The Cyber Hymnal ‎#4653

4653. Now Praise We Christ, the Holy One

1. Now praise we Christ, the Holy One,
The blessed virgin Mary’s Son,
Far as the glorious sun doth shine,
E’en to the world’s remote confine.

2. He who Himself all things did make
A servant’s form vouchsafed to take
That He as man mankind might win
And save His creatures from their sin.

3. The grace and power of God the Lord
Upon the mother was outpoured;
A virgin pure and undefiled
In wondrous wise conceived a Child.

4. The noble mother bore a Son—
For so did Gabriel’s promise run—
Whom John confessed and leaped with joy
Ere yet the mother knew her Boy.

5. Upon a manger filled with hay
In poverty content He lay;
With milk was fed the Lord of all,
Who feeds the ravens when they call.

6. The heavenly choirs rejoice and raise
Their voice to God in songs of praise.
To humble shepherds is proclaimed
The Shepherd who the world hath framed.

7. All honor unto Christ be paid,
Pure Offspring of the favored maid,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Till time in endless time be lost.

Text Information

• First Line: Now praise we Christ, the Holy One
• Title: Now Praise We Christ, the Holy One
• Latin Title: A solis ortus cardine
• Author: Caelius Sedulius (5th Century)
• Translator (from Latin to German): Martin Luther
• Translator (from German to English): Richard Massie (1854)
• Meter: LM
• Language: English; German
• Source: Translated from Latin to German in Eyn Enchiridion (Erfurt, Germany: 1524) "Christum wir sollen loben schon"; translated from German to English in Martin Luther's Spiritual Songs, 1854; 5th Century Latin
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Alternate tunes: BRESLAU, As Hymnodus Sacer (Leipzig, Germany: 1625); EMMANUEL, Carl C. N. Balle, 1850; LOUVAN, Virgil C. Taylor, 1850; MAINZER, Joseph Mainzer, circa 1845

Tune Information

• Name: CHRISTUM WIR SOLLEN LOBEN SCHON
• Composer: Anonymous (16th Century)
• Meter: LM
• Key: d minor
• Source: Eyn En­chi­rid­i­on (Er­furt, Ger­ma­ny: 1524)
• Copyright: Public Domain