Salve, festa dies

Salve, festa dies. Venantius Fortunatus* (ca. 540- early 7th century). This is part of a poem by Fortunatus (Venanti Fortunati Carmina, III. No. 9) beginning ‘Tempora florigero rutilant distincta sereno’, celebrating the coming of spring and addressed to Felix, Bishop of Nantes (d. 582). It was written between 567 and 576, in honour of the baptism of the newly converted by the bishop (for dating, see The H82 Companion, 1994, IIIA, hymn 175). The selection beginning ‘Salve, festa dies’ (verse 20 of the original poem) is found in Daniel, Thesaurus Hymnologicus I. 169-71, entitled ‘Hymnus paschalis’ (see also Analecta Hymnica 1.79). The whole poem, printed in AH 50. 76-84 in its different...