Lyrics and translation Cantus Cölln & Konrad Junghänel - Prophetiae Sibyllarum

Prophetiae Sibyllarum

Prologo
Carmina Chromatico quae audis modulata tenore,
Haec sunt illa quibus nostrae olim arcana salutis
Bis senae intrepido cecinerunt ore Sibyllae.

I. Sibylla Persica
Virgine matre satus pando residebit asello
Jucundus princeps unus qui ferre salutem
Rite queat lapsis tamen illis forte diebus
Multi multa ferent immensi fata laboris
Solo sed satis est oracula prodere verbo
Ille deus casta nascetur virgine magnus.

II. Sibylla Libyca
Ecce dies venient quo aeternus tempore princeps
Irradians sata laeta viris sua crimina tollet
Lumine clarescet cuius synagoga recenti
Sordida qui solus reserabit labra reorum
Aequus erit cunctis gremio rex membra reclinet
Reginae mundi sanctus per saecula vivus.

III. Sibylla Delphica
Non tarde veniet tacita sed mente tenendum
Hoc opus, hoc memori semper, qui corde reponet,
Huius pertendant cor gaudia magna prophetae
Eximia, qui virginea conceptus ab alvo
Prodibit, sine contactu maris omnia vincit
Hoc naturae opera, at fecit, qui cuncta gubernat.

IV. Sibylla Cimmeria
In teneris annis facie insignis honore
Militiae aeternae regem sacra virgo cibavit
Lacte suo, per quem gaudebunt pectore summo Omnia,
Et Eoo lucebit sydus ab ore Mirificum.
Sua dona magi cum laude ferentes
Objicient puero myrrham, aurum, thura sabaea.

V. Sibylla Samia
Ecce dies, nigras quae tollet laeta tenebras,
Mox veniet solvens nodosa volumina vatum Gentis Judaeae.
Referent ut carmina plebis
Hunc poterunt clarum virorum tangere regem,
Humano quem virgo sinu inviolata fovebit.
Annuit hoc coelum, rutinlantia sidera monstrant.

VI. Sibylla Cumana
Iam mea certa manent et vera novissima verba,
Ultima venturi quod erant oracula regis
Qui toti veniens mundo cum pace placebit
Ut voluit, nostra vestitus carne decenter
In cunctis humilis castam pro matre puellam
Deliget, haec alias forma praecesserit omnes.

VII. Sibylla Hellespontica
Dum meditor quondam vidi decorare puellam
Eximio castam, quod se servaret honore.
Munera digna suo, et divino numine visa
Quae sobolem multo pareret splendore micantem:
Progenies summi speciosa et vera tonantis,
Pacifica mundum qui sub ditione gubernet.

VIII. Sibylla Phrygia
Ipsa Deum vidi summum punire volentem
Mundi homines stupidos et pectora caeca rebellis,
Et quia sic nostram complerent crimina pellem.
Virginis in corpus voluit demittere coelo
Ipse Deus prolem, quam nuntiat angelus alma Matri
Quo miseros contracta sorde lavaret.

IX. Sibylla Europaea
Virginis aeternum veniet de corpore verbum purum.
Qui valles et montes transiet altos,
Ille volens etiam stellato missus olympo
Edetur mundo pauper, qui cuncta silenti rex erit imperio.
Sic credo et mente fatebor:
Humano simul ac divino semine natus.

X. Sibylla Tiburtina
Verax ipse Deus dedit haec mihi munia fandi
Carmine, quod sanctam potui monstrare puellam.
Concipiet, quae Nazareis in finibus illum,
Quem sub carne Deum Bethlemitica rura videbunt.
O nimium felix coelo dignissima mater,
Quae tantam sacro lactabit ab ubere prolem.

XI. Sibylla Erythraea
Cerno Dei natum, qui se dimisit ab alto.
Ultima felices referent cum tempora soles.
Hebraea, quem virgo fere de stirpe decora,
In terris multum teneris passurus ab annis.
Magnus erit tamen hic divino carmine vates
Virgine matre satus, prudenti pectore verax.

XII. Sibylla Agrippa
Summus erit sub carne satus clarissimus atque Virginis
Et vere complevit viscera sanctum
Verbum consilio sine noxa spiritus almi,
Despectus multis tamen ille salutis amore
Arguet et nostra commissa piacula culpa,
Cuius honos constans et gloria certa manebit.

Prophecies of the Sibyls

Prologue
The songs you hear, modulated in chromatic tenor,
Are those in which the mysteries of our salvation
The twice six Sibyls sang with fearless mouth.

I. Persian Sibyl
Born of a virgin mother, a pleasing prince shall sit upon a humble donkey,
The only one who can rightly bring salvation,
Yet in those days, through the stones of fate,
Many will bear the immense fates of labor,
But it is enough to pronounce the oracles with a single word:
He, God, will be born great from a chaste virgin.

II. Libyan Sibyl
Behold, the days will come when the eternal prince in time
Shining upon men, will take away their happy crimes,
By his light his newly formed synagogue will be bright,
He alone will open the lips of the accused,
He will be just to all, the king will recline his limbs in his bosom,
Holy king of the world, living forever.

III. Delphian Sibyl
He will not come late, but it must be held in silent mind,
This work, he who will keep it in his heart forever,
Let the great joys of this prophet extend to his heart
Distinguished, who conceived from a virgin womb
He will come forth, without the touch of man, he conquers all
This is the work of nature, but he who governs all things made it.

IV. Cimmerian Sibyl
In tender years, distinguished in countenance and honor
A sacred virgin nourished the king of eternal warfare
With her own milk, through whom all will rejoice in their inmost hearts,
And the wondrous star will shine from the dawn of the East.
The Magi, bringing their gifts with praise,
Will offer to the child myrrh, gold, and Sabaean frankincense.

V. Samian Sibyl
Behold the day, which will joyfully lift up the black darkness,
Soon he will come, loosening the knotted scrolls of the prophets Of the Jewish race.
As the songs of the people will tell,
They will be able to touch this glorious king of men,
Whom a virgin, untouched, will nourish in her human womb.
Heaven has granted this, the stars shining in their courses show it.

VI. Cumaean Sibyl
Now my last words remain certain and true,
The last oracles of the coming king
Who, coming to the whole world with peace, will please
As he wished, clothed fittingly in our flesh,
In all humility he will choose a chaste girl for his mother,
She will surpass all others in beauty.

VII. Hellespontine Sibyl
While I was meditating once I saw a maiden adorned
Chaste with exceeding honor, that she would keep herself.
Gifts worthy of her, and seen by divine will
She would bring forth offspring, shining with great splendor:
The beautiful and true offspring of the most high thunderer,
Who will rule the world in peace under his power.

VIII. Phrygian Sibyl
I myself saw the most high God wishing to punish
The foolish men of the world and the blind hearts of the rebellious,
And because thus they would fill our skin with their crimes.
He wished to send down from heaven into the body of a virgin
God himself, the offspring, which the blessed angel announces to the mother,
That he might wash the wretched from their contracted filth.

IX. European Sibyl
From the body of a virgin the eternal word will come, pure.
He who will cross valleys and high mountains,
He, willing also, sent from starry Olympus
Will be given to the world, poor, who will be king over all things in silence.
Thus I believe and in my mind I will confess:
Born of human seed and divine at the same time.

X. Tiburtine Sibyl
The true God himself gave me this gift of speaking
In song, that I might show forth the holy maiden.
She will conceive, she who in the lands of Nazareth
Whom, God in the flesh, the fields of Bethlehem will see.
O most happy mother, most worthy of heaven,
Who will nurse such great offspring from her sacred breast.

XI. Erythraean Sibyl
I see God born, who sent himself down from on high.
The last times will bring back happy suns.
The Hebrew virgin, beautiful in lineage, will bear him,
On earth, he who will suffer much from tender years.
Yet this one will be great, a divine prophet in song
Born of a virgin mother, truthful with a wise heart.

XII. Agrippan Sibyl
The most high will be born in the flesh, most glorious, and
Of a virgin, and truly the holy one filled her womb
The word, by the counsel of the nourishing spirit, without sin,
Despised by many, yet he, for the love of salvation
Will argue and atone for the sins committed by us,
Whose honor is constant and whose glory will remain certain.