Each text, in the original Latin, begins with thevocativeparticle "O". Each antiphon is a title of Christ, one of his attributes mentioned in Scripture. They are:
The antiphon texts are believed to have originated in Italy in or before the sixth century.[1] Boethius'sConsolation of Philosophy includes a passage in which Lady Philosophy appears to cite the series:
Est igitur summum, inquit, bonum quod regit cunctafortiter suauiterque disponit.
Translation:
He is the highest good, she said, that rules all things mightily and delightfully arranges them.
The underlying reference is to Wisdom 8:1,[5] but the precise phrasing almost certainly refers toO sapientia.[2]
There were many later traditions throughout theMiddle Ages surrounding their performance, andAmalarius wrote a detailed commentary on them in the ninth century.[1]
The first letters of the titles, from last to first, appear to form a Latinacrostic,Ero cras, meaning 'Tomorrow, I will be [there]', mirroring the theme of the antiphons. This is formed from the first letter of each title –Emmanuel,Rex,Oriens,Clavis,Radix,Adonai,Sapientia. Such acrostics were popular among early medieval writers, and some scholars have taken this as further evidence for their antiquity, but this view is not universally accepted.[3][1]
The added post-Christmas O antiphon 'O Thoma Didyme'
A number of other antiphons were found in various medievalbreviaries.[6]
a Messianic title preceded by "O". Example: "O Wisdom"
elaboration of the title: "coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things"
the verb "come"
elaboration of the request to come: "and teach us the way of prudence."
Below is the traditional Latin text of each antiphon, as well as the English text from the Church of England'sCommon Worship liturgy.
Each antiphon is acento of passages from the Bible. In the text of each antiphon below, the passages from the Bible are indicated by underlining, and the quotation in the footnote is from theVulgate (for Latin passages) or (for English passages) theNRSV unless indicated otherwise.
Latin: O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,[8] attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:[9] veniad docendum nos viam prudentiae.[10]
Translation:
English (Anglican): O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,[11] reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things:[12] Come andteach us the way of prudence.[13]
Latin: OAdonai,[14] etDux domus Israel,[15] qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,[16] etei in Sina legem dedisti:[17] veniad redimendum nos in brachio extento.[18]
Translation:
English (Anglican): OAdonai,[19] andleader of the House of Israel,[20] who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,[21] andgave him the law on Sinai:[22] Come andredeem us with an outstretched arm.[23]
Latin: Oradix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,[24] super quem continebunt reges os suum,[25] quem Gentes deprecabuntur:[26] veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
Translation:
English (Anglican): ORoot of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;[27] before you kings will shut their mouths,[28] to you the nations will make their prayer:[29] Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.
Latin: OClavis David,[30] et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit:[31] veni, eteduc vinctum de domo carceris,[32] sedentem in tenebris et umbra mortis.[33]
Translation:
English (Anglican): OKey of David[34] and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open:[35] Come andlead the prisoners from the prison house,[36] those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.[37]
Latin: OOriens,[38] splendor lucis aeternae,[39] etsol justitiae:[40] veni, etillumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.[41]
Translation:
English (Anglican): OMorning Star,[42] splendour of light eternal[43] andsun of righteousness:[44] Come andenlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.[45]
Latin: ORex Gentium,[46] etdesideratus earum,[47] lapisque angularis,[48]qui facis utraque unum:[49] veni, et salvahominem, quem de limo formasti.[50]
Translation:
English (Anglican): OKing of the nations,[51] andtheir desire,[52] the cornerstone[53]making both one:[54] Come and savethe human race, which you fashioned from clay.[55]
In addition to the seven antiphons above, a number of other O antiphons have been in use over the centuries in different churches: “O Virgo virginum”, "O Gabriel, nuntius cœlorum", "O Thoma Didyme", “O Rex pacifice”, "O Mundi Domina", “O Hierusalem”, "O sancte sanctorum", “O pastor Israel”. The Parisian Rite had 9 antiphons beginning on December 15, and some other churches had 12 antiphons.[6] A feature of these is that most of them were not addressed to the Messiah. And they were independent of each other, unlike the seven O antiphons described above that formed a self-contained group (as can be seen from the acrosticEro cras).
An English medieval practice was to add an eighth antiphon –O Virgo virginum – on December 23, and move the others back one day, thus beginning the series on 16 December. The acrostic then becameVero cras ("Truly, tomorrow").
Latin: O Virgo virginum, quomodo fiet istud? Quia nec primam similem visa es nec habere sequentem. Filiae Jerusalem, quid me admiramini? Divinum est mysterium hoc quod cernitis.
Translation:
English (Anglican): O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be? For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after. Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me? The thing which ye behold is a divine mystery.
Given the English origins of this alternative, it has traditionally been the version used in theChurch of England (includingCanterbury Cathedral) until recent times, and is the version printed in traditional Church of England liturgical sources includingThe English Hymnal (1906) andThe New English Hymnal (1986). From 2000, however, the Church of England appears to have taken an official step away from English medieval practice towards the more widely spread custom, asCommon Worship makes provision for the sevenfold version of the antiphons, and not the eightfold version.[64]
The chant repertory knows also other antiphons built using the musical model of O antiphons, but not related to the Advent season -O doctor optime (Common ofDoctors of the church),O Rex gloriae (Ascension).
In the Catholic Church, the seven standard O antiphons continue to serve as Magnificat antiphons atVespers from 17 to 23 December. Since the liturgical reforms following Vatican II, they are also used as theAlleluia verses for Mass in theOrdinary Form on the same days. For the Alleluia verses, theLectionary movesO Emmanuel to the 21st,[65] usesRex Gentium on both the 22nd[66] and 23rd,[67] and placesO Oriens on the morning of the 24th,[68] but the traditional ordering from the 17th through the 23rd is also permitted.[68]
The Catholicpersonal ordinariates follow the practice for days from the 17th to the 23rd (Magnificat antiphon at Evensong[69] and Alleluia Verse at Mass, either in the traditional order as indicated inDivine Worship: The Missal or in the order indicated in the Lectionary,[70] but also use O Virgo virginum on the morning of 24 December, both as theBenedictus antiphon at morning prayer and as the Alleluia verse at Mass.[71]
Some Anglican churches, such as theChurch of England, use the O Antiphons atevensong; often according to medieval English usage, beginning on 16 December.
Use of the O Antiphons also occurs in manyLutheran churches. For example, an English translation of "The Great O Antiphons" appears with the hymnO Come, O Come, Emmanuel in theLutheran Service Book . In theBook of Common Worship published by thePresbyterian Church (USA), the antiphons can be read as a praise litany at Morning or Evening Prayer.[73]
James MacMillan, Scottish composer, has set to music an English paraphrase of the antiphonO Oriens ('O Radiant Dawn') as part of hisStrathclyde Motets. The setting borrows harmony fromThomas Tallis's motetO nata lux.[75]
^"I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty(El Shaddai), but by my name ‘The Lord’(Adonai) I did not make myself known to them" (Exodus 6:2-3)
^"the leader over my people Israel" (2 Chronicles 6:5)
^"The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush" (Exodus 3:2)
^"These are the commandments that the Lord gave to Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai" (Leviticus 27:34)
^"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm" (Exodus 6:6)
^"Radix Jesse, qui stat in signum populorum" (Isaiah 11:10)
^"super ipsum continebunt reges os suum" (Isaiah 52:15)
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