Sunday, February 17, 2008

Ambrosian Lent IV: Dicamus omnes

Today, on the second Sunday of Lent -the first true lenten Sunday before St. Charles's reform- the second litany is sung in the extraordinary form of the Ambrosian Rite, and, optionally, also in the ordinary form. It is also known as "Dicamus Omnes" from its first two words.

I gave some details about the liturgical role of these litanies in my previous post.


Here's a video taken in the Basilica of St. Ambrose last year (ordinary form):



And here's the text with an English translation:

Dominus vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo.

Dicamus omnes:
Kyrie eleison.

Domine, Deus omnipotens patrum nostrorum.
Kyrie eleison.

Respice de coelo et de sede sancta tua.
Kyrie eleison.

Pro Ecclesia tua sancta catholica, quam conservare digneris.
Kyrie eleison.

Pro Papa nostro N. et Pontifice nostro N. et sacerdotio eorum.
Kyrie eleison.

[Pro famulis tuis, N. Imperatore, et N. Rege, Duce nostro, et omni exercitu eorum.]

Pro universis Episcopis, cuncto clero, et populo.
Kyrie eleison.

Pro civitate hac, omnibusque habitantibus in ea.
Kyrie eleison.

Pro àerum temperie, et foecunditate terrarum.
Kyrie eleison.

Libera nos, qui liberasti filios Israel.
Kyrie eleison.

In manu forti et brachio excelso.
Kyrie eleison.

Exurge, Domine, adiuva nos, et libera nos propter nomen tuum.

Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison.



The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirt.

Let us all say:
Kyrie eleison!

O Lord, omnipotent God of our fathers.
Kyrie eleison!

Look down from Heaven, and from Thy holy throne.
Kyrie eleison!

For Thy holy Catholic Church, that Thou may preserve.
Kyrie eleison!

For our Pope N., and our Bishop N., and their clergy.
Kyrie eleison!

For all Bishops, all the clergy, and the people.
Kyrie eleison!

[For Thy servants N. our Emperor, and N. our King and Duke, and all their army.
Kyrie eleison! ]

For this town, and for all her inhabitants.
Kyrie eleison!

For the clemency of the weather, and for the fecundity of the hearth.
Kyrie eleison!

Liberate us, Thou Who liberated the children of Israel.
Kyrie eleison!

With Thy strong hand and high arm.
Kyrie eleison!

Arise, O Lord, help us, and liberate us for Thy holy name.

Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison.


The first litany, as mentioned in my previous post, is probably very ancient, maybe pre-costantinian, and is very similar to the ektenes litany of the Bizantine Liturgy.
The second litany is less ancient, and is very similar to the litany for the dismissal of the catechumens in the Bizantine liturgy.

More recent articles:

For more articles, see the NLM archives: