Texts & Translations
Text and Translations
Last Words of David
He that ruleth over men must be just,
Ruling in the fear of God.
And he shall be as the light of the morning,
When the sun riseth,
Even a morning without clouds;
As the tender grass springing out of the earth
By clear shining after rain.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia
Amen.
O Magnum Mysterium
Both settings
First setting by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1540-1611)
Second setting by Morten Lauridsen (1943)
Latin Text
O magnum mysterium,
Et admirabile sacramentum,
Ut animalia viderent Dominum natum
jacentum in praesepio!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare
Dominum Christum. Alleluia!
English Translation
O great mystery,
and wondrous sacrament,
that animals should see the newborn Lord
Lying in their manger.
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear the
Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear the
Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
Translation by Ron Jeffers printed in score
He, Watching Over Israel from Elijah
He, watching over Israel,
Slumbers not, nor sleeps.
Shouldst thou, walking in grief, languish,
He will quicken thee.
Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal
Hark, I hear the harps eternal
Ringing on the farther shore,
As I near those swollen waters,
With their deep and solemn roar.
Hallelujah. Glory to the great I Am.
And my soul though stained with sorrow,
Fading as the light of day,
Passes swiftly o’er those waters
To the city far away.
Hallelujah. Praise the Lamb.
Glory to the great I AM!
Souls have crossed before me, saintly,
To that land of perfect rest;
And I hear them singing faintly
In the mansions of the blest.
Hallelujah. Praise the Lamb.
Glory to the great I AM!
Hallelujah. Praise the Lamb.
Glory to the great I AM!
Bogoród̃itse D̃évo, ráduys̃i︠a︡,
Blagodátnaya Mar̃íye, Ghospód s Tobóyu.
Blagosloṽénna Tï v zhenáẖ,
i blagosloṽén Plod chr̃éva Tvoyegó,
yáko Spása rod̃ilá yes̃í dush náshïẖ.
Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos
English translation © Liturgical
English translation © Liturgical
Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos,
Mary full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art Thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb,
for Thou hast borne the Savior of our souls.
Taken from Oxfordsong.org
Witness
Who’ll be a witness for my Lord?
Oh I’ll be a witness for my Lord.
There was a man of the Pharisees,
His name was Nicodemus and he didn’t believe.
The same came to Christ by night,
Wanted to be taught out of human sight.
Nicodemus was a man who desired to know
How a man can be born when he is old.
Christ told Nicodemus as a friend,
Man, you must be born again.
He said, “Marvel not, be wise, repent,
Believe and be baptized.”
Then you’ll be a witness for my Lord.
Soul is a witness for my Lord.
You read about Samson,
From his birth he was the strongest man
That ever lived on earth.
Way back yonder in ancient times
He killed ten thousand of the Philistines.
Then old Samson went a wond'rin’ about,
Samson’s strength was never found out.
Til his wife sat upon his knee.
“Tell me where your strength lies, if you please!”
Well, old Samson’s wife,
She talk so fair Samson said,
“Cut off my hair!
Shave my head just as clean as your hand,
And my strength will come like a natural man,”
Samson was a witness, Lord.
Soul is a witness for my Lord.
There’s another witness for my Lord!
My soul is a witness for my Lord!
For the Beauty of the Earth
For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies
For the love, which from our birth
Over and around us lies
'Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night
Hill and vale and tree and flow'r
Sun and Moon and stars of light
Sun and Moon and stars of light
'Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise
For the joy of human love (For the joy of love)
Brother, sister, parent, child (Brother, sister, parent, child)
Friends on earth (Friends on earth) and friends above (And friends above)
For all gentle thoughts and mild (For all gentle thoughts and mild)
For all gentle thoughts and mild
'Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn (Our joyful hymn) of praise (Of praise)
For each perfect gift of Thine
To our race so freely given
Graces human (Given) and divine (Human and divine)
Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n
Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n
'Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn (Our joyful hymn) of praise
(This our joyful hymn) Our hymn of praise
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: John Milford Rutter / Chan Xiu Yi
For the Beauty of the Earth lyrics © Oxford University Press
Sleep
The evening hangs beneath the moon,
A silver thread on darkened dune.
With closing eyes and resting head
I know that sleep is coming soon.
Upon my pillow, safe in bed,
A thousand pictures fill my head,
I cannot sleep, my mind’s aflight;
And yet my limbs seem made of lead.
If there are noises in the night,
A frightening shadow, flickering light;
Then I surrender unto sleep,
Where clouds of dreams give second sight.
What dreams may come, both dark and deep,
Of flying wings and soaring leap
As I surrender unto sleep,
Sleep.
Battle of Jericho
Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbalin’ down
Talk about your kings of Gideon,
Talk about your men of Saul,
But none like good old Joshua
At the Battle of Jericho.
Right up to the walls of Jericho,
He marched with spear in hand,
“Go blow that ramhorn!” Joshua cried. (God almighty)
Then the lamb, ram, sheep horns begin to blow
And the trumpet begins to sound.
Joshua commanded the children to shout!
And the walls come a tumbalin’ down
Oh Lord, you know that
Joshua, Battle, He fought the Battle, Jericho
The walls come tumbalin’ down.
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Thine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! (Gloria!)
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence in the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! (Gloria!)
His truth is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies;
Christ was born across the sea;
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy,
Let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! (Gloria!)
His truth is marching on.
Amen!