Symphony No.8 In E-Flat Major – Part I – Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus (Come, Creator Spirit)

Listening Guide

 

The Work

Tempo: Allegro impetuoso; etwas gemässigter, immer sehr fliessend (somewhat more moderate, always very fleeting); etwas gehalten (somewhat held back)
Key: E-flat major (second theme in D-flat major; third theme in D minor, with excursions into E major and minor, D-flat and A-flat major, etc.)
Time signature: 4/4 (with intervening duple and triple meters in the Veni theme).
Form: modified and extended sonata form.

Veni, creator spiritus!
Mentes tuorum visita.
Imple superna gratia,
quae tu creasti pectora.

 

Qui Paraclitus diceris.
Donum Dei altissimi.
Fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
et spiritalis unctio.

Veni, creator spiritus, etc.

Infirma nostri corporis,
virtute firmans perpeti; rep.
Accende lumen sensibus,
infunde amorem cordibus, rep.

Hostem repellas longius,
pacemque protinus dones;
praevio, ductore sic te praevio
vitemus omne pessimum.
Hostem repellas longius, etc.
Munere tu septiformis,

digitus paternae dexterae.
Ductore praevio te, etc.
Tu septiformis munere, etc.

Per te sciamus da Patrem,
noscamus [atque]* Filium,
[Teque utriusque]* credamus Spiritum
omni tempore.

Accende lumen sensibus,
infunde amorem cordibus, etc.

Veni, creator spiritus, etc.

Da gaudiorum praemia,
da gratiarum munera;
pacem protinus dones;
dissolve litis vincula,
Pacemque protinus dones, etc.
adstringe pacis foedera.

Gloria patri Domino,
gloria sit Domino
natoque, qui a mortuis surrexit,
Deo set gloria et Filio
ac Paraclito
in saeculorum saecula.
Gloria Patri.

Come, Creator Spirit!
let They soul visit us.
Fill with all Thy grace
those whom Thou hast created.

 

Thou who is called the Comforter,
gift of God on High,
the Living Fountain, Fire, Love,
and Sacred Unction.

Come, Creator, etc.

Endow our infirm bodies
with everlasting strength; rep.
Inflame our senses with Thy light,
with love our hearts infuse, rep.

Drive the enemy far away
and grant us everlasting peace;
thus with Thee to guide our way
we may shun all evil.
Drive the enemy far away, etc.
Those whose gift is sevenfold,
finger of God’s right hand.
With Thee to guise our way, etc.
Those whose gift is sevenfold, etc.

Through Thee may we know the Father,
[and]* through Thee know [also]* the Son,
[and Thee]* the Spirit [of them both]*
may we believe in all as One.

Inflame our senses with Thy light,
with love our hearts infuse, etc.

Come, Creator spirit, etc.

Give us heavenly joy,
give us your grace;
and grant us everlasting peace;
dissolve the chains that vanquish us,
join us in the bond of peace.
and grant us everlasting peace, etc.

Glory to the Lord, the Father,
glory be to the Lord
incarnate, who died,
arose, as the Comforter.
Glory be to God, the Son
and the Holy Ghost,
world without end.

* Words omitted by Mahler

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