("Hail Thee, Festival Day", select Easter verses)
Refrain: Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein Christ arose,
breaking the kingdom of death.
Lo, the fair beauty of earth,
From the death of the winter arising,
Every good gift of the year
Now with its Master returns. Refrain
He who was nailed to the Cross
Is God and the Ruler of all things;
All things created on earth
Worship the Maker of all. Refrain
Refrain: Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed forever;
day wherein Christ arose,
breaking the kingdom of death.
Lo, the fair beauty of earth,
From the death of the winter arising,
Every good gift of the year
Now with its Master returns. Refrain
He who was nailed to the Cross
Is God and the Ruler of all things;
All things created on earth
Worship the Maker of all. Refrain
God of all pity and power,
Let Your word assure those who doubt;
Light on the third day returns:
Rise, Son of God, from the tomb! Refrain
Rise now, O Lord, from the grave
And cast off the shroud that enwrapped You;
You are all that we need:
Nothing without You exists. Refrain
They mourned as they laid You to rest,
O, Author of life and creation;
Treading the pathway of death,
You give life to us creations. Refrain
Show us Your Face once more,
That we may enjoy Your brightness;
Give us the light of day,
Darkened on earth at thy Death. * Refrain
Jesus has harrowed hell;
He has led captivity captive;
Darkness and chaos and death
Flee from the Face of the Light. Refrain
*The Sun was darkened ("obscured") from the "sixth to the ninth hours" (~ noon to ~ 3 PM) on the Friday Jesus was crucified.
--Venantius Fortunatus (530-609);
trans. Fr. Maurice Frederick Bell (Anglican), 1906, adapted cmb
Let Your word assure those who doubt;
Light on the third day returns:
Rise, Son of God, from the tomb! Refrain
Rise now, O Lord, from the grave
And cast off the shroud that enwrapped You;
You are all that we need:
Nothing without You exists. Refrain
They mourned as they laid You to rest,
O, Author of life and creation;
Treading the pathway of death,
You give life to us creations. Refrain
Show us Your Face once more,
That we may enjoy Your brightness;
Give us the light of day,
Darkened on earth at thy Death. * Refrain
Jesus has harrowed hell;
He has led captivity captive;
Darkness and chaos and death
Flee from the Face of the Light. Refrain
*The Sun was darkened ("obscured") from the "sixth to the ninth hours" (~ noon to ~ 3 PM) on the Friday Jesus was crucified.
--Venantius Fortunatus (530-609);
trans. Fr. Maurice Frederick Bell (Anglican), 1906, adapted cmb
1 comment:
Very ancient, too. Some few liturgical churches (or, more often, well-trained choirs) sing it to a complicated tune by Ralph Vaughn Williams.
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