Te lucis ante terminum

[2] The two hymns Te lucis and Christe qui lux did not maintain everywhere the same relative position; the latter was used in winter, the former in summer and on festivals; while many cathedrals and monasteries replaced the Te lucis by the Christe qui lux from the first Sunday of Lent to Passion Sunday or Holy Thursday, a custom followed by the Dominicans.

The Roman Breviary assigns the Te lucis daily throughout the year, except from Holy Thursday to the Friday after Easter, inclusively.

[2] Te lucis ante terminum, Rerum Creator poscimus, Ut solita clementia Sis præsul ad custodiam.

Præsta, Pater omnipotens, Per Iesum Christum Dominum, Qui tecum in perpetuum Regnat cum Sancto Spiritu.

Te lucis ante terminum, Rerum Creator poscimus, Ut pro tua clementia Sis præsul et custodia.

Lord, when we sleep, be in our hearts,Your Spirit peace and rest imparts;Then, with the light of dawn, may weYour glory praise unendingly.

Your living power breathe from above,Renew in us the fire of love;And may your brightness drive awayAll darkness in eternal day.

Te lucis in a Spanish manuscript circa 1625, with pro tua clementia (instead of solita clementia ) due to Urban VIII's classicizing revisions. The original Latin is used in post-Vatican II texts.