Peter Damiani (d. 1072), a friend of Hildebrand and promoter of his hierarchical refrms,
wrote a solemn hymn on the day of death:
"Gravi me terrore pulsas vitae dies ultima,"^495
"With what heavy fear thou smitest."
He is perhaps also the author of the better known descriptive poem on the Glory and Delights
of Paradise, which is usually assigned to St. Augustin:
"Ad perennis vitae fontem mens sitivit arida,
Claustra carnis praesto frangi clausa quaerit anima:
Gliscit, ambit, eluctatur exsul frui patria."^496
The subordinate hymn-writers of our period are the following:^497
Isidor of Seville (Isidoris Hispalensis, 560–636). A hymn on St. Agatha: "Festum insigne
prodiit."
Cyxilla of Spain. Hymnus de S. Thurso et sociis: Exulta nimium turba fidelium."
Eugenius of Toledo. Oratio S. Eugenii Toletani Episcopi: "Rex Deus."
Paulus Diaconus (720–800), of Monte Casino, chaplain of Charlemagne, historian of the
Lombards, and author of a famous collection of homilies. On John the Baptist ("Ut queant laxis),^498
and on the Miracles of St. Benedict (Fratres alacri pectore).
Odo of Cluny (d. 941). A hymn on St. Mary Magdalene day, "Lauda, Mater Ecclesiae,"
translated by Neale: "Exalt, O mother Church, to-day, The clemency of Christ, thy Lord." It found
its way into the York Breviary.
Godescalcus (Gottschalk, d. about 950, not to be confounded with his predestinarian
namesake, who lived in the ninth century), is next to Notker, the best writer of sequences or proses,
as "Laus Tibi, Christe" ("Praise be to Thee, O Christ"), and Coeli enarrant ("The heavens declare
the glory"), both translated by Neale.
Fulbert Of Chartres (died about 1029) wrote a paschal hymn adopted in several Breviaries:
"Chorus novae Jerusalem" ("Ye choirs of New Jerusalem"), translated by Neale.
A few of the choicest hymns of our period, from the sixth to the twelfth century are
anonymous.^499 To these belong:
"Hymnum dicat turba fratrum." A morning hymn mentioned by Bede as a fine specimen
of the trochaic tetrameter.(^495) Daniel, I. 224. English Versions by Neale, Benedict, and Washburn (l. c. p. 145). German translation by Königsfeld:
"Wie du mich mit Schrecken schüttelst." Neale (p. 52) calls this "an awful hymn, the Dies Irae of individual life." His version
begins:
"O what terror in thy forethought, Ending scene in mortal life!"
(^496) Daniel, I. 116-118 (Rhythmus de gloria et gaudiis Paradisi), under the name of St. Augustin. So also Clément, Carmina,
p. 162-166, who says that it is, attributed to Augustin "per les melleurs critiques," and that it is "un reflet de la Cité de Dieu."
But the great African father put his poetry into prose, and only furnished inspiring thoughts to poets. German translation
by Königsfeld (who gives it likewise under the name of St. Augustin) "Nach des ew’gen Lebens Quellen."
(^497) See their hymns in Daniel, I. 183 sqq., and partly in Mone, and Clément.
(^498) From this poem (see Daniel I. 209 sq. ) Guido of Arezzo got names for the six notes Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La:
"Ut queant laxis Re-sonare fibris
Mi-ra gestorum Fa-muli tuorum,
Sol ve polluti La-bii reatum,
Sancte Joannes."
(^499) See Daniel, Hymni adespotoi circa sec. VI-IX. conscripti, I. 191 sqq. Mone gives a larger number.