Stars of the mormimg, so gloriously bright

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Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright,
Filled with celestial resplendence and light;
These that, where night never followeth day,
Raise the Trishagion ever and aye:

These are Thy counsellors: these dost Thou own,
GOD of Sabaoth! the nearest Thy throne;
These are Thy ministers; these dost Thou send,
Help of the helpless ones! man to defend.

p class="t0">These keep the guard, amidst Salem’s dear bowers:
Thrones, Principalities, Virtues, and Powers:
Where with the Living Ones, mystical Four,
Cherubin, Seraphin, bow and adore.

“Who like the LORD?”—thunders Michael, the Chief:
Raphael, “the Cure of GOD,” comforteth grief:
And, as at Nazareth, prophet of peace,
Gabriel, “the Light of GOD,” bringeth release.

Then, when the earth was first poised in mid-space,—
Then, when the planets first sped on their race,—
Then, when were ended the six days’ employ,—
Then all the sons of GOD shouted for joy.

Still let them succour us; still let them fight,
LORD of angelic hosts, battling for right!
Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour,
We with the Angels may bow and adore!

Hymns of the Eastern Church, 1866

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Author: St. Joseph the Hymnographer

Joseph, St., the Hymnographer. A native of Sicily, and of the Sicilian school of poets is called by Dr. Neale (in his Hymns of the Eastern Church), Joseph of the Studium, in error. He left Sicily in 830 for a monastic life at Thessalonica. Thence he went to Constantinople; but left it, during the Iconoclastic persecution, for Rome. He was for many years a slave in Crete, having been captured by pirates. After regaining his liberty, he returned to Constantinople. He established there a monastery, in connection with the Church of St. John Chrysostom, which was filled with inmates by his eloquence. He was banished to the Chersonese for defence of the Icons, but was recalled by the empress Theodora, and made Sceuophylax (keeper of the sacred… Go to person page >

Translator: J. M. Neale

Neale, John Mason, D.D., was born in Conduit Street, London, on Jan. 24, 1818. He inherited intellectual power on both sides: his father, the Rev. Cornelius Neale, having been Senior Wrangler, Second Chancellor's Medallist, and Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and his mother being the daughter of John Mason Good, a man of considerable learning. Both father and mother are said to have been "very pronounced Evangelicals." The father died in 1823, and the boy's early training was entirely under the direction of his mother, his deep attachment for whom is shown by the fact that, not long before his death, he wrote of her as "a mother to whom I owe more than I can express." He was educated at Sherborne Grammar School, and was afterwards… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Related Texts

First Line: Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright
Title: Stars of the mormimg, so gloriously bright
Greek Title: Φωστήρες τής άϋλον ούσίς
Author: St. Joseph the Hymnographer
Translator: J. M. Neale
Meter: 10 S.
Language: English
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Notes

Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright. St. Joseph the Hymnographer. [St. Michael & All Angels.] In the Paracletic there are several Canons of the Bodiless Ones, and all are of an ornate character. In Dr. Neale's Hymns of the Eastern Church, 1862, these stanzas appeared with the following title and note:—“Stars of the Morning. A cento from the Canon of the 'Bodiless Ones.' Tuesday in the Week of the Fourth Tone." 'In omitting the opening line of the Greek, Dr. Neale, doubtless, intended it to be understood, that he had followed the spirit rather than the letter of the original. In fact, there is no attempt to reproduce the sequence of thought as set forth in the Canon, although the ornate character of the original is imitated. Since the adoption of Dr. Neale's translation for congregational use, in H. J. Palmer's Supplemental Hymnal, 1866, the People's, 1867, Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1868, and others, it has become most popular, and is found in a large number of hymnbooks. The texts in use, however, vary considerably. Dr. Neale's authorized text is in the third edition of the Hymns of the Eastern Church, 1866. The original Greek Canon is found in modern editions of the Octoechus. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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Common Praise: A new edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern #247aPage Scan
Common Praise: A new edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern #247bPage Scan
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #548TextPage Scan
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard Edition #319
Lutheran Service Book #520TextPage Scan
Lutheran Worship #190TextPage Scan
Small Church Music #1359Audio
The Cyber Hymnal #6327TextScoreAudio
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The New English Hymnal #193bTextPage Scan
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