Attende Domine

Score
Sung (Schola Sanctae Scholasticae, UK)

For your enjoyment, if you like, here is an organ composition based on Attende Domine by Jeanne Demessieux (1921–1968). You do not need to listen to this in order to learn the hymn; in fact, it’s probably better the other way around: after you know the chant melody, you will be able to appreciate the organ piece more. There are many performances of this on YouTube, of which I have selected, rather arbitrarily, this one by Arjen Leistra: Choral-paraphrase “Attende Domine”.

Notes on the Text

Refrain

Attende	Domine,	et	miserere,
Pay attention	Lord	and	have pity

quia	peccavimus	tibi.
because	we have sinned	against you

Attende: attend to, pay attention, notice.

Miserere: have pity, sympathize with, have compassion.

Tibi generally means to you or for you, but in this context, against you.

PBC translation: Look down, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against thee.*

Verse 1

Ad	te	Rex	summe
To	you	King	highest

omnium	Redemptor,
of all	Redeemer

oculos	nostros	sublevamus	flentes:
eyes	our	we lift up	weeping

exaudi,	Christe,	supplicantum	preces
hear	Christ	of supplicators	prayers

Audi means “hear”, and the prefix ex-, normally meaning “out”, gives it an intensifying force; so exaudi is something like “hear well” or “hear clearly and thoroughly”, with a connotation of “hear and respond, grant what we ask.” In the Litany of the Saints (and some other litanies), we pray: Christe, audi nos, “Christ, hear us”; and then Christe, exaudi nos, usually translated as “Christ, graciously hear us.”

Supplicantum comes from the verb supplico, to kneel down or humble oneself, pray or beg humbly, supplicate. This particular form means “of the supplicating”, i.e., of those who supplicate. It would normally end in -ium, but I think the poet has left out the i to fit the meter of the verse.

Very literal translation: To you, highest King, Redeemer of all, we lift up our eyes, weeping. Christ, hear the prayers of those who are supplicating.

PBC: To thee, high King, Redeemer of all, weeping we lift our eyes; hear, Christ, the prayers of thy servants.

Verse 2

Dextera	Patris,	lapis	angularis,
right hand	of Father	stone	of corner

via	salutis,	janua	caelestis,
way	of salvation	door	of heavens

ablue	nostri	maculas	delicti.
wash away	our	stains	of sin

PBC: Right hand of the Father, cornerstone, path of salvation and gate of heaven, cleanse the stains of our sins.

Verse 3

Rogámus,	Deus,	tuam	majestátem:
We ask	God	your	majesty
áuribus	sacris	gémitus	exáudi:
with ears	holy	groans/sighs	hear
crímina	nostra	plácidus	indúlge.
crimes	our	gently	indulge

Placidus: calm, quiet, gentle. It is an adjective, being used here as an adverb.

Indulge: ordinarily means indulge, concede, grant, allow, be kind, be tender, forbear; but in this context, “forgive” makes better sense.

PBC: O God, we pray thy majesty, lend thy holy ears to our sighs, mercifully forgive our offenses.

Verse 4

Tibi	fatemur	crimina	admissa:
to you	we confess	crimes	committed

contrito	corde	pandimus	occulta:
contrite	with heart	we open	hidden things

tua,	Redemptor,	pietas	ignoscat.
your	Redeemer	kindness	let it forgive

Crimina admissa: i.e., crimes we have committed.

Contrito corde: with a contrite heart.

PBC: To thee we confess committed sin, with contrite heart we unveil hidden faults; may thy mercy, Redeemer, forgive.

Verse 5

Innocens	captus,	nec	repugnans	ductus;
innocent	captured	and not	resisting	led
testibus	falsi	pro	impiis	damnatus:
by witnesses	false	for	wicked	condemned
quos	redemisti,	tu	conserva,	Christe.
those	you have redeemed	you	keep safe	Christ

Innocens: harmless, innocent.

Captus: a prisoner; from the verb capio, to take, seize, capture.

Impius: impious, undutiful, disloyal, wicked, unscrupulous: lacking pietas.

Conserva: keep safe, preserve, spare, guard, keep intact. This is an imperative form for the second person singular (tu, you), so the subject tu is not needed grammatically; but the poet has added it, either to fit the meter or for emphasis.

PBC: Seized though innocent, led away unresisting, condemned by false witness in place of the guilty, Christ keep those whom thou hast redeemed.

G. Weber, 2020 March 31