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Hic breve vivitur

Brief life is here our portion

The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal

  1. Hic breve vivitur, hic breve
    plangitur; hic breve fletur;
    Non breve vivere, non breve
    plaudere, retribuetur.
  2. O retributio! stat brevis actio,
    vita perennis;
    O retributio! Cœlica mansio stat
    lue plenis.
  3. Sunt modo prœlia, postmodo
    Præmia,—qualia? plena:
    Plena refectio, nullaque passio,
    nullaque pœna.
  4. Spe modo vivitur, et Sion angitur
    a Babylone;
    Nunc tribulatio, tunc recreatio,
    sceptra, coronæ.
  5. Qui modo creditur, ipse videbitur
    atque scietur,
    Ipse videntibus atque scientibus
    attribuetur.
  6. Mane videbitur, umbra fugabitur,
    ordo patebit;
    Mane nitens erit, et bona qui gerit,
    ille nitebit.
  7. Nunc tibi tristia, tunc tibi
    gaudia,—gaudia, quanta
    Vox nequit edere, lumina cernere,
    tangere planta.
  8. Pars mea, rex meus, in proprio
    Deus ipse decore
    Visus amabitur, atque videbitur
    auctor in ore.
  1. Brief life is here our portion;
    Brief sorrow, short-lived care;
    The life that knows no ending,
    The tearless life, is there.
  2. O happy retribution!
    Short toil, eternal rest;
    For mortals and for sinners
    A mansion with the blest!
  3. And now we fight the battle,
    But then shall wear the crown
    Of full and everlasting
    And passionless renown;
  4. And now we watch and struggle,
    And now we live in hope,
    And Sion in her anguish
    With Babylon must cope;
  5. But He whom now we trust in
    Shall then be seen and known;
    And they that know and see Him
    Shall have Him for their own.
  6. The morning shall awaken,
    The shadows shall decay,
    And each true-hearted servant
    Shall shine as doth the day.
  7. There grief is turned to pleasure,
    Such pleasure as below
    No human voice can utter,
    No human heart can know.
  8. There God, our King and Portion,
    In fulness of His grace,
    Shall we behold forever,
    And worship face to face.