A GREGORIAN INSTITUTE PUBLICATION CHANTS OF THE CHURCH — Selected Gregorian Chants — Edited and Compiled by the MONKS OF SOLESMES Interlinear Translations by RT. REV. MSGR. CHARLES E. SPENCE GREGORIAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICA 2132 Jefferson Ave. — Toledo 2, OhioIMPRIMATUR. Tornaci, die 27 Marti 1953. *] Jutrus Lecouver, Vic. Gen, All Rights Reserved on the rhythmic signs and the rhythm they represent as well as on the melodies which are not part of the Vatican Edition but are taken from the publications of Solesmes. Descufe & Co. Tournai (Belg.) Copyright 1953 by Desc & Co., Tournai (Belgium). Printed in Belgium,Notes on the Translation It is an axiom with authorities on Plain Chant that the words are more important than the melodies; in other words, that the liturgical text takes precedence over the music to which it is sung, and in fact, determines the manner of rendering the music, since the same melody is sometimes found attached to various texts of quite different character. Unfortunately there are few organists or singers nowadays whose knowledge of Latin is sufficient to enable them to follow easily the meaning of the liturgical texts, So it seemed desirable to the editor of this manual of Plain Chant that a literal and word-for-word rendering of the Latin should be printed immediately below the Latin text in such a way that the sense could be followed as the words are sung. Accordingly the translator has made it his aim to offer such a word-for-word translation as would make the meaning of the text clear and could be read intelligibly even by itself. The difficulties are of course considerable, The main difference between Latin and most modern languages lies in the word order; for in Latin the endings of the words are changed to indicate their connection with the rest of the sentence whereas in modern languages it is the order of the words which indicates their connection with each other. In consequence the words in the Latin sentence can be arranged to suit the taste and convenience of the writer and so the order often varies greatly from that in English, In our word-for- word translations we have sought to render each Latin word where it stands and yet to make sense in English, thus enabling, we hope, the singer with little or no Latin to follow the meaning in the Latin order. This naturally leads to some rather odd expressions, but not unintelligible; e. g., Pater noster: Father of-us; Deus meus? God of-mine; that is to say, adjectives commonly follow the noun in Latin, Again the verb may stand before the subject; e. g., Fiat lux : Be-made light. In English we say, Hallowed be Thy name; Blessed art thou, etc. Consequently the reader must be prepared for many such unusual arrangements of words. Where more than