O Antiphons of Advent
December 17th, 2007 by Fr. Pius, OP
The liturgical season of Advent has two parts, both of which look to the coming of the Lord. The first part of Advent, opening the Liturgical year and following the feast of Christ the King, looks to the return of Jesus at the end of time. The first part of Advent continues until December 16th. The Second part of Advent is the Novena leading up to the feast of the Nativity of our Lord. In the second half of Advent, which the Church begins today (Monday), the Church puts herself in the time before the Lord’s birth in Bethlehem — looking forward to his first coming. In his Advent reflection for the First Sunday of Advent, Br. John Chrysostom described this second part of Advent this way:
On December 17th, the Season of Advent changes its focus to the First Coming. Our attention will shift from the One who is to come to the One who has already come in the flesh. This second part of Advent is another period of intense training, but this time the focus is more directly on preparing our hearts and minds to celebrate Christmas. Only nine days long, the second part of Advent is the Church’s novena of preparation for Christmas.
The second preface of Advent is used throughout the second part of Advent from December 17th until December 24th. In preparing to celebrate the birth of Him who has already come in the flesh, we continually recall in the preface that his coming in the flesh was proclaimed by all the prophets (Advent Preface II). The Scriptural themes will often coincide. For example, the first reading from the Fourth Sunday of Advent calls upon the prophet Isaiah to provide a summary of all the Old Testament prophecies about the longed-for Messiah: The Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel (Is 7:14). Indeed, the child to be born is the Christ-child, God-with-us, Emmanuel.
With this portion of Advent come the great “O Antiphons”. In the Liturgical Office of Vespers (Evening Prayer), from December 17th until the 23rd, the Antiphon for the Gospel Canticle (the Magnificat) begins in Latin with the vocative “O” and a title of the Lord Jesus: O Sapientia, O Adonai, O Rex, O Clavis, O Oriens, O Radix, O Emmanuel. These translate into: O Wisdom, O Adonai, O King, O Key (of David), O Dawn, O Root (of Jesse), O Emmanuel.
The Church has also developed a beautiful chant setting for each of these antiphons. In the Dominican Order, we have our own settings for each of these antiphons, which we will be singing at the Dominican House of Studies in this portion of Advent. As is typical of Domincan Chant as compared to Roman (Gregorian), our settings are slightly more elaborate. The Friars of the English Province have recorded the sung chant to this antiphon, which is available from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6zaiZxJIpU
The chant setting above is for the first day of this Novena, December 17th — O Wisdom. You can download a copy of a short program of all of the chants together with the tone for singing the Magnificat:
Below is written all of the chants in Latin, with a somewhat literal translation of each done by one of the friars in the Studium. There is a link for each day to pages from the old website of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great, which has the O Antiphon, the text in Latin and English, and an audio file of the chant. (The Province of St. Albertus Magnus has recently updated its website, so it is possible that the links might become broken.)
December 17
Latin: O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia:veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
English: O Wisdom, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, mightily reaching out from end to end, and ordering all things sweetly: come to teach us the way of prudence!
December 18 (Audio from English Friars)
Latin: O Adonai,et dux domus Israël, qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti:veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
English: O Adonai, and leader of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, and gave him the Law upon Sinai: come to redeem us with your outstretched arm!
December 19 (Audio from English Friars)
Latin: O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
English: O Root of Jesse, who stands as the sign for the peoples, at whom kings will close their mouth, whom the nations will entreat: come now to free us, and do not delay!
December 20 (Audio from English Friars)
Latin:O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israël, qui aperis, et nemo claudit, claudis, et nemo aperuit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
English: O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, you open and no one closes, you close and no one opens: come, and lead out of the prison the captive who sits in darkness and the shadow of death!
December 21 (Audio from English Friars)
Latin: O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
English: O Dawn, brightness of eternal light and sun of justice: come and illumine those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death!
December 22 (Audio from English Friars)
Latin: O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
English: O King of the Nations, and the desire thereof, the capstone who makes of two things one: come and save man whom you formed out of the mire!
December 23 (Audio from English Friars)
Latin: O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
English: O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of the Nations and the Savior thereof: come to save us, O Lord, Our God!
