Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 1.djvu/123

Rh and cantalena is the same thing as lenis cantus, i. e. a soft, sweet chant to God, and to the Virgin Mary, and to all the Saints. And the reason why the word puincc (puncta) is so called is because the points (or musical notes) ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, hurt the devil and puncture him. And it is thus that these points are to be understood: viz. When Moses the son of Amram with his people in their Exodus was crossing the Red Sea, and Pharaoh and his host were following him, this was the chant which Moses had to protect him from Pharaoh and his host—these six points in praise of the Lord:—

' "The first point of these, i.e. ut: and ut in the Greek is the same as liberat in the Latin; and that is the same as saer in the Gaelic; i.e. O God, said Moses, deliver us from the harm of the devil.

' "The second point of them, i.e. re; and re is the same as saer; i.e. O God, deliver us from everything, hurtful and malignant.

' "The third point, i. e. mi: and mi in the Greek is the same as militum in the Latin; and that is the same as ridere (a knight) in the Gaelic; i. e. O God, said Moses, deliver us from those knights who are pursuing us.

' "The fourth point, i.e. fa: and fa in the Greek is the same as famulus in the Latin; and that is the same as mug (slave) in the Gaelic; i. e. O God, said Moses, deliver us from those slaves who are pursuing us.

' "The fifth point, i.e. sol: and sol is the same as grian (sun); and that is the same as righteousness ; because righteousness and Christ are not different ; i.e. O Christ, said Moses, deliver us.

' "The sixth point, i.e. la, is the same as lav; and that is the same as indail (wash); i.e. O God, said Moses, wash away our sins from us.

' "And on the singing of that laud Pharaoh and his host were drowned.

' "Understand, O man, that in whatever place this laud, i.e. this chant, is sung, the devil is bound by it, and his power is extirpated thence, and the power of God is called in."

' "We have been taught that the names of the first six notes Speech yields the milk, which is the milk of speech itself, to him who thus knowing meditates on those