Hymn to St. Benedict at Nocturns
1.
Signifer invictissime
Sacra(e)que dux militiae,
Nos, Benedicte, valido
Precum defende brachio.
Most invincible standard bearer
And leader of the holy army,
Defend us, Benedict, with
Your strong arm of prayers.
2.
His armis exsecrabilem
Leonis vince rabiem,
Quibus olim taeterrimam
Pellis ab ore merulam.
Conquer the detestable madness of the lion
With these weapons with which you
At one time drove the offensive
Black bird from your presence.1
3.
Urticae iunctae vepribus
Vulnus curant vulneribus;
Flammata mens divinitus
Ignes extinguit ignibus.
Nettles having joined with vipers
Cure the wound with wounds;
The divine mind having been set on fire
fire extinguishes with fires.
4.
Crucem mittens ut lapidem
Veneni frangis calicem;
Non valet mortis vasculum
Vitae ferre signaculum.
Throwing the cross as a stone
You break the chalice of poison;
The vessel of death cannot
Tolerate the symbol of life (Christ).
5.
Frater quem tunc nequissimus
Vagum raptabat spiritus,
Dum tua virga caeditur,
Stabilitati redditur.
A wandering brother whom then a most wicked
Spirit was trying to seize,
While he is cut down by your cane,2
He is returned to steadiness.
6.
Sit patri laus ingenito…
Let there be praise to the unborn father…
1 This may relate in some way to the following tradition: Yet perhaps less well known is the significance of two images frequently used in depictions of St. Benedict. Benedictine images and symbols often include a raven holding a loaf of bread between its beak. St. Gregory the Great is known to have elaborated on the origin and story surrounding the raven in his Dialogues. He claims that St. Benedict regularly fed a raven from his own portion of bread at mealtime. On one occasion, a malicious priest poisoned the bread he was to consume. Knowing that the bread was tainted, St. Benedict called upon the raven to dispose of it and to ensure that no other being would be harmed. According to the story, the raven obeyed St. Benedict’s command and flew off with the poisoned bread.
2 Recall that PD was an advocate of flagellation.
