Joyous Sounds: Texts and Translations

FULL TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS

The Lord Shall Come and Not Be Slow - Zebulon M. Highben

The Lord shall come and not be slow;
His light is soon appearing.
Prepare, you sinners, here below
Who are these tidings hearing:

Arise, O sleepers, trim your lamps!
Their flames so swiftly burning
Reveal the path to hope and peace,
The dawn for which you’re yearning.

Come forth, you weary, meek and poor!
Forget your strife and labor.
Messiah comes to those who toil,
Bestowing God’s own favor.

Your king eternal, Lord on high,
In humble form and lowly,
Transforms a simple oxen stall
Into a throne most holy.

For Christ shall come and not be slow;
His light is now appearing.
Rejoice, you saints on earth below!
His reign of love is nearing.

Keep Your Lamps! - arr. André Thomas

Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
The time is drawing nigh.

Children, don’t get weary
‘Til your work is done.

Christian, journey soon be over,
The time is drawing nigh.

Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
The time is drawing nigh.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - Robert A. Hobby

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descending
Comes our homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads it vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descending,
From the realms of endless day,
Comes the pow’rs of hell to vanquish,
As the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
“Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia, Lord Most High!”

Magnificat - Franz Schubert

Magnificat anima mea Dominum.
Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.

Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum recordatus misericordiae suae.
Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros Abraham, et semini eius in saecula.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.

My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Because He hath regarded the humility of His servant
For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy:
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.

Glory be the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
forever and ever,
Amen.

O Magnum Mysterium - Tomas Luis de Victoria

O magnum mysterium,
et admirabile sacramentum,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,
jacentem in praesepio!

Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare
Dominum Christum.
Alleluia.

O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord,
lying in a manger!

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
Christ the Lord.
Alleluia!

Sure On This Shining Night - Morten Lauridsen

Sure on this shining night
Of starmade shadows round
Kindness must watch for me
This side the ground.

The late year lies down the north.
All is healed, all is health,
High summer holds the earth.
Hearts all whole.

Sure on this shining night
I weep for wonder
Wand’ring far alone
Of shadows on the stars.

Glory to God - G. F. Handel

Glory to God in the highest,
And peace on earth,
Goodwill towards men.

On Christmas Night All Christians Sing - arr. Howard Helvey

On Christmas night all Christians sing,
To hear the news the angels bring.
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King’s birth.

Then why should we on earth be so sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad,
When from our sin He set us free,
All for to gain our liberty.

When sin departs before His grace,
Then life and health come in its place;
Angels and all with joy may sing;
All for to see the newborn King.

All out of darkness we have light,
Which made the angels sing this night;
“Glory to God and peace to all,
Now and forevermore. Amen.”

O Holy Night! - arr. Tim Sarsany

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining;
‘Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices;
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;

Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine, o night when Christ was born!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His name is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother.
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name;

Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine, o night when Christ was born!

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - arr. Dan Forrest

Hark the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark the herald angels sing!
Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel,
Hark the herald angels sing!
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heavenborn Prince of Peace,
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild he lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the songs of earth,
Born to give them second birth,
Hark the herald angels sing!
Glory to the newborn King!

The Work of Christmas - Dan Forrest

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations;
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music from the heart.

Night of Silence - arr. Marilyn Biery

Cold are the people, winter of life,
We tremble in shadows this cold endless night,
Frozen in the show lie roses sleeping,
Flowers that will echo the sunrise,
Fire of hope is our only warmth,
Weary, its flame will be dying soon.

Voice in the distance, call in the night,
On wind you enfold us You speak of the light,
Gentle on the ear you whisper softly,
Rumors of a dawn so embracing,
Breathless love awaits darkened souls,
Soon will we know of the morning.

Spirit among us, shine like the star,
Your light that guides shepherds and kings from afar,
Shimmer in the sky so empty, lonely,
Rising in the warmth of your Son’s love,
Star unknowing of night and day,
Spirit we wait for you loving Song.

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon virgin mother and child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.