Religion
Dark night has drawn her curtain round
Translated by John Brownlie (1896) · From Hymns of the Early Church (1896)
Dark night has drawn her curtain round,
And hid earth's hues in gloom profound;
Now contrite at Thy feet we fall,
And make request, Thou Judge of all,
That Thou wouldst hide the guilt of sin,
And throughly purge our hearts within—
O Christ, dispense Thy grace, we pray,
To keep us guiltless day by day.
The awakened conscience, sore oppressed
By thought of sin all unconfessed,
Yearns in the gloom, to cast her load
At Thy blest feet, Redeemer, God.
Dispel the darkness, Lord, we pray,
That in our mind holds dismal sway;
Send forth Thy light, and bid us rest
In Thy calm peace, for ever blest.
Codex Note
Latin: Nox atra rerum contegit. Brownlie: classed by Duffield as 'Ambrosian'; Mone gives it as probably by St. Gregory. Author doubtful (a breviary hymn; Prudentius's Cathemerinon is a source of related centos).
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous Latin Hymns. “Dark night has drawn her curtain round.” Translated by John Brownlie. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-latin-hymns/9/.
Chicago
Anonymous Latin Hymns. “Dark night has drawn her curtain round.” Translated by John Brownlie. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-latin-hymns/9/.
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