Te lucis ante terminum

Te lucis ante terminum is an old Latin hymn in long metre. It is the hymn at Compline in the Roman Breviary.

Origin

S.-G. Pimont argued for the authorship of Ambrose of Milan. The Benedictine editors and Luigi Biraghi disagreed.
The hymn is found in a hymnary in Irish script of the eighth or early ninth century; but the classical prosody of its two stanzas suggests a much earlier origin. In this hymnary it is assigned, together with the hymn Christe qui splendor et dies, to Compline.
An earlier arrangement coupled with the Christe qui lux the hymn Christe precamur adnue, and assigned both to the "twelfth hour" of the day for alternate recitation throughout the year. The later introduction of the Te lucis suggests a later origin.
The two hymns Te lucis and Christe qui lux did not maintain everywhere the same relative position; the latter was used in winter, the former in summer and on festivals; while many cathedrals and monasteries replaced the Te lucis by the Christe qui lux from the first Sunday of Lent to Passion Sunday or Holy Thursday, a custom followed by the Dominicans. The old Breviary of the Carthusians used the Christe qui lux throughout the year. The Roman Breviary assigns the Te lucis daily throughout the year, except from Holy Thursday to the Friday after Easter, inclusively. Merati, in his notes on Galvanus' Thesaurus, says that it has always held without variation this place in the Roman Church. As it is sung daily, the Vatican Antiphonary gives it many plainsong settings for the varieties of season and rite.

Text

Alternative

The 1632 Urban VIII version makes classicizing revisions.

Latin text

Te lucis ante terminum,
Rerum Creator poscimus,
Ut pro tua clementia
Sis præsul et custodia.
Procul recedant somnia,
Et noctium phantasmata;
Hostemque nostrum comprime,
Ne polluantur corpora.
Præsta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar Unice,
Cum Spiritu Paraclito
Regnans per omne sæculum. Amen.

The 1974 revision replaces the second strophe with the following two strophes from the hymn Christe precamur adnue.

Latin text	English verse translation
Te corda nostra sómnient, te per sopórem séntiant, tuámque semper glóriam vicína luce cóncinant. Vitam salúbrem tríbue nostrum calórem réfice, tætram noctis calíginem tua collústret cláritas.	Lord, when we sleep, be in our hearts, Your Spirit peace and rest imparts; Then, with the light of dawn, may we Your glory praise unendingly. Your living power breathe from above, Renew in us the fire of love; And may your brightness drive away All darkness in eternal day.