Hymn Rector potens, verax Deus

Continuing our meditations on the Canonical Hour of Sext, seeing that our favorite passage occurs therein, it would be well to consider the Hymn Rector potens, verax Deus in more depth. This Hymn was authored by Saint Ambrose (340-397) and its meter is iambic dimeter:

Hymn

Rector potens, verax Deus,
Qui témperas rerum vices,
Splendóre mane illúminas,
Et ígnibus merídiem:

Exstíngue flammas lítium,
Aufer calórem nóxium,
Confer salútem córporum,
Verámque pacem córdium.

Deo Patri sit glória,
Et Fílio, qui a mórtuis
Surréxit, ac Paraclito,
In sæculórum sæcula. Amen.

Notes

"Liturgical Use: Hymn for Sext daily throughout the year. Sext was said at noon. The great heat of the noonday sun is compared to the heat of the passions which we beseech God to extinguish. We implore Him also to grant us health of body and peace of soul." (The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal by Rev. Matthew Britt, O. S. B.).

1. "'O mighty Ruler, truthful God, who dost regulate the changes of things, with splendor dost Thou light up the morning, and with burning heat the noonday,' Verax Deus: Est autem Deus verax: omnis autem homo mendax, sicut scriptum est [But God is true; and every man a liar, as it is written] (Rom. iii. 4). Splendore: 'Splendor' is here the beauteous, beneficent light of the morning, in contradistinction to the sweltering heat of the midday.
2. 'Extinguish Thou the flames of strife, remove harmful heat, grant health of body and true peace of heart.' Litium: Noli contendere verbis [Contend not in words] (II Tim. ii. 14). Calorem noxium: evil desires. Pacem cordis: Pacem relinquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis; non quomodo mundus dat, ego do vobis. Non turbetur cor vestrum, neque formidet [Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid] (St. John xiv. 27)"
3. "Grant this, O most loving Father, and Thou, only-begotten Son, equal to the Father, who reignest eternally with the Holy Ghost, the Comforter."

(The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal by Rev. Matthew Britt, O. S. B.)