Collect of the Week - 42
In die sancto Paschae, quae est Resurrectionis Dominicae.
Deus, qui hodierna die per Unigenitum tuum aeternitatis nobis aditum devicta
morte reserasti: vota nostra quae praeveniendo aspiras, etiam adjuvando
prosequere. Per eundem.
BCP:
Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome
death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life: We humbly beseech
thee, that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our
minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good
effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
It is obvious at a glance that the BCP version is somewhat expanded, even
allowing for the ending being given in full. Even so some of the Latin is
omitted. 'God, who on this day' - BCP omits the temporal reference.
'devicta morte' is a sublime ablative absolute: 'having conquered death' as
though that were some trivial task to be got out of the way before getting
on with the main business of the day; as if one were to say, 'the minutes
having been read . . .' Not a good idea to render it by a co-ordinate clause.
'has re-opened to us the gate of eternity . . .' That gate, or avenue, had
been open once before. This is paradise regained.
To give a clumsy but literal translation of the petition: 'Our desires
which you inspire by going before, follow up again by aiding'. God both
precedes and follows us. This part is very laboured in the translation.
'aspiro' is literally to breathe upon - as the risen Christ breathed on his
disciples, to inspire, infuse, favour. God is both the origin of our
aspirations, and the one who favours them, helps them, and makes them come
to pass.
I'm taking a couple of weeks off - back before you know it!
Oriens.
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