Come, Thou Holy Spirit, come!

Top Media Text Translator Text Info Tune Timeline Page Scans Instances

Come, Thou Holy Spirit, come!

Translator: Edward Caswall (1849)
Tune: VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS (Webbe)
Published in 62 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Come, thou Holy Spirit, come,
and from thy celestial home
shed a ray of light divine;
come, thou Father of the poor,
come, thou source of all our store,
come, within our hearts to shine.

2 Thou of comforters the best,
thou the soul's most welcome guest,
sweet refreshment here below;
in our labour rest most sweet,
grateful coolness in the heat,
solace in the midst of woe.

3 O most blessèd Light divine,
shine within these hearts of thine,
and our inmost being fill;
where thou art not, man hath naught,
nothing good in deed or thought,
nothing free from taint of ill.

4 Heal our wounds; our strength renew;
on our dryness pour thy dew;
wash the stains of guilt away;
bend the stubborn heart and will;
melt the frozen, warm the chill;
guide the steps that go astray.

5 On the faithful, who adore
and confess thee, evermore
in thy sevenfold gifts descend:
Give them virtue's sure reward,
give them thy salvation, Lord,
give them joys that never end.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #243

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Translator: Edward Caswall

Edward Caswall was born in 1814, at Yately, in Hampshire, where his father was a clergyman. In 1832, he went to Brasenose College, Oxford, and in 1836, took a second-class in classics. His humorous work, "The Art of Pluck," was published in 1835; it is still selling at Oxford, having passed through many editions. In 1838, he was ordained Deacon, and in 1839, Priest. He became perpetural Curate of Stratford-sub-Castle in 1840. In 1841, he resigned his incumbency and visited Ireland. In 1847, he joined the Church of Rome. In 1850, he was admitted into the Congregation of the Oratory at Birmingham, where he has since remained. He has published several works in prose and poetry. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

^ top

First Line:	Come, Thou Holy Spirit, come!
Latin Title:	Veni, sancte Spiritus Et emitte coelitus
Translator:	Edward Caswall (1849)
Meter:	7.7.7.7.7.7
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain