
As we saw on Friday, for centuries the Abbey of St-Denys used to celebrate the Octave Day of its patron with a Mass where all the sung portions were in Greek. The translation of the sequence Gaude prole Grecia, attributed to both King Robert the Pious and Adam of St-Victor, is especially remarkable for its successful effort to preserve the metrical structure needed to fit the text to the melody.

Beginning with the new Parisian missal promulgated by the Lord Archsbishop François de Harlay in 1684, the neo-Gallican liturgical books that festered in France during the Enlightenment Age altered this sequence to expunge any connection between St Dionysius the Areopagite and St Dionysius of Paris. The Abbey of St-Denys, however, remained firm in defending the Greek origins of its patron, and sung the original text until the Revolution.
Ἑλλὰς, ἐν τέκνῳ χαῖρε· Γαλλία περίσσευε Ἐν πατρὶ Διονύσῳ. Ἀγαλλιάσθω πλέον Χαρὰν μέιζονα χαίρῃ Ἐφ’ ὧν συνηγορίῃ Πρὸς γονῆα κείμε νοι Ἀλλὰ τουτονὶ πάντως Ἀπὸ τ’ Ἀρχιερέως Ὁ Γάλλων Ἀπόστολος Τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ναὸν κτίζει, Ὄχλος πιστεῖ, πλάνη φεύγει, Πυθόμενος δὲ μαίνεται Ὃς ἕλκει ποιμένα ψυχῶν, Πρεσβύτερος πάσχει δίκας, Εὐχῇ δαμάζει θηρία, Πρεσβυτέρου λειτουργοῦντος, Ἄρτῳ ζωῆς δεδεσμένον Ἴεται μαχησόμενος, Αὐτὸ νεκρὸν ἀνέστησε, Ὅσιον τὸ πάθημα Ἀμήν. Ἀλληλούια. |
Gaude prole Grecia, Glorietur Gallia Patre Dionysio. Exultet uberius Speciali gaudio Quorum patrocinio Iuxta Patrem positi, Sed illum precipue Hic a summo presule Gallorum apostolus, Hic constructo Christi templo, Turba credit, error cedit, His auditis fit insanus Qui pastorem animarum, Infliguntur seni pene, Et estum vincit igneum. Seniore celebrante Specu clausum carcerali Prodit Martyr conflicturus, Consummatur gladio. Tam praeclara passio Amen. Alleluia. |
Rejoice, O Greece, in thy progeny; Glory, O Gaul In thy father Dionysius. Exalt richly, With a special joy, Of whose patronage Placed at the Father’s side, But him especially He, by the supreme Bishop The apostle of the Gauls Having built a temple to Christ, The multitude believeth, error recedeth, Hearing this, cruel Who that pastor of souls, Punishments are inflicted on the old man, By prayer he tameth wild beasts, As the old man celebrateth mass, He consoleth him The martyr goeth forth to battle, Anon the corpse ariseth, Let such a glorious passion Amen. Alleluia. |

Martyrdom of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite
fresco, Church of Saint Michael, Vithkuq (Albania), 1712

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