A Poor Brother's Hymnal
Monday, August 21, 2006
Brief Life Here Is Our Portion
Words: Bernard of Cluny, 1145; trans. John Mason Neale, 1851
Tune: St. Alphege, Werde munter
Brief life is here our portion;
brief sorrow, short lived care;
the life that knows no ending,
the tearless life, is there.
There grief is turned to pleasure;
such pleasure as below
no human voice can utter,
no human heart can know.
The morning shall awaken,
the shadows flee away,
and each truehearted servant
shall shine as doth the day.
There God, our King and Portion,
in fullness of his grace,
shall we behold for ever,
and worship face to face.
O one, O only mansion,
O Paradise of joy,
where tears are ever banished,
and smiles have no alloy;
the Lamb is all thy splendor,
the Crucified thy praise;
his laud and benediction
thy ransomed people raise.
O sweet and blessed country,
the home of God's elect!
O sweet and blessed country,
that eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us,
to that dear land of rest;
who art, with God the Father,
and Spirit, ever blest.
Tune: St. Alphege, Werde munter
Brief life is here our portion;
brief sorrow, short lived care;
the life that knows no ending,
the tearless life, is there.
There grief is turned to pleasure;
such pleasure as below
no human voice can utter,
no human heart can know.
The morning shall awaken,
the shadows flee away,
and each truehearted servant
shall shine as doth the day.
There God, our King and Portion,
in fullness of his grace,
shall we behold for ever,
and worship face to face.
O one, O only mansion,
O Paradise of joy,
where tears are ever banished,
and smiles have no alloy;
the Lamb is all thy splendor,
the Crucified thy praise;
his laud and benediction
thy ransomed people raise.
O sweet and blessed country,
the home of God's elect!
O sweet and blessed country,
that eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us,
to that dear land of rest;
who art, with God the Father,
and Spirit, ever blest.
Labels: 12th c., bernard of cluny, Neale
¶ Monday, August 21, 2006 0 comments
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Lift your voice rejoicing, Mary
Words: Latin; trans. Elizabeth Rundle Charles (1828-1896), alt.
Tune: W zlobie lezy
Lift your voice rejoicing, Mary,
Christ has risen from the tomb;
on the cross a suffering victim,
now as victor he is come.
Whom your tears in death were mourning,
welcome with your smiles returning.
Let your alleluias rise!
Raise your weary eyelids, Mary,
see him living evermore;
see his countenance how gracious,
see the wounds for you he bore.
All the glory of the morning
pales before those wounds redeeming.
Let your alleluias rise!
Life is yours for ever, Mary,
for your light is come once more
and the strength of death is broken;
now your songs of joy outpour.
Ended now the night of sorrow,
love has brought the blessed morrow.
Let your alleluias rise. ¶ Saturday, August 05, 2006 0 comments
Tune: W zlobie lezy
Lift your voice rejoicing, Mary,
Christ has risen from the tomb;
on the cross a suffering victim,
now as victor he is come.
Whom your tears in death were mourning,
welcome with your smiles returning.
Let your alleluias rise!
Raise your weary eyelids, Mary,
see him living evermore;
see his countenance how gracious,
see the wounds for you he bore.
All the glory of the morning
pales before those wounds redeeming.
Let your alleluias rise!
Life is yours for ever, Mary,
for your light is come once more
and the strength of death is broken;
now your songs of joy outpour.
Ended now the night of sorrow,
love has brought the blessed morrow.
Let your alleluias rise. ¶ Saturday, August 05, 2006 0 comments
If there be that skills to reckon
Words: attributed to Thomas … Kempis (1379-1471);
trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Lewes
If there be that skills to reckon
all the number of the blest,
he perchance can weigh the gladness
of the everlasting rest,
which, their earthly exile finished,
they by merit have possessed.
Through the vale of lamentation
happily and safely past,
now the years of their affliction
in their memory they recast,
and the end of all perfection
they can contemplate at last.
There the gifts of each and single
all in common right possess;
there each member hath his portion
in the Body's blessedness;
so that he, the least in merits,
share the guerdon none the less.
In a glass through types and riddles
dwelling here, we see alone;
then serenely, purely, clearly,
we shall know as we are known,
fixing our enlightened vision
on the glory of the throne.
There the Trinity of persons
unbeclouded shall we see;
there the Unity of essence
perfectly revealed shall be;
while we hail the threefold Godhead
and the simple Unity.
Wherefore man, take heart and courage,
whatso'er thy present pain;
such untold reward through suffering
thou may'st merit to attain:
and for ever in his glory
with the Light of light to reign.
trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Lewes
If there be that skills to reckon
all the number of the blest,
he perchance can weigh the gladness
of the everlasting rest,
which, their earthly exile finished,
they by merit have possessed.
Through the vale of lamentation
happily and safely past,
now the years of their affliction
in their memory they recast,
and the end of all perfection
they can contemplate at last.
There the gifts of each and single
all in common right possess;
there each member hath his portion
in the Body's blessedness;
so that he, the least in merits,
share the guerdon none the less.
In a glass through types and riddles
dwelling here, we see alone;
then serenely, purely, clearly,
we shall know as we are known,
fixing our enlightened vision
on the glory of the throne.
There the Trinity of persons
unbeclouded shall we see;
there the Unity of essence
perfectly revealed shall be;
while we hail the threefold Godhead
and the simple Unity.
Wherefore man, take heart and courage,
whatso'er thy present pain;
such untold reward through suffering
thou may'st merit to attain:
and for ever in his glory
with the Light of light to reign.
Labels: 15th c., latin, Neale, Thomas a Kempis
¶ Saturday, August 05, 2006 0 comments