The Great Os are the antiphons used with the Magnificat at vespers or evensong on the last seven days of Advent. They are the material for the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.
Each has the same structure: ‘O’ and a messianic title in Scripture; an elaboration of that title; the request to ‘come’ and an elaboration of that request. The first letters of the Latin titles are an acrostic when read backwards, spelling ERO CRAS: Tomorrow, I will be/become.
It is a great joy to sing settings, and in particular modern settings of O Oriens, such as Arvo Pärt “O Morgenstern” from Sieben Magnificat Antiphonen, James Macmillan “O Radiant Dawn” from The Strathclyde Motets, and most recently Cecilia McDowall “O Oriens”.
The biblical sources are taken from Wikipedia, where there are also links to musical settings and more reflections. Under the text of each antiphon I have added the plainchant setting from S. Mary’s Press, Wantage, 1990, and a link to Malcolm Guite’s reflection and response in sonnet form.
O Sapientia
17 December
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
- “ego ex ore Altissimi prodivi” (Sirach 24:5)
- “[Sapientia] attingit a fine usque ad finem fortiter, et disponit omnia suaviter” (Wisdom 8:1)
- “Relinquite infantiam, et vivite, et ambulate per vias prudentiae” (Proverbs 9:6)
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other mightily,
and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.
- “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High” (Sirach 24:3)
- “[Wisdom] reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well” (Wisdom 8:1)
- “Forsake childishness, and live, and walk by the ways of prudence” (Proverbs 9:6, Douay-Rheims, following the Vulgate)
-oOo-
O Adonai
18 December
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,
qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
- “Ego Dominus qui apparui Abraham, Isaac et Jacob in Deo omnipotente: et nomen meum Adonai non indicavi eis” (Exodus 6:2-3)
- “dux in populo Israel” (2 Chronicles 6:5)
- “apparuit ei Dominus in flamma ignis de medio rubi” (Exodus 3:2)
- “Haec sunt praecepta, quae mandavit Dominus Moysi ad filios Israel in monte Sinai” (Leviticus 27:34)
- “redimam in brachio excelso” (Exodus 6:6)
O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
- “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name ‘The Lord’ (Adonai) I did not make myself known to them” (Exodus 6:2-3)
- “the leader over my people Israel” (2 Chronicles 6:5)
- “The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush” (Exodus 3:2)
- “These are the commandments that the Lord gave to Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai” (Leviticus 27:34)
- “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” (Exodus 6:6)
-oOo-
O Radix Jesse
19 December
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
- “Radix Jesse, qui stat in signum populorum” (Isaiah 11:10)
- “super ipsum continebunt reges os suum” (Isaiah 52:15)
- “ipsum gentes deprecabuntur” (Isaiah 11:10)
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.
- “the Root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples” (Isaiah 11:10)
- “kings shall shut their mouths because of him” (Isaiah 52:15)
- “him the Gentiles shall beseech” (Isaiah 11:10, Douay-Rheims, following the Vulgate)
-oOo-
O Clavis David
20 December
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel;
qui aperis, et nemo claudit;
claudis, et nemo aperit:
veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris et umbra mortis,
- “dabo clavem domus David super humerum ejus” (Isaiah 22:22)
- “aperiet et non erit qui claudat, claudet et non erit qui aperiat” (Isaiah 22:22)
- “ut educeres de conclusione vinctum” (Isaiah 42:7)
- “qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent” (Luke 1:79)
O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
- “I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David” (Isaiah 22:22)
- “he shall open and no one shall shut; he shall shut and no one shall open” (Isaiah 22:22)
- “to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon” (Isaiah 42:7)
- “those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79)
-oOo-
O Oriens
21 December
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
- “Oriens ex alto” (Luke 1:78)
- “candor est enim lucis aeternae” (Wisdom 7:26)
- “orietur sol justitiae” (Mal 4:2, Hebrews 3:20)
- “illuminare his qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent” (Luke 1:79)
O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
- “the dawn from on high” (Luke 1:78)
- “[Wisdom] is the brightness of eternal light” (Wisdom 7:26, Douay-Rheims, following the Vulgate)
- “the sun of righteousness shall rise” (Mal 4:2, Hebrews 3:20)
- “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79)
-oOo-
O Rex Gentium
22 December
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
- “Quis non timebit te, o Rex gentium?” (Jeremiah 10:7)
- “veniet desideratus cunctis gentibus” (Haggai 2:8)
- “Ecce ego mittam in fundamentis Sion lapidem, lapidem probatum, angularem, pretiosum, in fundamento fundatum” (Isaiah 28:16)
- “fecit utraque unum” (Ephesians 2:14)
- “formavit hominem de limo terrae” (Genesis 2:7)
O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.
- “Who would not fear you, O king of the nations?” (Jeremiah 10:7)
- “the desired of all nations shall come” (Haggai 2:8, Douay-Rheims, following the Vulgate)
- “See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation” (Isaiah 28:16)
- “he has made both groups into one” (Ephesians 2:14)
- “formed man from the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7)
-oOo-
O Emmanuel
23 December
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
- “ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet filium, et vocabitur nomen ejus Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14)
- “Dominus legifer noster, Dominus rex noster” (Isaiah 33:22)
- “ipse erit expectatio gentium” (Genesis 49:10)
- “speramus in Deum vivum, qui est Salvator omnium hominum” (1 Timothy 4:10)
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
- “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14)
- “The Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king” (Isaiah 33:22, Douay-Rheims, following the Vulgate)
- “he shall be the expectation of nations” (Genesis 49:10, Douay-Rheims, following the Vulgate)
- “we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all people” (1 Timothy 4:10)
-oOo-
