Aeterna Caeli Gloria
AETERNA CAELI GLORIA
The office hymn that was historically assigned for Lauds in the ferial office on Fridays throughout the year. Originally the initial letter of each line was in alphabetic sequence through the letter "T," except that the fourth line repeated initial "C." To maintain the correct alphabetic sequence the orthography of the manuscript tradition must be retained in lines 9 and 11 (see Anal Hymn 51:33). The meter of the hymn is the iambic dimeter. The author, once thought to be Pope Gregory I (the Great), is unknown. In content this hymn is a prayer to Christ for light to see one's duties and for the increase of the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
Bibliography: j. julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology (New York 1957) 24–25. Analectica Hymnica (Leipzig 1886–1922) 51:32–34. a. s. walpole, ed., Early Latin Hymns (Cambridge, Eng. 1922) 276–279. m. britt, ed., The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal (new ed. New York 1948) 68–69. j. szÖvÉrffy, Die Annalen der latenische Hymnendichtung (Berlin 1964–65) 1:142, 214.
[h. dressler]