O Salutaris Hostia

"O SALUTARIS HOSTIA [is] a Hymn sung during the Office called Benediction, at the moment when the Tabernacle is opened, in order that the Consecrated Host may be removed and placed in the Monstrance prepared for its solemn Exposition." [1]

Here are the lyrics [2]:

O SALUTARIS Hostia
Quae caeli pandis ostium.
Bella premunt hostilia;
Da robur, fer auxilium. 

Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria:
Qui vitam sine termino,
Nobis donet in patria. 

Amen.

Below is a word for word translation by Msgr. Charles Pope [3]:

O salutaris Hostia (O saving victim)
quae caeli pandis ostium (who of heaven opens the gate – i.e. who opens the gate of heaven)
bella premunt hostilia (wars press hostile – i.e. hostile wars press)
da robur fer auxilium (give strength, bear aid)
Uni Trinoque Domino (To the One and Threefold Lord)
sit sempiterna gloria (may there be eternal glory)
qui vitam sine termino (who life without end)
nobis donet in patria (to us may he grant in the Fatherland)

A version of the hymn is available on You Tube at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgpOgDLXXp4.

Since this blogger does not see Christ as a victim, he has a different translation, one which has little, if anything, to do with the words so carefully chosen by Saint Thomas Aquinas that rhyme or the Latin language:

O Saving Body of Christ
Who opens Heaven's door
Augment our strength
To fend off hostilities against all that is Beautiful.

To the One Trinitarian God
Whose glory is eternal
Whose Life is without end
May we repose in the Father.

Amen.


[1] https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians/O_Salutaris_Hostia, quoted without footnote.
[2] http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Euch/OSalutaris.html
[3] http://blog.adw.org/2013/07/a-word-by-word-translation-and-study-of-the-latin-hymns-used-at-benediction/