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Altus Prosator

Altus Prosator

Written in the late sixth or seventh century, by tradition in Hii (Iona), now Iona, Scotland. The date is disputed or rests on weak evidence.

Church tradition names Columba of Iona as the writer. History cannot confirm it.

An alphabet hymn in Latin on the Creation, the Fall and the Last Judgment.

Poem · first written in Latin

Translated by Mary Francis Cusack (1881). Cloister Songs and Hymns for Children (Dublin: M. H. Gill, 1881) Public domain. Source and rights

How we know the date and place
Date written not sure
J. Stevenson, "Altus Prosator", Celtica 23 (1999); T. O. Clancy and G. Márkus, Iona: The Earliest Poetry of a Celtic Monastery (1995)
Tradition gives it to Columba (died 597). Stevenson dates it to the seventh century.
Place written by tradition
J. Stevenson, "Altus Prosator", Celtica 23 (1999); T. O. Clancy and G. Márkus, Iona: The Earliest Poetry of a Celtic Monastery (1995)

837 words. 1 section.

Altus Prosator

§ 1

Ancient of days, Father most high, Who art, and shall be, As the ages go by, With Christ and the Spirit, In glory supernal, "Who art God evermore, Unbegotten, eternal We preach not three Gods, But the unity, One, The Father, the Spirit, And co-equal Son.

Bright Angel-thrones, And virtues, and powers, By good angels and seraphs His mercies He showers ; That the Godhead most blessed. By His goodness and grace. With celestial expression Might all things embrace.

Cast down from high Heaven, Apostate ranks fell. And the Son of the Morning Was dashed down to hell ; By the foul stain of pride All his glory was lost, While the lowly remained The angelical host.

Demon most fearful, Once mighty, once wise, Fell, and with him he drew A third part of the skies, Forsaking the true light In pit most profound, Was flung this deceiver. And for evermore bound.

Excelling and perfect The great world was made. The earth and the ocean Came forth as He said, The herb and the grasses, The fish and the fire. And lastly came man, Created yet higher.

Fair the structure was built, And the angels their lays Came to offer to God, And loudly gave praise. The stars thus created Sang loud to His name ; The universe rang With the great Maker's fame.

Great the horror and trembling, The dread and affright. That our first parents felt At this vision of night, At the traitorous angels In prison-house kept. While they in atonement Their first sin had wept.

Hid from sight of all mortals, Lest their crime should defile While crowds of rank demons An atmosphere vile; Concealed from men only, But known to the Lord, These legends of devils Condemned by His word,

In whirlwinds of azure. The clouds deeply blue Are uplifted to Heaven, God's great work to do ; At His bidding they pour forth On vineyard and field, The streams which fertility Everywhere yield.

Kings and tyrants once famed. Of old world renown, Are dashed deep in ocean, Remorselessly down ; The floods and the rock-stones, The fire and the flame. Are the torment eternal Of these men of great fame.

Lo, gently the waters. Held fast by God's word, In soft drops do the bidding Of their Maker and Lord. Now with warm breath or cold, As the seasons come round, God's rivers make fruitful, And flow on the ground.

Most mighty foundations, Support the great earth, On pillar and beam. Sustained since its birth By the power of God; Made for ever secure, It rests on foundations Eternally sure.

None doubts that hell lieth Where worm and foul beast On corruption, in darkness. For ever shall feast ; Where sulphuric fires The lost souls assail, Where for ever resoundeth The shriek and the wail.

Of the dwellers below earth, Who live in the deep, Yet pray to the Lord, As in mystical sleep. Know not of th' unrolling Of what prophet reveals. Nor the mysteries writ In the book with seven seals.

Praise, health, and abundance In Paradise dwelt, Where no sorrow nor sickness Nor grief could be felt ; Where the tree of life flowered. Where four rivers ran. Where the leaves all unfading Gave healing to man.

Quivered the mountains, Shouted the thunder, Loud roared the tempest, Lightning flashed under. On the mountain of Sinai, In terror and awe. When Moses ascended, When God gave the law.

Run and hide, for the day Of the Lord is at hand ; The King of all kingdoms In judgment will stand. Wrath, vengeance, and darkness. And sadness and fear. Take the place of all pleasure Which man has had here.

Sore stricken in terror At God's judgment-seat, The deeds we have done here Receive what is meet. No more time for repentance. No more time to do well ; The sentence eternal For heaven or hell.

The trump of the angels Shall sound wondrous things ; All bonds dash asunder With flash of their wings, And souls meeting bodies Shall for ever unite. Some descending to hell. Some ascending to light

Wildly north and to south Wanderers each star, Driven hither and thither By tempest afar ; And the light of the sun Shall cease from the skies, And the moon quenched in darkness, Shall never more rise.

X t descending from heaven His banner the Cross, Then indeed shall men know That all else is but loss. To the earth the stars falling, The Cross all shall hide, For the terrors of judgment No man can abide.

Yet the chanting of hymns From the heights shall resound, And music angelic Shall be heard all around. By the four living creatures In sanctus threefold. Casting crowns at His feet, God's praise shall be told.

Zeal-kindled fire The unjust shall destroy. Who deny the Lord Jesus, Our hope and our joy. And the good shall be raised In the heavenly choir. As our merit and glory Have made each one higher.