Urbs beata Jerusalem dicta pacis visio
Encyclopedia
Urbs beata Jerusalem dicta pacis visio is the first line of a 7th or 8th-century hymn
sung in the Office of the Dedication of a Roman Catholic church.
xxi. The translation below is by John Mason Neale
.
Under Pope Urban VIII
, a group of correctors revised the hymn, replacing the unquantitative, accentual, trochaic
rhythm with quantitative, iambic metre (with an addition syllable), and the stanza appeared in the Breviary
with divided lines:
Originally, the first four stanzas of "Urbs beata Jerusalem" were usually assigned, in the Office of the Dedication of a church, to Vespers
and Matins
, while the last four were given to Lauds
. After the revision, the hymn for Lauds was changed to "Alto ex Olympi vertice".
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
sung in the Office of the Dedication of a Roman Catholic church.
Text
The hymn comprises eight stanzas, together with a doxology. The text is scripturally inspired by Ephesians ii. 20, 1 Peter ii. 5, and RevelationRevelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
xxi. The translation below is by John Mason Neale
John Mason Neale
John Mason Neale was an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn-writer.-Life:Neale was born in London, his parents being the Revd Cornelius Neale and Susanna Neale, daughter of John Mason Good...
.
| Original Latin | Literal English | Verse translation (Neale) |
|---|---|---|
Urbs beata Jerusalem,
Quæ construitur in coelo [caelis]
Et angelis coronata
|
Blessed city of Jerusalem, Built in heaven
And crowned by the angels
|
Blessed City, Heavenly Salem, Who, of living stones upbuilded,
And, with angel cohorts circled,
|
Under Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
, a group of correctors revised the hymn, replacing the unquantitative, accentual, trochaic
Trochee
A trochee or choree, choreus, is a metrical foot used in formal poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one...
rhythm with quantitative, iambic metre (with an addition syllable), and the stanza appeared in the Breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
with divided lines:
Coelestis Urbs Jerusalem,
Beata pacis visio,
Quæ celsa de viventibus
Saxis ad astra tolleris,
Sponsæque ritu cingeris
Mille Angelorum millibus.
Originally, the first four stanzas of "Urbs beata Jerusalem" were usually assigned, in the Office of the Dedication of a church, to Vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
and Matins
Matins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
, while the last four were given to Lauds
Lauds
Lauds is a divine office that takes place in the early morning hours and is one of the two major hours in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, it forms part of the Office of Matins...
. After the revision, the hymn for Lauds was changed to "Alto ex Olympi vertice".