No. 109
SAINTS, Feasts of Virgins
Dear Crown of all the Virgin-choir
Jesu, corona Virginum
For Unison, or Two-Part Chorus of Equal Voices
Translated by Father Caswall
P. Piel
Moderato
1.
Dear Crown of all the Virgin-choir
That holy Mother's Virgin Son!
Who is, alone of womankind,
Mother and Virgin both in one.
2.
Encircles by thy Virgin band,
Amid the lilies Thou art found;
For thy pure brides with lavish hand
Scatt'ring immortal graces round.
3.
And still whatever Thou dost bend
Thy lovely steps, O glorious King,
Virgins upon Thy steps attend,
And hymns to Thy glory sing.
4.
Keep us, O Purity divine,
From ev'ry least corruption free;
Our ev'ry sense from sin refine,
And purify our souls for Thee.
5.
To God the Father, and the Son,
All honor, glory, praise be giv'n;
With Thee, coequal Paraclete!
Forevermore in earth and Heav'n.
[Page 171]

No. 110
SAINTS, Feasts of Apostles
Now let the earth with joy resound
Exsultet orbis gaudiis
Translated by Father Caswall
Lachmannov Spevnicek
Arr. by N. A. M.
Joyously and with animation (alla breve)
1.
Now let the earth with joy resound;
And Heav'n the chant re-echo round;
Nor Heav'n nor earth too high can raise
The great Apostles' glorious praise.
2.
O ye who, throned in glory dread,
Shall judge the living and the dead!
Lights of the world forevermore!
To you the suppliant pray'r we pour.
3.
So when the world is at its end,
And Christ to judgement shall descend,
May we be called these joys to see
Prepared from all eternity.
4.
Praise to the Father, with the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One;
As ever was in ages past,
And so shall be while ages last.
[Page 172]

No. 111
ANGELS
Hark! hark! my soul
The Pilgrims of the Night
Father Faber
Nicola A. Montani
Moderato (alla breve)
1.
Hark! Hark! My soul! Angelic songs are swelling
O'er earth's green fields and ocean's wave-beat shore;
How sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling
Of that new life where sin shall be no more!
Refrain
Angels of Jesus! Angels of light!
Singing to welcome The pilgrims of the night.
2.
Darker than night life's shadows fall around us,
And, like benighted men, we miss our mark;
God hides Himself, and grace hath scarcely found us,
Ere death finds out his victims in the dark.
3.
Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing,
The voice of Jesus sounds o'er land and sea;
And laden souls, by thousands meekly stealing,
Kind Shepherd! Turn their weary steps to Thee.
4.
Angels! sing on, your faithful watches keeping,
Sing us sweet fragments of the songs above;
While we toil on, and soothe ourselves with weeping,
Till life's long night shall break in endless love.
[Page 173]
[Page 174]

No. 112
ANGELS
Dear Angel! ever at my side
The Guardian Angel
Father Faber
Nicola A. Montani
Semplice
1.
Dear angel! Ever at my side,
How loving must thou be,
To leave thy home in Heav'n
To guide a sinful child like me.
2.
Thy beautiful and shining face,
I see not, tho' so near;
The sweetness of thy soft low voice
Too deaf am I to hear.
3.
But when, dear Spirit, I kneel down,
Both morn and nigh to pray'r,
Something there is within my heart,
Which tells me thou art there.
4.
Oh! When I pray thou prayest too,
Thy pray'r is all for me;
But when I sleep, thou sleepest not,
But watchest patiently.
5.
Then, for thy sake, dear Angel! now
More humble will I be:
But I am weak, and when I fall,
O weary not of me.
6.
Then love me, love me, Angel dear!
And I will love thee more;
And help me when my soul is cast
Upon th'eternal shore.
[Page 175]

No. 113
THE HOLY SOULS
Help, Lord, the Souls which Thou hast made
The Faithful departed
Cardinal Newman
From a Slovak Hymnal
Arr. by N. A. M.
Andante
1.
Help, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made,
The souls to Thee so dear,
In prison for the debt unpaid,
Of sins committed here.
2.
These holy souls, they suffer on
Resigned in heart and will,
Until The high behest is done,
And justice has its fill.
3.
For daily falls, for pardoned crime
They joy to undergo
The shadow of Thy Cross sublime,
The remnant of Thy woe.
4.
Oh, by their patience of delay,
Their hope amid their pain,
Their sacred zeal to burn away
Disfigurement and stain.
5.
Oh, by their fire of love, not less
In keenness than in flame,
Oh, by their very helplessness,
Oh, by Thy own great Name.
6.
Good Jesus, help! Sweet Jesus, aid
The souls to Thee most dear,
In prison for the debt unpaid
Of sins committed here.
[Page 176]