Christmas...

I did a presentation yesterday on the Oxford Movement/Anglo-Catholic/Tractarian Movement in England during the mid 19th Century. Through some research, I found that my favourite Christmas carol: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (well, The First Noel is my OTHER favourite) was translated by John Mason Neale(1818-1866) who was part of the movement and mainly a hymn writer and translator (he also wrote Good King Wenceslas). Anyway, I think the hymn is awesome, so if you're not famliar with the original translation, then take a read... and would that God would indeed "bid our sad divisions cease"...

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

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O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

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O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

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O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

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O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

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O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

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O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain


(thank you Cyber Hymnal