Vexilla regis prodeunt

There is a really cool hymn that my church has been using for the past few weeks called the Vexilla Regis which dates from about the 6th century. Aside from the moving lyrics and beautiful music to which its set, it also caught my attention because Dante makes interesting use of it in his Inferno. When Dante and Virgil near Satan at the bottom of Hell, they hear a voice chanting "vexilla regis prodeunt inferni." Basically, it is the same opening of the Christian hymn but with "inferni" added in, changing the meaning from "the banners of the King advance" to "the banners of the king of Hell advance." This mutation of the Christian hymn makes effective use of the idea that Satan is unable to create anything but can only warp that which is good. Charles Williams does something like this in "War in Heaven" when the bad guy uses an infernal version of the Lord's Prayer. The Latin of the Lord's Prayer starts off "Pater noster qui est in caelis" (Our Father who is in Heaven"), but the prayer used by the bad guy is "Pater noster qui erat in caelis" (Our Father who was in Heaven). Its amazing the difference that one word can make.

Anyways, here is a link to a video of a Roman Catholic church in Scotland singing "Vexilla Regis" in Latin, and below is the standard English translation. I really like the videos that this church has put up (especially Vidi Aquam).

The royal banners forward go,
the cross shines forth in mystic glow;
where he in flesh, our flesh who made,
our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

Where deep for us the spear was dyed,
life's torrent rushing from his side,
to wash us in that precious flood,
where mingled water flowed, and blood.

Fulfilled is all that David told
in true prophetic song of old,
amidst the nations, God, saith he,
hath reigned and triumphed from the tree.

O tree of beauty, tree of light!
O tree with royal purple dight!
Elect on whose triumphal breast
those holy limbs should find their rest.

Blest tree, whose chosen branches bore
the wealth that did the world restore,
the price of humankind to pay,
and spoil the spoiler of his prey.

Upon its arms, like balance true,
he weighed the price for sinners due,
the price which none but he could pay,
and spoiled the spoiler of his prey.

O cross, our one reliance, hail!
Still may thy power with us avail
to give new virtue to the saint,
and pardon to the penitent.

To thee, eternal Three in One,
let homage meet by all be done:
whom by the cross thou dost restore,
preserve and govern evermore.