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THE KING SHALL COME WHEN MORNING DAWNS
John Brownlie (1907)
The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light triumphant breaks;
When beauty gilds the eastern hills,
And life to joy awakes.
Not as of old, a little child
To bear, and fight, and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun,
That lights that morning sky.
O, brighter than the rising morn,
When He, victorious rose,
And left the lonesome place of death,
Despite the rage of foes;—
O, brighter than that glorious morn,
Shall this fair morning be,
When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
And we His face shall see.
The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light and beauty brings;—
Hail! Christ the Lord; Thy people pray
Come quickly, King of kings.
VENI, O SAPIENTA
Traditional, 7th Century
Veni, O Sapientia,
Quae hic disponis omnia,
Veni, viam prudentiae
Ut doceas et gloriae.
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
Veni, veni Adonai![16]
Qui populo in Sinai
Legem dedisti vertice,
In maiestate gloriae.
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
Veni o Jesse virgula!
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
De specu tuos tartari
Educ, et antro barathri.
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
Veni Clavis Davidica!
Regna reclude coelica,
Fac iter Tutum superum,
Et claude vias Inferum.
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
Veni, veni O Oriens!
Solare nos adveniens,
Noctis depelle nebulas,
Dirasque noctis tenebras.
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
Veni, Veni, Rex Gentium,
Veni, Redemptor omnium,
Ut salves tuos famulos
Peccati sibi conscios.
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
Veni, veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio,
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
RORATE CAELI DESUPER
Dom Guéranger, 1870
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Ne irascaris Domine, ne ultra memineris iniquitatis:
Ecce civitas Sancti facta est deserta:
Sion deserta facta est: Jerusalem desolata est:
Domus sanctificationis tuae et gloriae tuae, ubi laudaverunt te patres nostri.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Peccavimus, et facti sumus tamquam immundus nos,
Et cecidimus quasi folium universi:
Et iniquitates nostrae quasi ventus abstulerunt nos:
Abscondisti faciem tuam a nobis,
Et allisisti nos in manu iniquitatis nostrae.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Vide Domine afflictionem populi tui,
Et mitte quem missurus es:
Emitte Agnum dominatorem terrae,
De Petra deserti ad montem filiae Sion:
Ut auferat ipse iugum captivitatis nostrae.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Consolamini, consolamini, popule meus:
Cito veniet salus tua: quare maerore consumeris,
Quia innovavit te dolor?
Salvabo te, noli timere, ego enim sum Dominus Deus tuus,
Sanctus Israel, Redemptor tuus.
BRIGHT BUILDER OF THE HEAVN’LY POLES
Ambrosian, 7th century
Translation from the Primer 1685
and the Evening Office 1710
Bright builder of the heav’nly poles
Eternal light of faithful souls
Jesus, Redeemer of mankind,
Our humble prayers vouchsafe to mind.
Who, lest the fraud of hell’s black king
Should all men to destruction bring,
Didst, by an act of gen’rous love,
The fainting world’s physician prove.
Thou, that Thou mightst our ransom pay
And wash the stains of sin away,
Didst from a Virgin’s womb proceed
And to the Cross a Victim bleed.
Thy glorious power, Thy saving name
No sooner any voice can frame,
But heaven and earth and hell agree
To honour them with trembling knee.
Thee, Christ, who at the latter day
Shalt be our Judge, we humbly pray
Such arms of heav’nly grace to send
As may Thy Church from foes defend.
Be glory given and honour done
To God the Father, and the Son
And to the Holy Ghost on high,
From age to age eternally.
HARK! A HERALD VOICE IS CALLING
Ambrosian, 5th cent.
Translation by Rev. Edward Caswall, M.A (1814-1878)
Hark! a herald voice is calling:
‘Christ is nigh,’ it seems to say;
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!’
Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven;
So when next he comes with glory,
Wrapping all the earth in fear,
May he then as our defender
Of the clouds of heaven appear.
Honour, glory, virtue, merit,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit,
While unending ages run. Amen.