Χρίστος Ανέστη

Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη

This great Easter hymn was composed by Venantius Fortunatus, an Italian who lived roughly from 530 to  600 or some time thereafter. Born in Venezia, near Treviso, he was educated in the then still-civilized Ravenna some time after Justinian's reconquest of Italy.  He made his way to the Frankish court in Metz, where he established himself as court poet.  Moving to Tour and Poitiers, he was befriended by Radegunde, one of the numerous wives of King Clotaire and became a friend of Bishop Gregory of Tours, the chronicler of Frankish history.  Venantius, who was eventually was made Bishop of Poitiers, is the author of many well-known hymns, including "Vexilla regis prodeunt and "Salva, festa dies," which in the translation of the Rev. John Ellerton, an Anglican clergyman,  was set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan--a joyous hymn that I don't know why is not sung in Catholic churches.  The Latin text is followed by Ellerton's version, which is followed by a leaden-footed more or less literal translation.

Salve festa dies toto venerabilis aevo

Qua Deus infernum vicit et astra tenet

Ecce renascentis testatur gratia mundi

Omnia cum Domino dona redisse suo

Namque triumphanti post tristia tartara Christo

Undique fronde nemus gramina flore favent

Qui crucifixus erat Deus, ecce per omnia regnat

Dantque Creatori cuncta creata precem

Christe, salus rerum, bone Conditor atque Redemptor

Unica progenies ex Deitate Patris

Qui genus humanum cernens mersisse profundo

Ut hominem eriperes es quoque factus homo

Funeris exsequias pateris vitae auctor et orbis

Intras mortis iter dando salutis opem.

Hail, festal day, venerable of all ages

By which God conquers hell and holds the stars

Behold, it declares grace for a reborn world

All gifts have returned with their Lord.

For indeed, after hellish sorrows, to the triumphing Christ:

grove with green and buds with flower, everywhere give laud.

The Crucified One was God, behold He reigns over all things, 

and all creation offers prayer to its Creator.

O Christ, the salvation of all things,

good Creator and Redeemer, only begotten Son of God the Father.

You Who, seeing mankind to have plunged to the deep,

that you might save man, were also made man.

That Thou, the author of life and the world, might open

the way of death and the grave by giving hope of salvation.