113. Come ye faithful, raise the strain
John of Damascus, c. 700
Tr. John M. Neale
A Greek hymn based on the Song of Moses, Exodus 15.
Αἴσωμεν, πάντες λαοί,
τῶ ἐκ πικρᾶς δουλείας
Φαραὼ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἀπαλλάξαντι
καὶ ἐν βυθῷ φαλάσσης
ποδὶ ἀβρόχως ὁδηγήσαντι
ᾠδὴν ἐπινίκιον,
ὅτι δεδόξασται.
Σήμερον ἔαρ ψυχῶν,
ὅτι Χριστὸς ἐκ τάφου,
ὥσπερ ἥλιος, ἐκλάμψας τριήμερος
τον ζοφερὸν χειμῶνα
ἀπήλασε τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν,
αὐτὸν ἀνυμνήσωμεν,
ὅτι δεδόξασται.
Ἡ βασιλὶς τῶν ὡρῶν
τῆ λαμπροφόρῳ ἡμέρᾳ
ἡμερῶν τε βασιλίδι φανότατα
δωροφοροῦσα, τέρπει
τὸν ἔγκριτον τῆς ἐκκλησίας λαόν,
ἀπαύστως ἀνυμνοῦσα
τὸν ἀναστάτα Χριστόν.
Πύλαι θανάτου, Χριστέ,
οὐδὲ τοῦ τάφου σφραγῖδες,
οὐδὲ κλεῖθρα τῶν θυρῶν Σοι ἀντέστησαν,
ἀλλ’ ἀναστὰς ἐπέστης
τοῖς φίλοις σου εἰρήνην, Δέσποτα,
δωρούμενος τὴν πάντα
νοῦν ὑπερέχουσαν.
It was written by John of Damascus about the middle of the 8th century.
John of Damascus, Greek theologian and distinguished hymnist, as well as the greatest scholar and poet of his time, was born in Damascus of a prominent family, about A.D. 700. He was educated by an Italian monk named Cosmas, and retired to the monastery of St. Sabas in the Holy Land. He died between 754 and 787. He wrote a number of canons. A canon in Greek hymnology was a series of odes, usually eight or nine, threaded on an acrostic. This hymn is from his canon for the Sunday after Easter.
For comments on the translator, John M. Neale, see [Hymn 67].
MUSIC. ST. KEVIN. The composer, Arthur Sullivan, 1842-1900, was born in London, the son of an Irish band-master. He received a thorough musical education in London and on the continent and became a famous choir leader, hymn book editor, conductor, and composer. In collaboration with W. S. Gilbert, he composed light operas for which he is best known.