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by Jean Racine (1639 - 1699)

Sombre nuit, aveugles ténèbres
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Sombre nuit, aveugles ténèbres,
Fuyez; le jour s'approche et l'Olympe blanchit;
Et vous, démons, rentrez dans vos prisons funébres:
De votre empire affreux un Dieu nous affranchit.

Le soleil perce l'ombre obscure;
Et les traits éclatants qu'il lance dans les airs,
Rompant le voile épais qui couvrait la nature,
Redonnent la couleur et l'âme à l'univers.

Ô Christ, notre unique lumière, 
Nous ne reconnaissons que tes saintes clartés,
Notre esprit t'est soumis; entends notre prière,
Et sous ton divin joug range nos volontés.

Souvent notre âme criminelle
Sur sa fausse vertu téméraire s'endort;
Hâte-toi d'éclairer, ô lumière éternelle,
Des malheureux assis dans l'ombre de la mort.

Gloire à toi, Trinité profonde,
Père, Fils, Esprit saint: qu'on t'adore toujours,
Tant que l'astre des temps éclairera le monde,
Et quand les siècles même auront fini leur cours.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Jean Racine (1639 - 1699), "Le Mercredi, "À Laudes"", appears in Hymnes traduites du Bréviaire Romain [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Hymne", FP 144 (1948-1949), first performed 1948 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Hymn", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 135

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