Exsultet
Let the angelic choirs of Heaven now rejoice; let the divine Mysteries rejoice; and let the trumpet of salvation sound forth the victory of so great a King. Let the earth also rejoice, made radiant by such splendor; and, enlightened with the brightness of the eternal King, let it know that the darkness of the whole world is scattered. Let our mother the Church also rejoice, adorned with the brightness of so great a light; and let this temple resound with the loud acclamations of the people. Wherefore I beseech you, most beloved brethren, who are here present in the wondrous brightness of this holy light, to invoke with me the mercy of almighty God. That He who has vouchsafed to admit me among the Levites, without any merits of mine, would pour forth the brightness of His light upon me, and enable me to perfect the praise of this wax candle. Through our Lord Jesus Christ His Son, Who with Him and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God for ever and ever.
Exsúltet iam Angélica turba coelórum: exsúltent divína mystéria: et pro tanti Regis victória tuba ínsonet salutáris. Gáudeat et tellus tantis irradiáta fulgóribus: et aetérni Regis splendóre illustráta, totíus orbis se séntiat amisísse calíginem. Laetétur et mater Ecclésia, tanti lúminis adornáta fulgóribus: et magnis populórum vócibus haec aula resúltet. Quaprópter astántes vos, fratres caríssimi, ad tam miram huius sancti lúminis claritátem, una mecum, quaeso, Dei omnipoténtis misericórdiam invocáte. Ut, qui me non meis méritis intra Levitárum númerum dignatus est aggregáre: lúminis sui claritátem infúndens, Cérei huius laudem implére perfíciat. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium suum: qui cum eo vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus: Per omnia saécula saeculórum.
Amen.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
Dóminus vobíscum.
And with thy spirit.
Et cum Spíritu tuo.
Lift up your hearts.
Sursum corda.
We have them lifted up to the Lord.
Habémus ad Dóminum.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Grátias agámus Dómino Deo nostro.
It is meet and just.
Dignum et iustum est.
It is truly meet and right to proclaim with all our heart and all the affection of our mind, and with the ministry of our voices, the invisible God, the Father almighty, and His only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who repaid for us to His eternal Father the debt of Adam, and by the merciful shedding of His Blood, cancelled the debt incurred by original sin. For this is the Paschal Festival; in which that true Lamb is slain, with Whose Blood the doorposts of the faithful are consecrated. This is the night in which Thou didst formerly cause our forefathers, the children of Israel, when brought out of Egypt, to pass through the Red Sea with dry foot. This, therefore, is the night which dissipated the darkness of sinners by the light of the pillar. This is the night which at this time throughout the world restores to grace and unites in sanctity those that believe in Christ, and are separated from the vices of the world and the darkness of sinners. This is the night in which, destroying the chains of death, Christ arose victorious from the grave. For it would have profited us nothing to have been born, unless redemption had also been bestowed upon us. O wondrous condescension of Thy mercy towards us! O inestimable affection of love: that Thou mightest redeem a slave, Thou didst deliver up Thy Son! O truly needful sin of Adam, which was blotted out by the death of Christ! O happy fault, that merited to possess such and so great a Redeemer! O truly blessed night, which alone deserved to know the time and hour when Christ rose again from hell! This is the night of which it is written: And the night shall be as clear as the day; and the night is my light in my delights. Therefore the hallowing of this night puts to flight all wickedness, cleanses sins, and restores innocence to the fallen, and gladness to the sorrowful. It drives forth hatreds, it prepares concord, and brings down haughtiness.
Vere dignum et iustum est invisibilem Deum Patrem omnipoténtem Filiúmque eius unigénitum, Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, toto cordis ac mentis afféctu et vocis ministério personáre. Qui pro nobis aetérno Patri Adae débitum solvit: et véteris piáculi cautiónem pio cruóre detérsit. Haec sunt enim festa paschália, in quibus verus ille Agnus occíditur, cuius sánguine postes fidelium consecrántur. Haec nox est, in qua primum patres nostros, fílios Israël edúctos de Aegýpto, Mare Rubrum sicco vestígio transire fecísti. Haec ígitur nox est, quae peccatórum ténebras colúmnae illuminatióne purgávit. Haec nox est, quae hódie per univérsum mundum in Christo credéntes, a vítiis saéculi et calígine peccatórum segregátos, reddit grátiae, sóciat sanctitáti. Haec nox est, in qua, destrúctis vínculis mortis, Christus ab ínferis victor ascéndit. Nihil enim nobis nasci prófuit, nisi rédimi profuísset. O mira circa nos tuae pietátis dignátio! O inaestimábilis diléctio caritátis: ut servum redimeres, Fílium tradidísti! O certe necessárium Adae peccátum, quod Christi morte delétum est! O felix culpa, quae talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem! O vere beáta nox, quae sola méruit scire tempus et horam, in qua Christus ab ínferis resurréxit! Haec nox est, de qua scriptum est: Et nox sicut dies illuminábitur: Et nox illuminátio mea in delíciis meis. Huius ígitur sanctificátio noctis fugat scélera, culpas lavat: et reddit innocéntiam lapsis et maestis laetítiam. Fugat ódia, concórdiam parat et curvat impéria.
Wherefore, in this sacred night, receive, O holy Father, the evening sacrifice of this incense, which holy Church renders to Thee by the hands of Thy ministers in the solemn offering of this wax candle, made out of the work of bees. Now also we know the praises of this pillar, which the shining fire enkindles to the honor of God.
In huius ígitur noctis grátia, súscipe, sancte Pater, incénsi huius sacrifícium vespertínum: quod tibi in hac Cérei oblatióne sollémni, per ministrórum manus de opéribus apum, sacro sancta reddit Ecclésia. Sed iam colúmnae huius praeconia nóvimus, quam in honórem Dei rútilans ignis accéndit.
Which fire, although divided into parts, suffers no loss from its light being borrowed. For it is nourished by the melting wax, which the mother bee produced for the substance of this precious light.
Qui licet sit divísus in partes, mutuáti tamen lúminis detriménta non novit. Alitur enim liquántibus ceris, quas in substántiam pretiósae huius lámpadis, apis mater edúxit.
O truly blessed night, which plundered the Egyptians and enriched the Hebrews! A night in which heavenly things are united to those of earth, and things divine to those which are of man. We beseech Thee, therefore, O Lord, that this wax candle hallowed in honor of Thy Name, may continue to burn to dissipate the darkness of this night. And being accepted as a sweet savor, may be united with the heavenly lights. Let the morning star find its flame alight. That star, I mean, which knows no setting. He Who returning from hell, serenely shone forth upon mankind. We beseech Thee therefore, O Lord, that Thou wouldst grant peaceful times during this Paschal Festival, and vouchsafe to rule, govern, and keep with Thy constant protection us Thy servants, and all the clergy, and the devout people, together with our most holy Father, Pope N...., and our Bishop N.... Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God for ever and ever.
O vere beáta nox, quae exspoliávit Aegýptios, ditávit Hebraéos! Nox, in qua terrénis coeléstia, humánis divína iungúntur. Orámus ergo te, Dómine: ut Céreus iste in honórem tui nóminis consecrátus, ad noctis huius calíginem destruéndam, indefíciens persevéret. Et in odórem suavitátis accéptus, supérnis lumináribus misceátur. Flammas eius lúcifer matutínus invéniat. Ille, inquam, lúcifer, qui nescit occásum. Ille, qui regréssus ab ínferis, humáno géneri serénus illúxit. Precámur ergo te, Dómine: ut nos fámulos tuos, omnémque clerum, et devotíssimum pópulum: una cum beatíssimo Papa nostro N. . . ., et Antístite nostro N. . . ., quiéte témporum concéssa, in his paschalibus gáudiis, assídua protectióne régere, gubernáre et conserváre digneris. Réspice étiam ad devotíssimum/electum Imperatórem nostrum N. . . ., cuius tu, Deus, desidérii vota praenóscens, ineffábili pietátis et misericórdiae tuae múnere, tranquíllum perpétuae pacis accómmoda: et coeléstem victóriam cum omni pópulo suo. Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus: per ómnia saécula saeculórum.
Amen.
Amen.