Today is the feast of St. Dominic – the sequence for this celebration could be heard by the participants of our morning Holy Mass. Although every Tuesday we pray through the intercession of the founder of the Order of Preachers, today was a particularly solemn prayer.

The following sequence is a translation of its Latin counterpart, given on the day of the celebration of Saint Father Dominic, August 8:

Now new canticles ascending,
And new strains harmonious blending,
‘Mid the hierarchies of heaven:

With our earthly choirs according,
Join this festival in lauding,
To our holy father given.

For the welfare of the nations,
Called from Egypt’s desolations
By their God and Maker, he

Was the chosen one and glorious,
Passing o’er the wave victorious,
In the ark of poverty.

Ere his birth, the preacher brother
Is prefigured to his mother
By a hound with torch of fire;

So her son, his torch-light bearing,
Midst the nations dark appearing,
Leads them on with full desire.

He, another Moses, teacheth,
And Elias-like he preacheth,
Sin denouncing with his might

Samson-like his foxes sending,
And the foe his trumpet rending,
Gedeon-like he put to flight.

From death’s sleep a child he waketh
Whom alive his mother taketh:
When the holy sign he makes,

Cease the floods; and bread from heaven
For his fainting sons is given
Which into their hands he breaks.

Happy he, whose elevation,
Is our mother’s exaltation,
Is her joy and weal indeed.

To his home by saints attended,
Hath his soul for aye ascended,
Having filled the earth with seed.

Like the hidden grain he bideth
Like the clouded star he hideth:
But the Maker of the spheres,

Joseph’s dry bones readorning,
Will reveal the star of morning,
Till earth’s darkness disappears.

O surpassing fragrance, telling
Of the virtues of that dwelling,
Which within the tomb doth lie!

Thither flock the sick for healing,
Blind and lame the grace revealing
That his body lives for aye.

Wherefore now with jubilation
Bless and praise him, every nation,
Cry aloud, and crave his care:

Sing Dominic the glorious,
Sing Dominic victorious,
Claim his help and promised prayer.

And thou, father, kind and loving,
Shepherd, patron, unreproving,
Kneeling heaven’s high throne before,

Lift for us thy voice prevailing,
To our King with prayers availing
Evermore and evermore. Amen.

 
 

The Latin original “In cælesti hierarchia” can be heard in the archival recording of Father Łukasz Miśko and Father Marcin Dyjak from the chapel of Bl. Czesław in Wrocław, on the Liturgia.pl channel: