem an Abecedarius. It is the basis for two hymns in the Roman Catholic liturgy, both later adapted by Martin Luther.

The first seven verses, with a doxology verse by a different writer, were used from the early Middle Ages onwards as a Christmas hymn. They write of the striking contrast between the grandeur and omnipotence of the Word of God (the second person in the Holy Trinity) and the vulnerable humanity of the child in whom the Word became flesh. Luther translated this into the hymn Christum wir sollen loben schon, which long remained the main German Protestant Christmas hymn until the 1995 Evangelisches Gesangbuch hymnal, in which it did not appear. It was also the basis for the Bach cantata Christum wir sollen loben schon.

Verses 8, 9, 11 and 13 of Sedulius' poem were also used, with an added doxology, as Hostis Herodes impie, a hymn for the Epiphany. These verses narrate the story of Herod the Great and the Three Kings, along with the Baptism of Christ and the miracle at the wedding at Cana. Luther's translation of this hymn into German, as Was fürchtst du, Feind Herodes, sehr, has long fallen out of use. The German-language Book of Hours also gives a translation of the verses 1, 2, 6 and 7 by Sedulius, plus a doxology, as Vom hellen Tor der Sonnenbahn.

In the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours the eight verse A solis ortus and the five verse Hostis Herodes appear in the Latin original. Their early-church melody dates to the 5th century, beginning in the Dorian Mode and ending in the Phrygian Mode. The three-time boost to the highest note is obvious from the high arc of the ecliptic. Its numerous embellishments were later simplified, though most of them survive, even in Luther's versions. An almost syllabic version is in use in the modern Catholic liturgy.

Text and translation

External links

• Full poem by Sedulius
• Adaptation by Martin Luther: Christum wir sollen loben schon (Verses 1-7 and Doxology)
• Adaptation by Martin Luther: Was fürchtst du, Feind Herodes, sehr (Verses 8, 9, 11, 13 and Doxology)
• Free translation by Peter Gerloff (Verses 1, 2, 6, 7 and Doxology)
• Text of Bach cantata 121