Decora lux æternitatis, auream

The beauteous light of God’s eternal Majesty

Saints Peter and Paul
29 June

The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal

Decora lux æternitatis, auream
Diem beatis irrigavit ignibus,
Apostolorum quæ coronat Principes,
Reisque in astra liberam pandit viam.
Mundi Magister, atque cli Janitor,
Romæ parentes, arbitrique Gentium,
Per ensis ille, hic per crucis victor necem
Vitæ senatum laureati possident.
O Roma felix, quæ duorum Principum
Es consecrata glorioso ceteras
Horum cruore purpurata ceteras
Excellis orbis una pulchritudines.
Sit Trinitati sempiterna gloria,
Honor, potestas, atque jubilatio,
In unitate gubernat omnia,
Per universa sæculorum sæcula.

The beauteous light of Gods eternal Majesty
Streams down in golden rays to grace this holy day
Which crowned the princes of the Apostles glorious choir,
And unto guilty mortals showed the heavenward way.
The teacher of the world and keeper of heavens gate,
Romes founders twain and rulers too of every land,
Triumphant over death by sword and shameful cross,
With laurel crowned are gathered to the eternal band.
O happy Rome! Who in thy martyr princes blood,
A twofold stream, art washed and doubly sanctified.
All earthly beauty thou alone outshinest far,
Empurpled by their ourpoured life-bloods glorious tide.
All hone, power, and everlasting jubilee
To Him who all things made and governs here below,
To God is essence One, and yet in persons Three,
Both now and ever, while unending ages flow.

Author: Ascribed to Elpis, the wife of the philosopher Boethius. She died about 493. Meter: Iambic trimeter. Translation by Msgr. Canon L. Hall. First line of Original Text:Aurea luce et decore roseo. The hymn was considerably altered by the revisers under Pope Urban VIII, in 1632. Including both texts there are at least twelve translations. The complete hymn consists of six stanzas, including the doxology. The order of the stanzas in the complete hymn is as follows: Decora lux; Mundi magister; Beate Pastor Petre; Egregie Doctor Paule; O Roma felix; Sit Trinitati. Note the use made of parts of this hymn on the Feasts of St. Peter’s Chair (hymn 90), and of the Conversion of St. Paul (hymn 91).

“The beauteous Light of Eternity hath flooded with blissful fires this golden day which crowns the Princes of the Apostles, and opens unto the guilty a free way to heaven.” God is “the beauteous Light of Eternity.” The “blessed fires” are His graces and blessings. The “golden day” is the festival of the two Apostles.
“The teacher of the world, and the door-keeper of heaven, fathers of Rome, and judges of the nations, the one triumphant over death by the sword, the other by the Cross; now laurel-crowned they sit in the assembly of eternal life.” Mundi Magister, St. Paul (Cf. Rom. 11, 13); Cœli Janitor, St. Peter (Cf. Matt. 16, 19). Arbitri, judges (Cf. Matt. 19, 28). Constr.: Ille (Paulus) victor per necem ensis, hic (Petrus) per necem crucis possident laureati senatum vitæ.
“O happy Rome, who art consecrated by the glorious blood of two Princes; empurpled by the blood of these, thou alone dost surpass all other beauties of the world.”
“To the Trinity in Unity that doth govern all throughout eternity, be endless glory, honor, power, and jubiliation.”