Hymns of Prudentius: The Cathemerinon; Or, the Daily Round

by Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (Translator), David R. Slavitt

"Fetch me a pen, lad. I mean to sing of the noble deeds of Jesus Christ, the theme of my heavenly Muse."

Born in Spain in the fourth century, Aurelius Prudentius Clemens held a position of considerable authority in the Roman imperial administration. He was thirteen when Julian, the last pagan emperor, came to the throne and attempted to suppress Christianity and restore paganism. And he watched, two years later, when Julian was succeeded by the co-emperors, Valentinian and Valens, both Christians whose courts included such men as Jerome, Ausonius, and Martin of Tours.

His lasting influence comes, however, from his work as a poet: a pioneer in the creation of a Christian literature, Prudentius is generally regarded as the greatest of the Christian Latin poets, and his legacy informed the work of future poets, among them George Herbert and John Donne. Prudentius wrote two collections of hymns: the Cathemerinon Liber and the Peristephanon. The former, a collection of twelve songs in English "The Daily Round" is translated here by David Slavitt. Essentially literary in nature, the hymns replaced mythology of the classical mode with stories from the Scriptures and enjoyed immense popularity and success for centuries in the liturgy of the church.

"Prudentius's Latin is decorative and his poetic stance is enormously appealing. I have tried to do the voice and suggest to others something of what I admire in it. If I read these poems as objets d'art, I have no objection to my Christian friends reading them another way, as devotions. Indeed, I cannot for the life of me guess which of us will be getting more out of them. The particular belief is perhaps not so much the crucial issue asthe yearning for belieffor the faithful feel, in the momentary flaggings of their faith, a fervent longing most agnostics have experienced, whether they admit it or not."--from the Introduction

Genres: Poetry

88 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 1996

About the author

A Roman Christian poet, born in the Roman province of Tarraconensis (now Northern Spain) in 348. He probably died in the Iberian Peninsula, as well, some time after 405, possibly around 413. The place of his birth is uncertain, but it may have been Caesaraugusta (Saragossa), Tarraco (Tarragona), or Calagurris (Calahorra).

Prudentius practised law with some success, and was twice provincial governor, perhaps in his native country, before the emperor Theodosius I summoned him to court. Towards the end of his life (possibly around 392) Prudentius retired from public life to become an ascetic, fasting until evening and abstaining entirely from animal food. Prudentius later collected the Christian poems written during this period and added a preface, which he himself dated 405.

The poetry of Prudentius is influenced by early Christian authors, such as Tertullian and St. Ambrose, as well as the Bible and the acts of the martyrs. His hymn Da, puer, plectrum (including "Corde natus ex parentis": "Of the Father's Love Begotten") and the hymn for Epiphany O sola magnarum urbium ("Earth Has Many a Noble City"), both from the Cathemerinon, are still in use today. The allegorical Psychomachia, however, is his most influential work and became the inspiration and wellspring of medieval allegorical literature.

Reviews

[Sandu Andronic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb! Prudentius rămâne unul din cei mai importanți autori creștini ai antichității, un fel de Homer al creștinismului. Aceste poeme sunt în același timp și niște meditații, cât și niște rugăciuni care, citindu-le, ne îndeamnă și pe noi la o practică similară.

Acest scurt volum care conține 14 imnuri este unul extrem de bogate teologic, iar traducerea din engleză este una naturală, caldă și reușită. Este mai dificil de citit fiindcă nu este o engleză modernă, dar merită. Nu a avut note de subsol și nici aparat critic. Cred însă că era necesarul să fie unul.

Din păcate in limba română nu îl avem tradus pe Prudentius, dar nădăjduim că în viitor cineva se va încumeta la un asemenea proiect. Cred că acesta este și motivul pentru care nu este atât de cunoscut, sau, apreciat.

[Diana Kullman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely had to read the poems out loud. I first heard of Prudentius while reading the Ancient Christian Commentaries in Scripture (inter varsity press). I was so impressed by his commentaries in poetic form, I wanted to read more.

[David Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 4th-century hymns are wonderful, especially the hymns for Christmas and Epiphany,

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad for the translator’s notes concerning the digressions—helped put them into perspective, even if their use/prevalence isn’t a personally preferred in poetry (especially not to this extent),