Lumen Hilare

Music by Mark Ruttle

LUMEN HILARE (Latin) is an ancient Christian hymn originally written in Greek as Phos Hilaron. it has been translated into English as O Gladsome Light. It is the earliest known Christian hymn recorded outside of the Bible that is still in use today. The hymn is part of vespers in the Byzantine Rite, The hymn text was first recorded by an unknown author in the late 3rd or early 4th century AD in a collection of songs to be sung in the morning, in the evening, before meals, and at candle lighting. Phos Hilaron is to be sung at the lighting of lamps in the evening and so is sometimes known as the 'Lamp-lighting Hymn'.

St. Basil the Great (329-379 AD) spoke of the singing of the Phos Hilaron as a cherished tradition of the church, the hymn being already considered old in his day. At that time in Jerusalem, a lamp was kept perpetually burning in the empty tomb of Christ, its glow a symbol of the living light of Jesus. As Christians gathered to worship the hymn was sung and, in a tradition known as the lighting of the lamps, a candle lit from the lamp was brought forth from the tomb, its bright, solitary flame calling the church to celebrate the Risen Lord.

The hymn is a fixed part of the daily Orthodox vespers service.

These ancient words were set to music for the women teachers of La Conquistadora Academy of Albuquerque, NM and first performed by them May 25, 2016.

Lumen hilare iucunda lux tu gloriæ, fons luminis de lumine,
beate Iesu cælitus a Patre sancto prodiens.
Fulgor diei lucidus solisque lumen occidit,
et nos ad horam vesperam te confitemur cantico.
Laudamus unicum Deum, Patrem potentem,

Filium cum Spiritu Paraclito in Trinitatis gloria.
O digne linguis qui piis lauderis omni tempore,

Fili Dei, te sæcula vitæ datorem personent.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,

et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

O radiant light, O sun divine, of God the Father's deathless face,O image of the light sublime that fills the heav'nly dwelling place.
O Son of God, the source of life, praise is your due by night and day;

Our happy lips must raise the strain of

your esteemed and splendid name.
Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades, as shine the lights of eventide,

We praise the Father with the Son, the Spirit blest and with them one.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, and now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.