Kenyon College Leaf 46
This leaf is from a Book of Hours made in northern France in the late fifteenth century. It measures 16 x 12 cm, and the arrangement of its responses and antiphons indicates that it accords with the Use of Rouen. Blooming on these pages are acanthus leaves intertwined with a truly impressive variety of what Ege calls "wayside flowers," including thistles, gallic roses, strawberries, grapes, and others which are so stylized as to be nearly geometric. The flowers are fenced in by red lining, a thinner form of which rules the text. There are many well-executed illuminated initials, with lesser first letters filled with yellow; occasionally a lone "cut flower" has been used to fill empty space in the text block. Many leaves are stained from use. See Denison University Leaf 46 for more information about this manuscript.
Text: The leaves we have seen indicate that this Book of Hours accords to the Uses of Rouen and Coutances. This leaf contains text from the Hours of the Virgin at Sext, including passages from Psalms 122 and 123.
Reconstruction Note! In Ege's original manuscript, this leaf preceded what is now Leaf 46 in the University of Saskatchewan portfolio.
Kenyon Leaf 46 Recto
Kenyon College Leaf 46 Recto
Kenyon Leaf 46 Recto Transcription
Gloria patri et filio et spiritu sancto.
Veni creator. Ant: Benedicta es.
Ad te levávi óculos meos, qui hábitas in cælis.
Ecce sicut óculi servórum in mánibus dominórum suórum;
Sicut óculi ancíllæ in mánibus dóminæ suæ: ita óculi nostri ad Dóminum Deum nostrum, donec misereátur nostri.
Miserére nostri, Dómine, miserére nostri, quia multum repléti sumus despectióne;
Quia multum repléta est ánima nostra oppróbrium abundántibus, et despéctio supérbis.
Kenyon Leaf 46 Recto Translation
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost.
The creator cometh. Ant. Thou art blessed.
[Psalms 122] To thee have I lifted up mine eyes: which dwellest in the heavens. Behold as the eyes of servants: are in the hands of their masters. As the eyes of the handmaid in the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes to the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us. Lord have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us: because we are much replenished with contempt. Because our soul is much replenished: reproach to them that abound, and contempt to the proud.
Kenyon Leaf 46 Verso
Kenyon College Leaf 46 Verso
Kenyon Leaf 46 Verso Transcription
Nísi quia Dóminus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Ísraël, nisi quia Dóminus erat in nobis:
Cum exsúrgerent hómines in nos, forte vivos deglutíssent nos;
Cum irascerétur furor eórum in nos, fórsitan aqua absorbuísset nos;
Torréntem pertransívit ánima nostra; fórsitan pertransísset ánima nostra aquam intolerábilem.
Benedíctus Dóminus, qui non dedit nos in captiónem déntibus eórum.
Ánima nostra sicut passer erépta est de láqueo venántium;
Kenyon Leaf 46 Verso Translation
[Psalms 123] But that our Lord was in us, let Israel now say: but that our Lord was in us. When men rose up against us: perhaps they had swallowed us alive. When their fury was angry against us: perhaps water had swallowed us. Our soul hath passed through a brook: perhaps our soul had passed through an intolerable water. Blessed be our Lord: which hath not given us for a prey to their teeth. Our soul as a sparrow is delivered: from the snare of the fowlers.