O come, Redeemer of mankind, appear

O come, Redeemer of mankind, appear

Author: St. Ambrose; Paraphraser: D. T. Morgan
Tune: REDEMPTOR MUNDI
Published in 3 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 O come, Redeemer of mankind, appear,
thee with full hearts the Virgin-born we greet;
let every age with rapt amazement hear
that wondrous birth which for our God is meet.

2 Not by the will of man, or mortal seed,
but by the Spirit’s breathed mysterious grace
the Word of God became our flesh indeed,
and grew a tender plant of human race.

3 Lo! Mary’s virgin womb its burthen bears,
nor less abides her virgin purity;
in the King’s glory see our nature shares;
here in his temple God vouchsafes to be.

4 From his bright chamber, virtue’s holy shrine
the royal Bridegroom cometh to the day;
of twofold substance, human and divine,
as giant swift, rejoicing on His way.

5 Forth from his Father to the world he goes,
back to the Father’s face his way regains,
far down to souls beneath his glory shows,
again at God’s right hand victorious reigns.

6 With the Eternal Father equal, thou,
girt with our flesh dost triumph evermore,
strengthening our feeble bodies here below
with endless grace from thine own living store.

7 How doth thy lowly manger radiant shine!
On the sweet breath of night new splendour grows;
so may our spirits glow with faith Divine,
where no dark cloud of sin shall interpose.

8 All praise and glory to the Father be,
all praise and glory to his only son,
all praise and glory, Holy Ghost, to thee,
both now, and while eternal ages run.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #81

Author: St. Ambrose

Ambrose (b. Treves, Germany, 340; d. Milan, Italy, 397), one of the great Latin church fathers, is remembered best for his preaching, his struggle against the Arian heresy, and his introduction of metrical and antiphonal singing into the Western church. Ambrose was trained in legal studies and distinguished himself in a civic career, becoming a consul in Northern Italy. When the bishop of Milan, an Arian, died in 374, the people demanded that Ambrose, who was not ordained or even baptized, become the bishop. He was promptly baptized and ordained, and he remained bishop of Milan until his death. Ambrose successfully resisted the Arian heresy and the attempts of the Roman emperors to dominate the church. His most famous convert and disciple w… Go to person page >

Paraphraser: D. T. Morgan

Morgan, David Thomas, b. Sep. 17, 1809, d. Nov. 14, 1886. In 1880 Mr. Morgan's translations from the Latin were published as Hymns and Poems of the Latin Church, Translated by D. T. Morgan. Arranged according to the Calendar of the Church of England, Lond., Rivingtons, 1880. About one-half of these translations had been previously printed for private circulation in his Hymns of the Latin Church, Translated by David T. Morgan, with the Originals appended, 1811. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)  Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O come, Redeemer of mankind, appear
Latin Title: Veni, Redemptor gentium
Author: St. Ambrose
Paraphraser: D. T. Morgan
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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Media

The Cyber Hymnal #4751
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CPWI Hymnal #81

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The Cyber Hymnal #4751

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