Hail Thee, Festival Day

Representative Text

[Easter]
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day to be hallowed forever;
Day when our Lord was raised,
Breaking the kingdom of death.

1 All the fair beauty of earth
From the death of the winter arising!
Ev'ry good gift of the year
Now with its Master returns: [Refrain]

2 Rise from the grave now, O Lord,
The Author of life and creation.
Treading the pathway of death,
New life you give to us all. [Refrain]

[Ascension]
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day to be hallowed forever;
Day when our Lord ascends,
high in the heavens to reign.

1 He who was nailed to the cross
Is ruler and Lord of all people.
All things created on earth
Sing to the glory of God. [Refrain]

2 Show us your face, Jesus Christ,
That we may rejoice in your brightness.
Give us the light of your day,
Darkened on earth at your death. [Refrain]

[Pentecost]
Refrain:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day to be hallowed forever;
Day God renews the earth,
sending the Spirit of Life.

1 Bright, in the likeness of fire,
On those who await your appearing
You, whom the Lord had foretold,
Suddenly, swiftly descend. [Refrain]

2 Forth from the Father you come
With sevenfold mystical off'ring,
Pouring on all human souls
Infinite riches of God. [Refrain]

3 God the Almighty, the Lord,
The ruler of earth and the heavens,
Guard us from harm without;
Cleanse us from evil within. [Refrain]

4 Jesus, the health of the world,
Enlighten our minds, great Redeemer,
Son of the Father supreme,
Only-begotten of God. [Refrain]

5 Spirit of life and of pow'r,
Now flow in us, fount of our being,
Light that enlightens us all,
Life that in all may abide. [Refrain]

6 Praise to the Giver of good!
O Lover and Author of concord,
Pour out your balm on our days;
Order our ways in your peace. [Refrain]

Source: RitualSong (2nd ed.) #637

Author: Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus

Venantius Honorius Clematianus Fortunatus (b. Cenada, near Treviso, Italy, c. 530; d. Poitiers, France, 609) was educated at Ravenna and Milan and was converted to the Christian faith at an early age. Legend has it that while a student at Ravenna he contracted a disease of the eye and became nearly blind. But he was miraculously healed after anointing his eyes with oil from a lamp burning before the altar of St. Martin of Tours. In gratitude Fortunatus made a pilgrimage to that saint's shrine in Tours and spent the rest of his life in Gaul (France), at first traveling and composing love songs. He developed a platonic affection for Queen Rhadegonda, joined her Abbey of St. Croix in Poitiers, and became its bishop in 599. His Hymns far all th… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: All the fair beauty of earth (Composite translation)
Title: Hail Thee, Festival Day
Latin Title: Salve, feste dies
Author: Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus
Meter: Irregular
Source: Lutheran Book of Worship sts. 1, 2-E, 2-A, 3-6, refrains, alt. (tr.); The English Hymnal, 1906, st 2-P, alt. (tr.)
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Hail thee, festival day!
Publication Date: 2006
Copyright: Sts. 1, 2-E, 3-6, refrains: © 1978 "Lutheran Book of Worship"

Tune

SALVE FESTA DIES (Vaughan Williams)

Ralph Vaughan Williams (PHH 316) composed SALVE FESTA DIES as a setting for Venantius H. Fortunatus's (PHH 400) famous text "Hail Thee, Festival Day." The tune, whose title comes from the opening words of that text, was published in The English Hymnal of 1906. Like SINE NOMINE (505), this tune is vi…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 10 of 10)

Gather Comprehensive #450

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RitualSong (2nd ed.) #637

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RitualSong #588

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The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #188

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The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement II #164

Worship (3rd ed.) #444

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Worship (4th ed.) #524

Lutheran Service Book #489

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Journeysongs (2nd ed.) #450

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Journeysongs (3rd ed.) #428

Include 1 pre-1979 instance
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