Hymns of the Early Church / being translations from the poetry of the Latin church, arranged in the order of the Christian year

Ascension

John Brownlie

ÆTERNE REX ALTISSIME

A hymn of complex authorship and of frequently altered text.

I

Eternal King, enthroned on high,

Redeemer, strong Thy folk to save;

Thee, powerful death, by death o’ercome,

A royal crown of triumph gave.

II

Ascending to the throne of God,

Beyond the glittering host of heaven,

More power than human hand could give

To Thee, victorious King, is given.

III

Three kingdoms bow before Thee now—

The heavens above, the earth below,

Hell’s dark abode—and to their Lord,

On bended knee, submission show.

IV

All awe inspired, the angel host

Behold man’s changed estate, amazed;

Our sinful flesh, by flesh renewed,

And man, true God, to Godhead raised.

V

O Christ, with God who dwell’st on high,

Be Thou to us, we humbly pray,

A lasting joy while here we wait,

Our great reward in heaven for aye.

VI

In earnest prayer we come to Thee;

O may our sins be all forgiven,

And lift our hearts by Thy rich grace,

To where Thou art Thyself, in heaven.

VII

That when in clouds of Judgment dire,

Thou com’st with Thine angelic host,

We may escape the avenger’s power,

And wear anew the crowns we lost.

VIII

To Thee, O Christ, all glory be,

Victor returning now to heaven;

To Father, and to Holy Ghost,

Let praise through endless years be given.

POSTQUAM HOSTEM ET INFERNA

By Adam of St. Victor. (See p. 49.)

I

Broken are the bands that bound us,

Spoiled are Satan’s realms around us,

And to joys supernal now,

Christ returns with hosts attending,

And, as when at first descending,

Angel guards their homage bow.

II

Far above the stars ascending,

Faith alone His course attending,

Passing now from mortal sight;

To His hand all power is given,

One with God He rules in heaven,

One in honour and in might.

III

Victor on His throne uplifted,

See all rule to Him is gifted,

O’er Creation’s wide domain.

Now for evermore He liveth,

Nevermore His life He giveth—

Once the sacrifice was slain.

IV

Once He wore our flesh in weakness,

Once He suffered, once in meekness

Gave Himself for sin to die.

Now no longer pain He knoweth:

Perfect peace for ever floweth,

Perfect joy is ever nigh.

CŒLOS ASCENDIT HODIE

Of unknown date and authorship. The text is in Daniel’s Thesaurus, with “Alleluia” as a refrain. Dr. Neale gives it in his “MediÆval Hymns and Sequences” as “apparently of the twelfth century.”

I

To-day the lingering clouds are riven,

Alleluia!

Our glorious King ascends to heaven,

Alleluia!

II

The heaven and earth His rule obey,

Alleluia!

Who sits at God’s right hand for aye,

Alleluia!

III

See, all things are fulfilled at last,

Alleluia!

By David sung in ages past,

Alleluia!

IV

And on the throne of high renown,

Alleluia!

The Lord is with His Lord set down,

Alleluia!

V

Now blessings on our Lord we shower,

Alleluia!

In this chief triumph of His power,

Alleluia!

VI

Let praise the Trinity adore,

Alleluia!

To God be glory evermore,

Alleluia!

O CHRISTE, QUI NOSTER POLI

Appeared in the Cluniac Breviary of 1686, and in that of Paris, 1736, as also in later French Breviaries. From his connection with the revised Paris Breviary, this hymn has been ascribed to Archbishop Charles de Vintimille, born 1655, died 1746; but in neither the Cluniac nor Paris Breviary is it marked as his. Chandler’s version of the hymn, beginning, “O Jesu, who art gone before, To Thy blest realms of light,” appears in Dr. Martineau’s “Hymns of Praise and Prayer,” with opening lines altered to, “The Crucified is gone before, To the blest realms of light,” and with other variations.

I

O Christ, who art ascended now

To realms of bliss above,

Inspire our souls to rise to Thee,

Upborne by faith and love.

II

Make us to seek those holy joys,

That they who love receive;

That earthly mind can never know,

Nor faithless soul perceive.

III

There, where Thou art, they reap reward

Who toiled at duty’s call;

For Thou dost give Thyself to them,

And Thou art all in all.

IV

By power divine, O let us come

Where glory cannot fade;

And from Thy heavenly throne send down

The Spirit to our aid.

V

To Thee who art at God’s right hand,

O Christ, to Thee be praise,

To Father, and to Holy Ghost,

Be glory given always.

Clyx.com