O Nouo canto, ch’ài morto el pianto
The Song of the Incarnate Word
The poet introduces a new song of praise for the Incarnation, where the divine Word descends to earth to bring peace.
O new song, you have silenced the weeping of suffering humanity. It seems to me that the song is pitched above high F.1 And it descends gently to low F, where the Word resounds. Never has such a descent been seen, so beautifully harmonized.2 The joyful singers in the choir are the holy angels, singing in harmony before the infant in whom I see the divine Word made flesh.3 A song is heard: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, for war and every evil have been destroyed.” So praise and bless the Christ you adore.
The Divine Scribe and the Transformed Heart
God is the author of this sacred music, which transforms the believer into a seraphic lover of divinity.
I see the divine music written on a lambskin parchment, where our song is set forth and echoed back to anyone who pays close attention. And God is the scribe who opened his hand and taught us the song. There, the one who is well-clothed in faith sings; there, he sees divinity, in all its majesty, made flesh.4 From this comes hope, which gives courage to the uplifted heart. A song of love is always found wherever someone knows how to enter into it. That person is conformed to God and takes beautiful longing as the pattern for life. Like a seraph, that person becomes divine, set aflame with love.5
The Liturgy of the Saints
The poet outlines a celestial liturgy, assigning specific songs to the martyrs, confessors, and Holy Innocents.
The first nocturn is dedicated to the company of martyrs. Stephen is the first, singing a sublime song with his companions who gave their lives and grafted them into Christ, the crimson flower. The second sequence is assigned to the company of confessors. The Evangelist has joined his voice to ours—the voice that adorns the choirs. For no one ever soared so high in song, with such perfect harmony. The third song that follows seems to be given to the Holy Innocents.6 For they are with the Child, in his company forever.7 We praise you, God; with our voices we sing that Christ is born today.
An Invitation to Repentance and Glory
The chapter concludes with a call to sinners and the righteous alike to join in the song of the newborn Christ and enter into eternal joy.
O sinners, you who have served wicked masters, come and sing: God can be found, for he has appeared on earth as a young boy, and whoever has longed for him holds him captive. You who have gone astray and are called to repentance: repentance removes every error from your heart and, through mercy, gives those who humble themselves an understanding of the truth. Righteous people, you who are clothed, come and sing; for you have been invited, called to glorify God in the heavenly kingdom, where every joy the heart has longed for is fulfilled.
Read the original Latin
O Nouo canto, ch’ài morto el pianto de l’huomo enfermato.
Sopre el fa acuto me pare emparuto che l canto se pona. Et nel fa graue descende suaue che l uerbo resona. Cotal desciso non fo mai uiso sì ben concordato.
Li cantatori iubilatori che tengon lo choro, son gli angeli sancti che fanno li canti al diuersoro, Dauante l fantino che l uerbo diuino ce ueggio encarnato.
Audito è un canto: gloria en alto a l’altissimo Dio; Et pace en terra, ch’è structa la guerra et omne rio. Vnde laudate et benedicete Christo adorato.
En carta ainina la nota diuina ueggio ch’è scripta, Là u’è l nostro canto ricto & renfranto a chi ben ci aficta. Et Dio è lo scriuano, ch’à ’perta la mano, che l canto ha ensegnato.
Loco se canta chi ben se n’amanta de fede formata, Diuinitate en sua maiestate ce uede encarnata. Onde esce speranza che dà baldanza al cor ch’è leuato.
Canto d’amore ce troua a ttutore chi ce sa entrare. Con Dio se conforma et prende la norma del bel desiare. Co seraphyno, deuenta diuino d’amor enflammato.
El primo nocturno è dato a lo sturno de martyrizati. Stephano è l primo, che canta sublimo con soi acompagnati, Ch’on posta la uita, en Christo l’ò insita, ch’è fior de granato.
El secondo sequente è dato a la gente de li confessori. Lo Vangelista la lengua ci à mista ch’adorna li chori. Che nullo con canto uolò tanto ad alto sì ben consonato.
El terzo sequente a li innocenti par che se dia. Ché col garzone ad ogne stagione so en sua compagnìa. Te Dio laudamo, con uoce cantamo che Christo oggi è nato.
O peccatori, ch’a li mal signori hauete seruito, Venite a cantare che Dio pò hom trouare, ch’en terra è apparito En forma de garzone, et tiello en pregione chi l’à desiato.
Huomini errati, che site uocati a penetenza, La quale omne errore ue tolle dal core, et dà entellegenza De ueritade per pietade a chi è humiliato.
Huomini insti, che sete endusti, uenite a cantare; Ché sete enuitati, a Dio uocati a gloriare, A regno celesto che compie omne festo che l core ha bramato.
Notes
- 1 ↩The dialectal form is uncertain; the sentence is rendered from its apparent musical sense and the surrounding contrast between high and low fa.
- 2 ↩Rendered as “descent” to preserve both the musical movement and its likely reference to the Word’s incarnation.
- 3 ↩The archaic musical term is rendered contextually as “in harmony”; its precise technical sense is uncertain.
- 4 ↩Literally “with formed faith”: in scholastic theology, faith brought to living perfection by love.
- 5 ↩The phrase describes transformation into likeness with God, not identity with God.
- 6 ↩“The Innocents” refers to the Holy Innocents, the children killed by Herod.
- 7 ↩The dialectal “so” is understood as third-person plural “they are,” with the Holy Innocents as its subject; “ad ogne stagione” literally means “at every season/time.”
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