As we were driving home from Wednesday Bible classes this evening, for whatever reason I thought of a Christmas carol that I hadn’t heard in some time, but really liked. We also sang this carol when I was part of a community Christmas choir some years ago. This song has several incarnations, but is commonly believed to have been penned first by a Roman poet in the fifth century.
This has to be one of the relatively few hymns that are so good that they seem to be inspired. So much packed into so few words, and so much truth put into so few verses of song. And the beauty of the words (and later on the music) is just phenomenal.
I don’t often do this, but today would ask you to read the words of the song as it appears below (taken from the Lutheran Hymnal). If you’d like to see a choir sing the song, you can go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDGjxAqENbI and see a 1980’s performance, which is one of the better ones on YouTube.
"Of the Father's Love Begotten"
by Aurelius C. Prudentius, 413, cento
Translated by John. M. Neale, 1818-1866
and Henry W. Baker, 1821-1977
1. Of the Father's love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.
2. Oh, that birth forever blessed
When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bare the Savior of our race,
And the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.
3. O ye heights of heaven, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.
4. This is He whom Heaven-taught singers
Sang of old with one accord;
Whom the Scriptures of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the Long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.
5. Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.
2 comments:
This hymn was in our old Baptist hymnal-I'm not sure it is in the new one we are using now. Our choir, several years ago, performed this as an anthem, and at that time, I noticed the words. BTW, the hymn in our hymnal has no time signature. It is difficult to sing and to stay together unless you have a good director.
I think it's also in the Mennonite Hymnal--at least that's where I'm remembering it from. I don't remember singing it there, but I think I played it as an offertory a time or two.
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