A womens' choir's performance of this medieval Advent hymn can be heard here. They sing the text below, which omits the two last stanzas. The translation is literal and, as far as possible, keeps to the order of words in the original Latin. This cannot be done in the lines marked with an asterisk as without the clues given by the case endings of the Latin words, the order has to be changed to show which words go together. For more detail on the history of the hymn, see Laura Gibb's Gaudium Mundi page
Veni, veni Emmanuel!Come, come Emanuel Captivum solve Israel,Captive set-free Israel qui gemit in exsilio,who groans in exile privatus Dei Filio.deprived-of God’s Son CHORUS Gaude, gaude; EmmanuelRejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel.will-be-born for you, Israel Veni, O Jesse virgula!Come, O Jesse's branch Ex hostis tuos ungula,out-of enemy’s claw your-people * de specu tuos tartarifrom cave of-hell your-people * educ et antro barathri. lead-out and from-cavern of-abyss CHORUS
Veni, veni O Oriens!Come, come O Rising-one Solare nos adveniens,Comfort us arriving noctis depelle nebulasnight’s clouds drive-off * dirasque noctis tenebras.and-terrible of-night darkness CHORUS
Veni, Clavis Davidica!Come, Key of David Regna reclude caelica!Kingdoms unlock heavenly Fac iter tutum superumMake journey safe to-heaven et claude vias inferum.And close ways to-hell CHORUS
Veni, veni Adonai!Come, come Adonaus Qui populo in SinaiWho to-people in Sinai legem dedisti vertice,law gave from-on-high in Maiestate gloriae.in majesty of-glory CHORUS