A Dictionary of Hymnology/Adesto sancta Trinitas

Adesto sancta Trinitas. [Holy Trinity.] The authorship of this short hymn on the Holy Trinity is unknown. Its earliest form is in a us. of the 11th cent. in the British Museum (Vesp. D. xii. f. 1150) printed in the Latin Hys. of the Anglo-Saxon Church, 1851, p. 161. Amongst the English Breviaries it is in those of York, Hereford, and Barum; on the Continent, those of Mainz and Busel; anu also in those of the Orders of the Carmelites, Dominicans, and Fratres Humiliati; but with varying texts. In Mone, i. p. 10, the text is given together with references to miss., and notes on the text; the oldest vs. dating from the 14th cent. Ile also gives two refrains which are sometimes associated with the hymn. Daniel, i. No. 304, gives only the first four lines with a reference to Cassander; but in iv. p. 234, he gives the full text as in Mone, together with Mone's references. It is also in Neule's Hymni Ecclesiae, 1851, p. 157; Hymn. Sarish. 1851, p. 115; the Domin. H. Bk., &c. [W. A. 9.]

Translations in C. U.:—

1. Be present, Holy Trinity; Like Splendour, &c. By J. M. Neale. Appeared in the Hymnal N. 1852, No. 35, in 5 st. of 4 1., and again in later editions. In 1867 it was repeated, unaltered, in the People's H., No. 161, and in the Hymnary, 1872, No. 337.

2. Be with us, Holy Trinity. By J. A. Johnston, 1st pub. in 2nd ed, of his English Hymnal, 1856, No, 148, in 5 st. of 5 1. In Kennedy, 1863, No. 1122, it is slightly altered, specially in the doxology.

2. Be present, Holy Trinity; Co-equal light, &c. By J. D. Chambers, in his Lauda Syon, Pt. i. 1857, p. 215, in 5 st. of 4 1. In the Salisbury II h. 1857, No. 133, and Sarum, 1888, No. 179, the tr. is an arrangement by J. Keble from Dr. Neale with lines 1, 2, of st. i. from this tr, by J. D. Chambers.

4. 0 Holy Trinity! be present. By F. Pott. in his Hys. fitted to the Order of Com. Pr., 1801, No. 107, in 5 st. of 4 1., and in later editions. [J. J.]