From Dom Guéranger's The Liturgical Year.
Let us prepare our souls for the graces heaven is about to shower upon the earth in return for its homage. To-morrow the Church will be so overflowing with joy, that she will seem to be already in possession of eternal happiness; but to-day she appears in the garb of penance, confessing that she is still an exile. Let us fast and pray with her; for are not we too pilgrims and strangers in this world, where all things are fleeting and hurry on to death? Year by year, as the great solemnity comes round, it has gathered from among our former companions new saints, who bless our tears and smile upon our songs of hope. Year by year the appointed time draws nearer, when we ourselves, seated at the heavenly banquet, shall receive the homage of those who succeed us, and hold out a helping hand to draw them after us to the home of everlasting happiness. Let us learn, from this very hour, to emancipate our souls; let us keep our hearts free, in the midst of the vain solicitudes and false pleasures of a strange land: the exile has no care but his banishment, no joy but that which gives him a foretaste of his fatherland.
With these thoughts in mind, let us say with the Church the Collect of the vigil.
Prayer
Domine Deus noster, multiplica super nos gratiam tuam: et, quorum prævenimus gloriosa solemnia, tribue subsequi in sancta professione lætitiam. Per Dominum.
O Lord our God, multiply thy grace upon us; and grant us in our holy profession to follow the joy of those, whose glorious solemnity we anticipate. Through our Lord.
Let us close this morth, as we opened it, by homage to Mary, Queen of the holy rosary, and Queen of all the saints. The ancient Dominican missals furnish us with a formula.
Sequence
Virginalis hortuli
Verni pubent surculi
Et efflorent pulluli
Fecunda propagine.
Gelu et hiems transeunt,
Nix et imber abeunt,
Rosæ in terra prodeunt
E cœlesti germine.
Rosa, radix lilii,
Hæc ex horto filii
Toto cursu exsilii
Collegit plantaria.
Justis ad lætitiam,
Reis ad justitiam,
Electis ad gloriam
Cunctis salutaria.
Quæ de cœlis attulit
Et de terris sustulit,
Christus mundo contulit
Contra mundum prælians.
Nos hic tectus frondibus,
Vulneratis sentibus,
Redimitis floribus,
Vocans, purgans, præmians.
A stirpis rosariæ
Gemmis, spinis, foliis,
Affluentis patriæ
Fruemur deliciis,
Ubi satrix residet.
Atque hujus militiæ
Læta sodalitiis
Triplicis hierarchiæ
Ter trinis consortiis
Imperatrix residet.
Salve nova triumphatrix
Et triumphi reparatrix
Antiqui certaminis.
Rursus minax sævit ultor,
Ni resistas, perit cultor
Christiani nominis.
Ave Verbi domicilium,
Sancti Spiritus sacrarium,
Summi Patris filia.
Affer nobis juge auxilium,
Sub discrimen vitæ varium
Contra tela hostilia.
Ut coronent nos post prælium,
Quæ fert cœli viridarium
Mixta rosis lilia.
Amen.
In the virginal garden,
the young shoots of spring bud forth,
and burst into blossom
with fruitful abundance.
The frost and the winter have passed away,
the snow and the rain are over;
and roses spring up on earth
from a heavenly seed.
The rose has produced a lily;
during the whole time of her exile
she gathered the produce
of her Son’s garden:
Joy for the just,
and justification for sinners,
glory for the elect,
salvation for all.
The gifts Christ brought from heaven,
and the sufferings he endured on earth,
he bestowed upon the world
when he overcame the world.
He sheltered under the rosetree’s foliage,
he was wounded by the thorns,
he was crowned with its flowers;
thus does he call us, purify us, reward us.
Because of the leaves
and thorns and flowers of the rose,
we shall enjoy the delights
of that rich land, where she,
the fair cultivator resides,
The empress,
who joyfully presides
over our militant companies,
and over the nine choirs
of the triple hierarchy.
Hail! thou, who by a new triumph
dost repair the loss we sustained
when the enemy triumphed in the first combat.
See how again he threatens fierce revenge;
unless thou oppose him,
every Christian must perish.
Hail, home of the Word,
sanctuary of the Holy Ghost,
daughter of the most high Father!
In the various perils of this life,
bring us unfailing assistance
against the darts of the enemy.
May lilies intertwined with roses
from the garden of heaven,
be our crown of victory after the combat.
Amen.