3 Salvation's author, call to mind
How, taking form of humankind,
Born of a Virgin undefiled,
Thou in man's flesh becam'st a child.
4 Thus testifies the present day,
Through every year in long array,
That thou, salvation's source alone,
Proceededst from the Father's throne.
5 Whence sky, and stars, and sea's abyss,
And earth, and all that therein is,
Shall still, with laud and carol meet,
The Author of thine advent greet.
6 And we who, by thy precious blood
From sin redeemed, are marked for God,
On this the day that saw thy birth,
Sing the new song of ransomed earth :
7. For that thine advent glory be,
O Jesu, virgin-born, to thee;
With Father, and with Holy Ghost,
From men and from the heavenly host. Amen.
Coelius Sedulius, c. 450.
ROM east to west, from shore to shore,
The holy Child whom Mary bore,
The Christ, the everlasting King.
2 Behold, the world's Creator wears
The form and fashion of a slave;
Our very flesh our Maker shares,
His fallen creature, man, to save.
3 For this how wondrously he wrought!
A maiden, in her lowly place,
Became in ways beyond all thought,
The chosen vessel of his grace.
4 She bowed her to the Angel's word
Declaring what the Father willed,
And suddenly the promised Lord
That pure and hallowed temple filled.
5 He shrank not from the oxen's stall,
He lay within the manger-bed,
And he, whose bounty feedeth all,
At Mary's breast himself was fed.
6 And while the Angels in the sky
Sang praise above the silent field,
To shepherds poor the Lord most high,
The one great Shepherd, was revealed.
7. All glory for this blessèd morn
To God the Father ever be;
All praise to thee, O Virgin-born,
All praise, O Holy Ghost, to thee. Amen.
19 Suitable till Candlemas.
St. Germanus, 634-734.
Tr. J. M. Neale +.
Μέγα καὶ παράδοξον θαῦμα.
GREAT and mighty wonder,
A full and holy cure!
The Virgin bears the Infant
With virgin-honour pure.
Repeat the hymn again!
To God on high be glory,
And peace on earth to men!'
2 The Word becomes incarnate
And yet remains on high !
And Cherubim sing anthems
To shepherds from the sky.
3 While thus they sing your Monarch,
Those bright angelic bands,
Rejoice, ye vales and mountains,
Ye oceans clap your hands.
4 Since all he comes to ransom,
By all be he adored,
The Infant born in Bethl'em,
The Saviour and the Lord.
5. And idol forms shall perish,
And error shall decay,
And Christ shall wield his sceptre,
Our Lord and God for ay.
20 Suitable till Candlemas.
EHOLD the great Creator makes
Himself a house of clay,
A robe of Virgin flesh he takes
Which he will wear for ay.
2 Hark, hark, the wise eternal Word,
Like a weak infant cries!
In form of servant is the Lord,
And God in cradle lies.
3 This wonder struck the world amazed,
It shook the starry frame;
Squadrons of spirits stood and gazed,
Then down in troops they came.
4 Glad shepherds ran to view this sight;
A choir of Angels sings,
And eastern sages with delight
Adore this King of kings.
5. Join then, all hearts that are not stone, And all our voices prove,
To celebrate this holy One
The God of peace and love.
John Byrom, 1690-1763.
YHRISTIANS, awake, salute the happy morn,
Whereon the Saviour of the world was born;
Rise to adore the mystery of love,
Which hosts of Angels chanted from above;
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God incarnate and the Virgin's Son :
2 Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
Who heard the angelic herald's voice, 'Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth
To you and all the nations upon earth;
This day hath God fulfilled his promised word,
This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord.'
3 He spake; and straightway the celestial choir
In hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire.
The praises of redeeming love they sang,
And heaven's whole orb with Alleluyas rang:
God's highest glory was their anthem still,
Peace upon earth, and mutual goodwill.
4 To Bethlehem straight the enlightened shepherds
To see the wonder God had wrought for man,
And found, with Joseph and the blessed Maid,
Her Son, the Saviour, in a manger laid;
Amazed the wondrous story they proclaim,
The first apostles of his infant fame.
5.* Like Mary let us ponder in our mind
God's wondrous love in saving lost mankind;
Trace we the Babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
From his poor manger to his bitter cross;
Then may we hope, the angelic thrones among,
To sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song.
22 Christmas Sequence, and Office Hymn for Candlemas.
Faithful men, with rapture singing
Alleluya!
2 Monarch's Monarch,
From a holy maiden springing,
Mighty wonder!
3 Angel of the Counsel here,
Sun from star, he doth appear,
Born of maiden:
4 He a sun who knows no night,
She a star whose paler light
Fadeth never.
5 As a star its kindred ray, Mary doth her Child display, Like in nature;
6 Still undimmed the star shines on,
And the maiden bears a Son,
Pure as ever.
7 Lebanon his cedar tall
To the hyssop on the wall
Lowly bendeth ;
8 From the highest, him we name
Word of God, to human frame
Now descendeth.
9 Yet the synagogue denied
What Esaias had descried :
Blindness fell upon the guide,
Proud, unheeding.
10 If her prophets speak in vain,
Let her heed a Gentile strain,
And, from mystic Sibyl, gain
Light and leading.
11 No longer then delay,
Hear what the Scriptures say,
Why be cast away
A race forlorn?
12. Turn and this Child behold,
That very Son, of old
In God's writ foretold,
A maid hath borne.
|