In festo SS. Angelorum Custodum

Today, as you might have guessed from the title above, is the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.  The text below is an Englished version of the hymn Orbis patrator optime which I have purloined from  Michael Martin's wonderful Thesaurus Precum Latinarum.

 CREATOR of the circling sky,

Who madest all by power most high,

Thy Providence will never cease

to rule Thy works in might and peace.

BE present when we cry to Thee,

a sinful people though we be;

and as the day-dawn grows apace,

illume our minds with light of grace.

O SEND Thine Angel thitherward

assigned by Thee to be our guard,

that now his presence may begin

to keep us from all stain of sin.

LET him destroy that hidden snare

the eager serpent doth prepare,

lest we be taken in the net

before our heedless bosoms set.

AT his command let every fear

of hostile foemen disappear;

let civil strife give way to peace,

and pestilence and famine cease.

TO God the Father glory be;

for those the Savior setteth free,

anointed by the Holy Ghost,

are guarded by the Angel host. Amen.

Mr Martin believes this is probably one of John Mason Neale's translations.  Somewhere around here I have a compilation of his hymn translations, which, alas, I cannot find at the moment.  So my guess is that Mr Martin is right;  probably Fr Neale.

No idea at all who gets credit for the Latin.

And I can't log off without repeating:  

At this command let every fear

Of hostile foemen disappear;

Let civil strife give way to peace . . . .