Summi triumphum regis

General information

Sequence hymn for Ascension.
Source of text is a poem by Notker Balbulus.

Settings by composers

• Anonymous
  • Trent 89, 1460's ATT (even ("a") verses)
  • Trent 93 TB (even verses)
• Heinrich Isaac SATB (even verses)

Text and translations

Latin text 1  Summi triumphum Regis prosequamur laude. 2a  Qui caeli, qui terræ regit sceptra inferni jure domito. 2b  Qui sese pro nobis redimendis per magnum dedit precium. 3a  Huic nomen extat conveni'ens Idithum. 3b  Nam transilivit omnes strenue montes colliculosque Bethel, 4a  Saltum de caelo dedit in virginalem ventrem, inde in pelagus seculi. 4b  Postquam illud suo mitigavit potentatu, tetras Phlegethontis assiliit tenebras. 5a  Principis illius disturbato imperio. 5b  Maniplis plurimis inde erutis, mundum illustrat suo jubare. 6a  Captivitatemque detentam in ibi, victor duxit secum. 6b  Et redivivum jam suis se praebuit servis et amicis. 7a  Denique saltum dederat hodie maximum, nubes polosque cursu praepeti transiens. 7b  Celebret ergo populus hunc diem credulus cujus morbida, Idithum, corpora in semetipso altis sedibus caeli invexit Dei Filius. 8a  Et tremens, judicem expectat adfuturum, ut duo angeli fratres docuerunt, 8b  Qui Jesus a vobis assumptus est in caelum, iterum veniet, ut vidistis eum. 9a  Jam Idithum nostrum vocibus sedulis omnes imploremus, 9b  Ut a dextris Patris qui sedet, Spiritum mittat nobis sanctum, 10  In fine saeculi, ipse quocque semper sit nobiscum.

English translation 1  The triumphal ascent of our High King we honour, 2a  Who wields the sceptres of heaven and earth, and has shattered hell’s authority. 2b  Who gave His own self, oh, dearest payment! to purchase our deliverance. 3a  Whom we also fitly and rightly call Jeduthun, 3b  For over all the hills and mountains of Bethel He leapt with great potency, 4a  He leapt down from heaven into the womb of a Virgin, thus to the sea of mortality; 4b  After He had pacified that sea by His dominion, down He leapt into the grim darkness of Phlegethon, 5a  There did He topple the prince of darkness from off his throne. 5b  With many hosts in His train, forth He came to enlighten the earth with His radiance. 6a  And there, bound tightly in shackles, came Bondage himself, following the Victor. 6b  And now to life resurrected, Christ appeared to His friends and disciples. 7a  Finally, on this day with the highest of leaps, He transcended the clouds of heaven, His wingèd course following. 7b  Therefore this feast is celebrated by His faithful people, whose poor mortal flesh / Jeduthun, God’s very Son, carried with Him in His body to the highest celestial throne of God. 8a  Who in true fear of God await the Judge to come, as the two heavenly angels apprised disciples: 8b  “This Jesus who was taken from you to heaven shall come in like manner as ye have seen Him going.” 9a  So let us all to our Jeduthun pray, with our fervent voice imploring, 9b  That from God’s right hand where He sits He would send us His Holy Spirit, 10  That till the end of the age He too would be with us forever. Translation by Matthew Carver © 2010–11

External links

• Hymnoglypt