Aeterne rerum conditor (English "Eternal Maker of all") is an early Christian hymn among those attributed to Ambrose of Milan.[1]
A dawn hymn, the hymn refers to Lucifer, the Morning Star, Christ, following 2 Peter 1:19 "until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts". The hymn, as in the Vulgate of 2 Peter, employs the Latin noun "lucifer" to refer to "the Bringer of Light".[2] Lines 15-16 refer to the denial of Peter.[3]
The poem is written in the iambic tetrameter metre. The lines form couplets, each couplet having the rhythm | u – u – | u – u – || u – u – | u – u – |.
Aeterne rerum conditor, Praeco diei iam sonat, Hoc excitatus lucifer Hoc nauta vires colligit Surgamus ergo strenue! gallo canente spes redit, Iesu, labantes respice, Tu lux refulge sensibus, Sit, Christe, Rex piissime, |
Eternal Creator of all things, The herald of the day is now sounding, Woken by this, the Light-Bringer By this, the sailor gathers strength, Let us therefore arise energetically! When the cock crows, hope returns, Jesus, look upon those who lapse, Thou, the Light, shine on our senses, To Thee, Christ, most pious King, |
In the Roman Breviary of 1632, some small changes were made to the wording in stanzas 2, 3, 7 and 8.