Ruler of the hosts of light

Ruler of the hosts of light. Latin, 17th century, translated by John Chandler* (1806-1876). The translation is from Chandler’s Hymns of the Primitive Church (1837). It is a translation of ‘Suprema rector caelitum’, from the Cluniac Breviary of 1686. Chandler’s hymn, which was set for Nocturn I on Whit-Sunday, had four stanzas only, omitting stanza 3 of the Latin: Ruler of the hosts of light,                              Supreme rector caelitum, Death hath yielded to thy might,                    qui morte devicta potens And thy blood hath marked a road,               cruore signatam tuo Which will lead us back to God.                    ad astra pandis semitam, From thy dwelling-place...