The world is very evil

1) The world is very evil,
The times are waxing late,
Be sober and keep vigil,
The Judge is at the gate.
The Judge who comes in mercy,
The Judge who comes in might,
Who comes to end the evil,
Who comes to crown the right.

2) Arise, arise, good Christian,
Let right to wrong succeed;
Let penitential sorrow
To heavenly gladness lead,
To light that has no evening,
That knows nor moon nor sun,
The light so new and golden,
The light that is but one.

3) O home of fadeless splendor,
Of flowers that bear no thorn,
Where they shall dwell as children
Who here as exiles mourn;
’Midst power that knows no limits,
Where wisdom has no bound,
The beatific vision
Shall glad the saints around.

4) The peace that is for Heaven,
And shall be too for earth,
The palace that re-echoes
With festal song and mirth;
The garden breathing spices,
The paradise on high;
Grace beautified to glory,
Unceasing minstrelsy.

5) O happy, holy portion,
Reflection for the blest,
True vision of true beauty,
True cure of the distressed!
Strive, man, to win that glory;
Toil, man, to gain that light;
Send hope before to grasp it,
Till hope be lost in sight.

6) O sweet and blessèd country,
The home of God’s elect!
O sweet and blessèd country,
That eager hearts expect!
Jesu, in mercy bring us
To that dear land of rest;
Who art with God the Father
And Spirit, ever blest.

Liedtext: 12. Jh., Bernhard von Cluny (Bernard of Morlaix)
Vom Lateinischen ins Englische übersetzt von John M. Neale (1818-1866)
Musik: Robert L. Pearsall (1795-1856)

Bernhard von Cluny (oder Bernard of Morlaix; lat. Bernardus Cluniacensis oder Bernardus Morlanensis) war ein Benediktinermönch in der ersten Hälfte des 12. Jahrhunderts. Er war Dichter, Satiriker und Verfasser geistlicher Lieder. Er ist der Autor des berühmten, meist in Versen geschriebenen Werkes „Von der Verachtung der Welt“.

Das Werk beginnt mit dem lateinischen Vers:

Hora novissima, tempora pessima sunt — vigilemus.
Ecce minaciter imminet arbiter ille supremus.
Imminet imminet ut mala terminet, æqua coronet,
Recta remuneret, anxia liberet, æthera donet.

John M. Neale schrieb darüber:

„As a contrast to the mis­e­ry and pol­lu­tion of earth, this po­em opens with a des­crip­tion of the peace and glo­ry of hea­ven, of such rare beau­ty as not ea­si­ly to be matched by any med­ie­val com­pos­ers on the same sub­ject.“

Abtei von Cluny (Bild: Sebastian Sigler, Lizenz CC-BY-SA 3.0)

(Angaben zu Berhard von Cluny: nach Wikipedia)

Verweise:

Notensatz der Melodie (Pearsall, externer Link zu The CyberHymnal)

Audiofile der Melodie (midi, externer Link zu The CyberHymnal)

Bernardus Cluniacensis: De contemptu mundi