Latin for Holy Week

There are so many moving hymns and chants sung during Holy Week – this sacred period of the Liturgical Year. They help us enter into many of the great mysteries of Christ’s life: His triumphant entry in Jerusalem; His betrayal by Judas and persecution by the High Priests; His Last Supper and institution of the Holy Eucharist; His Agony in the Garden and sorrowful Passion; His death and entombment, then finally His glorious Resurrection.

I’ve selected one Latin hymn to focus on: Crux Fidelis, which is sung on Good Friday. According to this source, ‘Crux Fidelis was originally written by Venantius Fortunatus as one of several pieces to celebrate a relic of the True Cross arriving at a convent in France. (See also De Profundis for another Latin prayer.)

Further below you’ll find my Youtube playlist for Holy Week which includes popular Latin chants and hymns to listen to during the week – there are a couple of beautiful English pieces as well.

Crux Fidelis

Crux fidelis, inter omnes
Arbor una nobilis,
Nulla talem silva profert,
Fronde, flore, germine.

Dulce lignum, dulces clavos,
Dulce pondus sustinet.

Pange, lingua, gloriosi,
Proelium certaminis,
Et super Crucis trophaeo,
Dic triumphum nobilem,
Qualiter Redemptor orbis,
Immolatus vicerit.

Crux fidelis, inter omnes
Arbor una nobilis:
Nulla talem silva profert,
Fronde, flore, germine.

De parentis protoplasti,
Fraude Factor condolens,
Quando pomi noxialis,
Morte morsu corruit,
Ipse lignum tunc notavit,
Damna ligni ut solveret.

Dulce lignum, dulces clavos,
Dulce pondus sustinet.

Hoc opus nostrae salutis,
Ordo depoposcerat,
Multiformis proditoris,
Ars ut artem falleret,
Et medelam ferret inde,
Hostis unde laeserat.

Crux fidelis, inter omnes
Arbor una nobilis:
Nulla talem silva profert,
Fronde, flore, germine.

Aequa Patri Filioque,
Inclito Paraclito,
Sempiterna sit beatae
Trinitati gloria,
Cuius alma nos redemit,
Atque servat gratia.
Amen.

Faithful Cross, among all,
You are the noblest tree,
No forest produces anything similar,
In leaf, flower, or seed.

Sweetest wood and sweetest nails,
Sustaining the sweetest weight.

Sing, my tongue, the glory,
Of the victorius fight,
And the trophy conquested on the Cross.
Tell of the noble triumph,
The Redeemer of the world,
Overcame by immolating himself.

Faithful Cross, among all,
You are the noblest tree:
No forest produces anything similar,
In leaf, flower, or seed.

Our first father,
Was defrauded into misery,
When that fatal apple
He ate and died.
This good tree [of the Cross], then, had
To compensate for that tree of evil.

Sweetest wood and sweetest nails,
Sustaining the sweetest weight.

This was the work of our salvation
Planned willingly;
So that the artfull Traitor [Satan]
Would be defeated in his art;
And thenceforth the instrument of our cure,
Would cause the enemy defeat.

Faithful Cross, among all,
You are the noblest tree:
No forest produces anything similar,
In leaf, flower, or seed.

Equal glory to the Father, Son
And the illustrious Paraclite;
Be given eternally
In Trinitarian glory.
Because He redeemed us,
And conserves us in grace.
Amen.