Nox atra rerum contegit
terrae colores omnium:
nos confitentes poscimus
te, iuste iudex cordium,
Ut auferas piacula
sordesque mentis abluas,
donesque, Christe, gratiam
ut arceantur crimina.
Mens, ecce, torpet impia,
quam culpa mordet noxia;
obscura gestit tollere
et te, Redemptor, quaerere.
Repelle tu caliginem
intrinsecus quam maxime,
ut in beato gaudeat
se collocari lumine.
Sit, Christe, rex piissime,
tibi Patrique gloria
cum Spiritu Sancto Paraclito,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.
As earth and all its colors bright
Are covered by the black of night,
We pray to you and offer praise
Just judge of all our hearts and ways:
That you would take away our sin,
And wash us clean from stain within,
And give, O Christ, the grace we need
To hold off every harmful deed.
Redeemer, see, the mind beset
By wickedness grows duller yet;
It longs to put dark works away,
To seek you by the light of day.
Drive out the darkness from our heart;
From every corner let it part.
Then shall the heart be truly blest
Within your light to find its rest.
To you, O Christ, most kindly King,
And to the Father praise we sing;
The Spirit, too, we glorify,
In songs that never fade or die. Amen.