O Emmanuel — December 23

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt9W9Kc_hzo&feature=channel

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God. — translation in current Catholic Liturgy of the Hours

O come, O come, Emmanuel / And ransom captive Israel / That mourns in lonely exile here / Until the Son of God appear. — Verse translation in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

O Emmanuel — Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23

Rex et legifer noster — our king and lawgiver — Isaiah 33:22, 43:15

exspectatio gentium — the one awaited by the nations (gentiles) — Isaiah 41:1, 42:4

Salvator earum — their savior — Zechariah 9:9 Isaiah 12:2, 49:6, John 4:42

O King of the Nations — December 22

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd3QaB4fimM&feature=channel

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man: come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust. — translation in current Catholic Liturgy of the Hours

O come, desire of nations, bind / In one the hearts of all mankind; / Bid thou our sad divisions cease, / And be thyself our king of peace. — Verse translation in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

O Rex Gentium — O King of the nations (or gentiles) — Psalm 2:6-8, Jeremiah 10:7, Daniel 7:14, Revelation 15:3

desideratus earum — their desired — Haggai 2:8 (in the King James translation), Malachi 3:1

lapisque angularis — and cornerstone — Ephesians 2:20, Isaiah 28:16

qui facis utraque unum — who makes both [into] one — Ephesians 2:14

O Radiant Dawn — December 21

O Oriens, splendor lucis æternæ, et sol iustitiæ: veni et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY1b24eR9vA&feature=channel

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. — translation in current Catholic Liturgy of the Hours

O come, thou dayspring from on high / And cheer us by thy drawing nigh; / Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, / And death's dark shadows put to flight. — Verse translation in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

O Oriens … illumina sedentes in tenebris in tenebris et umbra mortis — Daybreak / Rising Sun… give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death — Luke 1:78-79, Psalm 107:10, Isaiah 9:1

splendor lucis æternæ — splendor of eternal light — Habakkuk 3:4, Wisdom 7:26, Hebrews 1:3

sol iustitiæ — sun of justice — Malachi 3:20

O Key of David — December 20

O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF66ihZBaxU&feature=channel

O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of heaven: come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom. — translation in current Catholic Liturgy of the Hours

O come, thou key of David, come / And open wide our heav'nly home; / Make safe the way that leads on high, / And close the path to misery. — Verse translation in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

O clavis David, … qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit — O key of David, … who opens, and no one shuts: shuts, and no one opens — Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7

sceptrum domus Israel — scepter of the house of Israel — Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17

educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris — lead out of prison the one who is bound, sitting in darkness — Isaiah 42:7

sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis — sitting in darkness and the shadow of death — Luke 1:79; Isaiah 9:1

O Root of Jesse — December 19

O radix Jesse, qui stas in signorum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPlfJuq2QZw&feature=channel

O Flower of Jesse's stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid. — translation in current Catholic Liturgy of the Hours

O come, thou rod of Jesse, free / Thine own from Satan's tyranny / From depths of hell thy people save / And give them vict'ry o'er the grave. — Verse translation in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (Only the first line has anything to do with the original antiphon.)

O radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum — O root of Jesse, who stand as a sign of [= to] the peoples — Isaiah 11:1, 10, 13:22; Revelation 22:16

super quem continebunt reges os suum — over whom kings shall hold [shut] their mouths — Isaiah 52:15

quem gentes deprecabuntur — whom the Gentiles shall implore — 

Isaiah 11:10

jam noli tardare — now do not delay — Habakkuk 2:3; Hebrews 10:37

O Lord — December 18

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6y9Idko8-A&feature=channel_page

O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free. — translation in current Catholic Liturgy of the Hours

O come, O come, thou Lord of might / Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height / In ancient times didst give the law / In cloud and majesty and awe. — Verse translation in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

Adonai — Lord — Exodus 3:14-15 (Adonai is substituted for YHWH when the scriptures are read aloud, as the actual name is not to be pronounced in Jewish tradition)

in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti — appeared in the flame of the burning bush — Exodus 3:1-6

ei in Sina legem dedisti — gave him the law on Sinai — Exodus 19:16-20:17

in brachio extento — with outstretched arm — Deuteronomy 26:8

O Wisdom — December 17

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcoYzoSfZUc

O Wisdom, O holy word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet gentle care. Come and show your people the way to salvation. — translation in current Catholic Liturgy of the Hours

O come, thou Wisdom from on high / Who orders all things mightily. / To us the path of knowledge show, / And teach us in her ways to go. — Verse translation in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

ex ore Altissimi prodisti — came forth from the mouth of the Most High — Sirach 24:3-5

attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia — reaching from end to end, sweetly and strongly disposing all things — Wisdom 8:1

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Many of you may be familiar with the Advent song, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." It is derived from the "O" antiphons* which the Catholic Church assigns to Mary's Canticle (Luke 1:46-55) during Evening Prayer (Vespers) for December 17-23. Each verse is a free translation of one of the antiphons, although they are given out of their assigned order. For example, Emmanuel, which begins the hymn, is actually the last, assigned to December 23.

The "O" antiphons are so called because they all begin with the word "O" and address the Lord Jesus using a different scripture-based title each day. They conclude by inviting him to come and save us, again expressing the request differently each day, in ways that relate to the day's title.

I thought some of you might like to see them and even pray them, so I'll try to give each one on the day assigned to it (although for readers in the Antipodes and the Orient, they may only show up on the following day).

Here's a url for the first one, together with the canticle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLq9DRs__oU&feature=related

*antiphon — a thought which is recited or sung before and after a psalm or canticle in the liturgy. It serves to give a theme or focus to the praying of the psalm or canticle.