Hymns for the Feast of the Epiphany · Part 1

Hymns for the Feast of the Epiphany.

Hymn I.

Resp.--To Thee be praise from Thy flock in the day of Thy Epiphany!

1. The heavens He has renewed, for that fools worshipped all the luminaries:--He has renewed the earth, for that in Adam it was wasted. --That which He fashioned has become new by His spittle:--and the All-Sufficing has restored bodies with souls.

2. Gather yourselves again ye--sheep and without labour receive cleansing!--for one needs not as Elisha--to bathe seven times in the river, nor again to be wearied as the priests are wearied with sprinklings.

3. Seven times Elisha purified himself in a mystery of the seven spirits;--and the hyssop and blood are a mighty symbol.--There is no room for division;--He is not divided from the Lord of all Who is Son of the Lord of all.

4. Moses sweetened in Marah the waters that were bitter,--because the People complained and murmured:--Thus he gave a sign of baptism,--wherein the Lord of life makes sweet them that were bitter.

5. The cloud overshadowed and kept off the burning heat from the camp;--it showed a symbol of the Holy Spirit, which overshadows you in baptism--tempering the flaming fire that it harm not your bodies.

6. Through the sea the People then passed, and showed a symbol--of the baptism wherein ye were washed. The People passed through that and believed not:--the Gentiles were baptized in this and believed and received the Holy Ghost.

7. The Word sent the Voice to proclaim before His Coming,--to prepare for Him the way by which He came,--and to betroth the Bride till He should come,--that she might be ready when He should come and take her from the water.

8. The voice of prophecy stirred the son of the barren woman,--and he went forth wandering in the desert and crying,--"Lo! the Son of the Kingdom comes!--prepare ye the way that He may enter and abide in your dwellings!"

9. John cried, "Who comes after me, He is before me:--I am the Voice but not the Word;--I am the torch but not the Light;--the Star that rises before the Sun of Righteousness."

10. In the wilderness this John had cried and had said,--"Repent ye sinners of your evils,--and offer the fruits of repentance;--for lo! He comes that winnows the wheat from the tares."

11. The Lightgiver has prevailed and marked a mystery, by the degrees he ascended:--Lo! there are twelve days since he ascended,--and to-day this is the thirteenth:--a perfect mystery of Him, the Son, and His twelve!

12. Darkness was overcome to make it manifest that Satan was overcome;--and the Light prevailed that he should proclaim--that the Firstborn triumphs: darkness was overcome--with the Dark Spirit, and our Light prevailed with the Lightgiver.

13. In the Height and the Depth the Son had two heralds.--The star of light proclaimed Him from above;--John likewise preached Him from beneath:--two heralds, the earthly and the heavenly.

14. The star of light, contrary to nature, shone forth of a sudden;--less than the sun yet greater than the sun.--Less was it than he in manifest light;--and greater than he in secret might because of its mystery.

15. The star of light shed its rays among them that were in darkness,--and guided them as though they were blind;--so that they came and met the great Light:--they gave offerings and received life and adored and departed.

16. The herald from above showed His Nature to be from the Most High;--likewise he that was from beneath showed His Body to be from humankind, mighty marvel!--that His Godhead and His Manhood by them were proclaimed!

17. Thus whoso reckons Him as of earth, the star of light--will convince him that He is of Heaven: and whoso reckons Him as of spirit,--this John will convince him that He is also bodily.

18. John drew near with his parents and worshipped the Sun,--and brightness rested on His Face.--He was not moved as when in the womb.--Mighty marvel! that here he worships and there he leaped!

19. The whole creation became for Him as one mouth and cried out concerning Him.--The Magi cry out in their gifts;--the barren cry out with their children;--the star of light, lo! it cries out in the air, "Behold the Son of the King!"

20. The heavens are opened, the waters break forth, the dove is in glory!--The voice of the Father is stronger than thunder,--as it utters the word, "This is My Beloved";--the Watchers brought the tidings, the children acclaimed Him in their Hosannas.

Hymn II.

(Nearly identical with Hymn XIII. On the Nativity.)

(Resp.--To Thee be praise Who in this feast makest all to exult!)

1. In the time of the King whom they called by the name Semha --our Lord was manifested among the Hebrews.--Thus Semha and Denha reigned together,--the King on earth and the Son on high--blessed be His power!

2. In the days of the King who wrote down men in the taxing,--our Saviour came down and wrote down men in the Book of Life; He wrote and was written;--on high He wrote us, on earth He was written; glory to His Name!

3. His Birth was in the days of the King whose name was Semha.--Symbol and truth met one another;--King and King, Semha and Denha.--That kingdom bore His Cross; blessed be He Who took it up!

4. Thirty years abode He on earth in poverty.--Voices of praise in all measures,--let us weave my brethren for our Lord's years;--thirty crowns for thirty years; Blessed be His number!

5. In the first year, mistress of treasure and filled with blessings,--let the Cherubin give thanks with us, they who bear--the Son in glory Who gave up His glorious state,--and toiled and found the sheep that was lost;--to Him be thanksgiving!

6. In the second year let the Seraphin multiply thanksgiving with us;--they who cried "Holy" to the Son, and turned and saw Him--among unbelievers put to shame.--He endured scorn and taught us glory; to Him be glory given!

7. In the third year let Michael and his hosts give thanks with us;--they who were wont to serve the Son on high,--and saw Him on earth doing service.--He washed men's feet and cleansed men's souls; blessed be His meekness!

8. In the fourth year let all the heavens give thanks with us! Too narrow for the Son it shall burst to see--how He lay on the couch of despised Zaccheus.--He filled the couch and had filled the heavens;--to Him be thanksgiving!

9. In the fifth year let the Sun that burns the earth with its heat--give thanks to our Sun that He straitened His largeness,--and tempered His force that the eye might endure to see Him;--the inward eye of a pure soul; blessed be His radiance!

10. In the sixth year again let all the air give thanks with us,--in the vastness whereof all things exult.--It saw its great Lord that He became--a little babe in a lowly bosom; blessed be His honour!

11. In the seventh year let the clouds and winds sound the trumpet with us,--they whose dew sprinkles the faces of the flowers,--yet saw they the Son that He subdued His brightness,--and endured scorn and shameful spitting;--blessed be His salvation!

12. Yet again in the eighth year let Creation give glory,--from whose fountain the fruits draw nurture.--She adored when she saw the Son at the breast,--pure babe nurtured by pure milk; blessed be His good pleasure!

13. In the ninth year let the earth give glory, which when her lap is watered then brings forth the root.--She saw Mary an unwatered soil--whose fruit that she yielded is a mighty sea; to Him be exultation!

R., To Thee be glory, Son of the Lord of all, Who givest life to all!