拉丁教父 › 使徒行傳史詩
阿拉托爾
使徒行傳史詩 第 199 章
拉丁文原文．10 節．部分字詞可點開查義
199:1
Longum erit, charissimi, singula quae sanctorum historia continet dicere, præsertim cum res exigat de Novo Testamento aliqua ad veterum confirmationem et ad vestram instructionem debere proferri. Ergo invenies primum Zachariam patrem magni Joannis post longum illud silentium in bymni vice prophetasse. Nec Elisabelh, diu sterilis, edito de promissione filio Deum de ipsa anima magnificare cessavit. Nato in terris Christo laudem sonuit excrritus angelorum: Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pan hominibus bonæ voluntatis (Luc. ii, 14). Annuntiantes pueri in templo, Hosanna filio David (Matth. xxi, 15) clamaverunt;
親愛的弟兄們，要敘述聖徒的歷史所包含的每一件事，必嫌冗長，尤其因事情需要從新約引出一些事，來印證舊約並教導你們。所以你們首先要發現，大約翰的父親撒迦利亞，在那長久的緘默之後，以詩歌的方式說了預言。以利沙伯久不生育，及至那應許的兒子降生，也從她的靈魂深處不住地尊神為大。當基督在地上降生時，天使的軍隊發出讚美：在至高之處榮耀歸與神，在地上平安歸與祂所喜悅的人（路二14）。孩童們在聖殿裡傳揚，喊著說：和散那歸於大衛的子孫（太二一15）；
It would be long, beloved, to relate each thing that the history of the saints contains, especially since the matter requires that some things from the New Testament should be brought forward for the confirmation of the old and for your instruction. Therefore you will find first Zacharias, the father of the great John, after that long silence prophesying by way of a hymn. Nor did Elizabeth, long barren, after the son promised was brought forth, cease to magnify God from her very soul. When Christ was born on earth, the host of angels sounded forth praise: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke 2:14). The children, proclaiming in the temple, cried out: Hosanna to the Son of David (Matt. 21:15);
199:2
nec Pharisaeis livore strepentibus Dominus ora innocentium clausit, sed potius aperuit, dicens eis: Non legistis scriptum: Ex ore infantium et lactentium perfecisti laudem ? Et si isti tacuerint, lapides clamabunt (Ibid., 16). Ipse Dominus in verbis doctor, in factis consummator, ut hymnorum ministeriumgratissimum comprobaret, cum discipulis hymno dicto exivit in montem Oliveti. Quis jam tali documento de psalmorum et bymnorum religione dubitabit; quando ille qui a coelestibus cunctis adoratur ct psallitur, ipse cum discipulis hymnum cantasse perhibetur?
當法利賽人因嫉妒而喧嚷時，主並未堵住無辜者的口，反倒開了他們的口，對他們說：經上記著：你從嬰孩和吃奶的口中完全了讚美的話，你們沒有念過麼？我告訴你們，這些人若閉口不言，石頭必要呼叫（太二一16；路十九40）。主自己在言語上作教師，在行為上作成全者，為要嘉許詩歌這至為討喜的事奉，唱完了詩歌，便同門徒出去往橄欖山去。如今誰還會因這樣的憑據，對詩篇與詩歌之虔誠存疑呢？既然那被天上眾者所敬拜、所歌頌的主，自己據傳也與門徒同唱了詩歌。
nor, when the Pharisees murmured with envy, did the Lord shut the mouths of the innocent, but rather opened them, saying to them: Have you not read the Scripture: Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out (Matt. 21:16, Luke 19:40). The Lord himself, a teacher in words, a consummator in deeds, in order to approve the most pleasing ministry of hymns, after a hymn was said went out with his disciples to the Mount of Olives. Who now will doubt, with such a proof, concerning the religion of psalms and hymns; when he who is adored and praised in psalmody by all the heavenly ones, is himself reported to have sung a hymn with his disciples?
199:3
Et Joannes in Apocalypsi refert se Spiri u revclante vidisse, et audisse vocem aquarum multarum, et tonitruorum validorum dicentium Alleluia; ex quo nullus debet ambigere hoc vigillarum sanctarum ministerium, si digna fide et devotione vera celebretur, angelis esse conjunctum, quos constat sine somno, sine occupatione indesinenter laudare Deum in cœlis, et benedicere Salvatorem. Quæ cum ita sint, fratres, jam pleniore fiJucia hymnorum mysterium fideliter impleamus, magnam nos credentes a Deo gral am consecutos, quibus concessum est cum tanlis ac talibus sanctis, prophetis dico atque martyribus, Dei aeterni miracula..... Hic cum David Domino confitemur quoniam bonus est;
約翰在《啟示錄》中敘述，藉著聖靈的啟示，他看見並聽見眾水的聲音與大雷的聲音說：哈利路亞；由此無人應當懷疑，這神聖守夜的事奉，若以配得的信德與真實的虔敬來舉行，便與天使相連——眾所周知，天使無睡眠、無別務，在諸天不住地讚美神、稱頌救主。弟兄們，既是如此，讓我們如今以更滿的信心忠心地成全詩歌的奧祕，深信我們已從神得了大恩，蒙允得與如此眾多、如此偉大的聖徒——我是說眾先知與殉道者——同頌永恆之神的奇事。在此，我們與大衛一同稱謝主，因祂本為善；
And John in the Apocalypse relates that he, the Spirit revealing it, saw and heard the voice of many waters and of mighty thunders saying Alleluia; from which no one ought to doubt that this ministry of holy vigils, if it be celebrated with worthy faith and true devotion, is joined to the angels, who, it is established, without sleep, without occupation, unceasingly praise God in the heavens and bless the Saviour. Since these things are so, brethren, let us now with fuller confidence faithfully fulfil the mystery of hymns, believing that we have obtained a great grace from God, to whom it is granted to celebrate with so many and such great saints—the prophets, I say, and martyrs—the miracles of the eternal God. Here with David we confess to the Lord that he is good;
199:4
cum Moyse potentiam Domini magnis illis canticis personamus; cum Anna quæ Ecclesiae speciem gerit, olim sterilis, nunc fecunda, in Dei laude corde confirmamur; cum Isaia de nocte vigilantes psallimus; cum Habacuc, cum Jeremia, cum Jona sanctissimis vatibus orando cantamus: cum tribus æque pueris, quasi in fornace posi:i, convocata omni creatura, Creatori omnium benedicentes psallimus. Quid hac utilitate commodius, quid hac delectatione jucundius, quia et Psalmis delectamur, ei orationibus irrigamur, et interpositis lectionibus pascimur? Et vere sicut boni convivæ ferculorum varietate delectantur, ita nostræ animæ multiplici lectione et hymuorum exhibitione sagin antur.
我們與摩西在那些偉大的詩歌中宣揚主的權能；與亞拿——她背負教會的表記，昔日不育，今則多產——在神的讚美中心裡得堅固；與以賽亞夜間守夜唱詩；與哈巴谷、與耶利米、與約拿這些至聖的先知，邊禱告邊歌唱：又與那三個少年人一同，彷彿被置於火窯中，召集一切受造之物，歌唱稱頌萬有的造物主。有甚麼比這益處更有利，有甚麼比這喜悅更歡暢呢？既然我們又因詩篇得歡欣，又因禱告得滋潤，又因其間穿插的誦讀得餵養。實在，正如美好的赴宴者因菜餚的多樣而歡愉，照樣我們的靈魂藉著多樣的誦讀與詩歌的呈獻得以飽足。
with Moses we sound forth the power of the Lord in those great songs; with Anna—who bears the figure of the Church, once barren, now fruitful—we are confirmed in heart in the praise of God; with Isaiah we sing psalms watching by night; with Habakkuk, with Jeremiah, with Jonah, those most holy seers, we sing while praying: with the three children likewise, as if set in the furnace, all creation being summoned, we sing psalms blessing the Creator of all. What is more advantageous than this usefulness, what more joyous than this delight, since we are both delighted by the Psalms, watered by prayers, and fed by the readings interposed? And truly, just as good banqueters are delighted by the variety of dishes, so our souls are fattened by manifold reading and the rendering of hymns.
199:5
Tantum, charissimi, intermittentes fabulas superfluas, intento sensu et vigilanti mente psallamus, ut Deo non displiceamus. Sic enim nos hortatur psalmus dicens: Quoniam rex omnis terræ Deus, psallite sapienter (Psal. XLVI, 8), id est intelligenter, ut non solum spiritu, hoc est sono vocis, sed et mente psallamus, et ipsum quod psallimus cogitemus ne captivata mens fabulis et eat aneis cogitationibus, laborcm habeat infructuosum. Sonus etiam vel melodia consentiens sanctae religioni psallalur, non quæ tragicas difficultates exclamet, sed quae in vobis a veram Christianitatem demonstreL; non quæ aliqud theatrale redoleat, sed compunctionem peccatorum faciat.
親愛的弟兄們，只是要撇下多餘的閒談，以專注的意念、儆醒的心思唱詩，免得我們不討神喜悅。因為詩篇這樣勸勉我們，說：神是全地的王，你們要用智慧歌頌（詩四七7），就是說要明達地，使我們不單用靈——就是聲音——也用悟性歌唱，並思想我們所歌唱的本身，免得心思被閒談與虛空的念頭擄去，徒勞無功。也當歌唱那與聖潔虔誠相和諧的聲音或旋律——不是那呼喊悲劇式繁難的，而是在你們身上彰顯真正基督信仰的；不是帶著任何戲劇氣味的，而是激發為罪痛悔之心的。
Only, beloved, leaving off superfluous tales, let us sing psalms with intent sense and watchful mind, that we may not displease God. For thus the psalm exhorts us, saying: For God is king of all the earth, sing psalms wisely (Ps. 46:8), that is, intelligently, so that we may sing not only with the spirit—that is, the sound of the voice—but also with the mind, and may ponder the very thing we sing, lest the mind, captivated by tales and empty thoughts, should have fruitless labour. Let also the sound or melody that is consonant with holy religion be sung—not such as cries out tragic difficulties, but such as demonstrates true Christianity in you; not such as smacks of anything theatrical, but works compunction for sins.
199:6
Sed et vox omnium vestrum non dissona debet esse, sed consona. Non unus insipienter protrabat, aut unus humiliet, alter vocem extollat; sed innitatur humiliter unusquisque vocem suam intra sonum chori concinentis includere, non extrinsecus extollentes, aut protrahentes quasi ad stultam ostentationcm indecenter efferre, neque hominibus placere velle. Totum enim tanquam in conspectu Dei, non hominibus placendi studio celebrare debemus. Nabemus enim et de hac vocis consonantia formam positam, vel exemplum, tres illos utique beatissimos pueros, de quibus refert propheta Daniel: Tunc, in. quit, hi tres quasi ex uno ore hymnum dicebant, et glorificabant Deum in forMare, dicentes:
再者，你們眾人的聲音不該是不和諧的，而該是和諧的。不要有人愚妄地拖長，或有人壓低而另一人卻高揚他的聲音；倒要各人謙卑地竭力把自己的聲音收斂在那同聲歌唱的詩班之內，不在外面高揚，或彷彿為著愚蠢的炫耀而拖長，不合宜地把它發出來，也不可想要討人喜悅。因為我們應當把這全然當作在神面前來進行，而非出於討好人的熱衷。因為對這聲音的和諧，我們也有一個榜樣或例子被擺出來——就是那三個至蒙福的少年人，先知但以理論到他們說：他說，那時這三人彷彿同出一口，唱詩在火窯中榮耀神，說：
But also the voice of you all ought not to be dissonant, but consonant. Let not one foolishly draw it out, or one lower it while another raises his voice; but let each one humbly strive to enclose his voice within the sound of the harmonizing choir, not by raising it outside, or by drawing it out as if for foolish display, unbecomingly putting it forth, nor wishing to please men. For we ought to perform the whole as it were in the sight of God, not out of zeal to please men. For we have also a model set forth, or example, of this consonance of voice—namely those three most blessed children, of whom the prophet Daniel relates: Then, he says, these three as if from one mouth uttered a hymn, and glorified God in the furnace, saying:
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Benedictus es, Domine Deus patrum nostrorum (Dan. III, 51, 52). Videtis quia pro magisterio ponitur quod tres pueri pariter Deum ex uno ore humiliter sancteque laudaverint. Et nos utique omnes quasi ex uno ore eumdemque psalmorum sonum, eamdemque vocis modulationem æqualiter proferamus: qui aulein æquare se non potest caeteris, melius est ei tacere, aut lenta voce psallere. quam clamosa voce omnibus perstrepere; sic enim et ministerii implebit officium, et humiliter psallenti fraternitati non facict offendicutum.
主、我們列祖的天主，你是應受讚美的（但三51-52）。你們看，這作為一項教訓而被記載下來：三個少年同心合意，如同一口，謙卑而聖潔地讚美天主。我們眾人也當如此，彷彿出於一口，同樣地發出聖詠相同的聲音、相同的音調。凡不能與眾人協調一致的人，與其用喧鬧的聲音蓋過眾人，不如靜默，或以柔和的聲音歌詠；因為這樣他既盡了事奉的本分，也不致使謙卑歌詠的弟兄們跌倒。
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers (Dan. 3:51-52). You see that it is set down as a lesson that the three young men together praised God humbly and holily as with one mouth. And let us all likewise, as with one mouth, send forth the very same sound of the psalms and the very same modulation of voice in equal measure. But whoever cannot make himself equal to the rest, it is better for him to be silent, or to chant in a soft voice, than to drown out everyone with a clamorous voice; for thus he will fulfill the duty of his ministry, and will give no offense to the brethren who are chanting humbly.
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Si ergo et nostra omnium vox fucrit inoffensa, vel consona labiorum cymbalis bene sonantibus, et nos delectabit, et audientes ædificabit, et Deo nostro suavis erit tota laudatio, qui in domo sua, sicut legitur, unanimes hahilare facit. Quando enim psallitur, psallatur ab omnibus; cum lectio legitur, facio silentio æque audiatur ab omnibus, ut legente lectore omnino clamosis vocibus nemo perstrepat. Et antequam legatur, omnes convenite: si quis autem supervenerit cum lectio celebratur, adoret tantura Deum, et præsignata fronte, aurem legi Dei sollicite commodet. Patet tempus orandi cum omnes oramus, patet tempus cum volueritis, et quoties volueritis privatim orare;
所以，倘若我們眾人的聲音毫無冒犯，或如善鳴的鈸般使口唇和諧，就必使我們歡喜，使聽者受造就，我們全部的讚美也必為我們的天主所喜悅——正如經上所讀的，祂使同心合意的人住在祂的家中。因為歌詠聖詠時，當由眾人同詠；誦讀經課時，當以肅靜由眾人同聽，使誦讀者誦讀時，無一人以喧鬧的聲音擾亂。誦讀之前，你們眾人當聚集齊全；但若有人在經課進行時才到，他只當朝拜天主，在額上劃十字後，專注地側耳傾聽天主的誦讀。當我們眾人一同祈禱時，公共祈禱的時間是敞開的；至於私下祈禱，無論你們何時願意、多少次願意，那時間也是敞開的。
If therefore the voice of us all is without offense, or in harmony like well-sounding cymbals of the lips, it will both delight us and edify those who hear, and our whole praise will be sweet to our God, who, as it is read, makes the like-minded to dwell in His house. For when the psalm is sung, let it be sung by all; when the lesson is read, with due silence let it be heard equally by all, so that while the reader reads, no one at all may drown it out with clamorous voices. And before it is read, all of you assemble together; but if anyone should arrive while the lesson is being celebrated, let him only adore God, and having signed his forehead, let him attentively lend his ear to the reading of God. The time for prayer lies open when we all pray; the time lies open, whenever you wish, and as often as you wish, to pray in private.
199:9
ne obtentu lectionis doleas te perdidisse lectioncm, quia non semper eam quilibet paratam potest habere: nam grande tempus semper in promptu est: nec putetis parvam vobis nasci utilitatem ex ' sacrac lectionis auditu; quia oratio ipsa fit pinguior, dum mens recenti lectione saginatur, et currit per imagines divinarum rerum quas nuper audivit. Nam et Maria soror Marthæ, quæ sedens ad pedes Jesu sorore neglecta verbum Domini intentius audiebat, bonam partem sibi elegisse Domini voce firmatur.
不要藉口要去誦讀，而為自己失去了一次誦讀的機會憂傷，因為並非人人都能隨時備妥誦讀；因為從事誦讀的充裕時間是時常可得的。也不要以為你從聆聽聖言誦讀所得的益處微小；因為當心靈藉著新近的誦讀得到滋養、奔馳於它方才所聽見的神聖事物的形象之中時，祈禱本身就變得更加豐盛。瑪爾大的姊妹瑪利亞，坐在耶穌腳前，撇下她的姊妹，更專注地聆聽主的話，主親口證實她為自己揀選了那美好的一份。
Do not grieve, on the pretext of the reading, that you have lost a reading, since not just anyone can always have it ready at hand; for ample time for that is always available. And do not suppose that little benefit accrues to you from hearing the sacred reading; for prayer itself becomes richer while the mind is fattened by a fresh reading, and runs through the images of divine things which it has lately heard. For Mary too, the sister of Martha, who sitting at the feet of Jesus, with her sister neglected, listened more intently to the word of the Lord, is confirmed by the Lord's own voice to have chosen for herself the good part.
199:10
Ideo enim et diaconus clara voce in domo Dei sancti præconii admonet cunctos, ut sive orando, sive in flectendis genibus, sive in psallendo, sive in lectionibus sollicite audiendis, unitas servetur ab omnibus; quia unanimes homines diligit Deus, et in sua domo eos efficit habitare; in qua domo qui habitant, beati pronuntiantur in psalmo, quia ipsi laudabunt Dominum in saecula saeculorum (Paal. LXXXIII, 5). Amen.
因此，執事也在天主的家中以清晰的聲音、藉著神聖的宣告勸勉眾人：無論是祈禱、屈膝、歌詠，或專注聆聽經課，眾人都當保守合一；因為天主喜愛同心合意的人，並使他們住在祂的家中。聖詠中宣告凡住在那家中的人是有福的，因為他們要永永遠遠讚美上主（詠八三5）。阿們。
For this reason too the deacon, with a clear voice in the house of God, admonishes all by his holy proclamation that, whether in praying, or in bending the knees, or in chanting, or in attentively hearing the readings, unity may be preserved by all; for God loves men of one mind, and makes them to dwell in His house. Those who dwell in that house are pronounced blessed in the psalm, because they shall praise the Lord forever and ever (Ps. 83:5). Amen.