E05057: Hymn in honour of *Cucuphas (martyr of Barcelona, S00502) composed in Latin in Spain, possibly in the 7th c.; also mentions the cult in Gerona (north-west Spain) of *Felix (martyr of Gerona, S00408).
Creators: name: Mszada
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Hymnodia Hispanica, Hymn 106<br><br>IN SANCTI CVCVFATIS<br><br>(1) Barcinon, leto Cucufate uernans, <br>corporis sancti tumulum honorans <br>et locum sacri uenerans sepulcri<br>sparge ligustris.<br><br>5 (2) Munus hoc clarum tibi Scillitana <br>ciuitas misit, dedit et beatum <br>quando Felicem populis Gerunde<br>sorte colendum.<br><br>(3) Hi, sequestrato tumuli honore, <br>10 proprias sedes adeunt tuendas, <br>Barcinone hic celebratur aula,<br>ille Gerunda.<br><br>(4) Hinc cruor huius Cucufatis almi <br>factus est nostre regionis heres, <br>15 inde hic nobis sua membra ponens<br>uibere prestat.<br><br><br>'(1) O Barcelona, which blooms [because of] joyful Cucuphas, honours the tomb of the holy body, and worships the place of the holy grave, scatter it with white flowering shrubs (ligustra). <br><br>(2) This famous gift was offered you by the Scillitan city, just as it gave the blessed Felix to the people of Gerona to venerate as their share.<br><br>(3) They arrive to their sees to protect them by having entrusted to them the honour of their graves. One is celebrated by a church in Barcelona, the other in Gerona.<br><br>(4) Here the blood of the nourishing Cucuphas became an heir of our region; placing his body here for us, he lets us live.'<br><br> <br>The next strophes (5-9) tell of Cucuphas tortured by soldiers: his intestines fall out of the body but he is healed by God (cf. Martyrdom of Cucuphas 3). Later he is tortured by fire (Martyrdom 7) and then by the gridiron (Martyrdom 6), but miraculously, he is not hurt. Eventually he is beheaded (Martyrdom 12).<br><br><br>(10) Iam fabe, martyr, precibus clientum, <br>instrue et ciuem, populum tuere<br>et sacerdotum pia corda mulce<br>40 pacis amore.<br><br>(11) Crimine dempto anima uirescat, <br>pane celesti satiemur omnes, <br>carnis elapse uitiata membra<br>spiritus ornet.<br><br>45 (12) Non ruinoso perimamur actu,<br>non cibis corpus uitiisque pressum,<br>non in occultis animus cremetur <br>igne malorum,<br><br>(13) Vt pie tecum, Cucufas beate,<br>50 regna celorum meritis tenentes<br>det Deo nostra resonans placentem <br>lingua canorem,<br><br><br>'(10) O martyr, favour the prayers of your clients, teach the citizen, protect the people, and soothe the hearts of the pious priests with love of peace.<br><br>(11) Let the soul blossom because its crime has been removed, let us all sate our hunger with celestial bread, and may the Spirit adorn the defiled limbs of corrupted flesh.<br><br>(12) Let us not die because of our ruinous acts, let our body not be oppressed by the sin of gluttony, and let our soul not be burned in darkness by the fire of torments,<br><br>(13) So that we can with you, o pious, o blessed Cucuphas, achieve by our merits the kingdom of heaven and our tongue sing constantly a pleasing song to God.'<br><br><br>The final strophe praises the Holy Trinity.<br><br><br>Text: Castro Sánchez 2010, 390-393. Translation and summary: M. Szada.