Catalogue of Texts Set to Music

Adoro te devote (Jesus, I Adore Thee)

The Latin underlay is the chant-hymn text attributed to Thomas Aquinas (1227-1274). The English underlay adapted by Stephen Caracciolo is at times a loose translation of Aquinas’ text, and at others a rhymed and metered interpretation of the first chapter of John’s gospel.

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,                          I devoutly adore you, O hidden Deity
Quae sub his figuris vere latitas:                       Truly hidden beneath these appearances.
Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit,                       My whole heart submits to you,
Quia te contemplans totum deficit.                     And in contemplating you, it surrenders itself completely.

Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,         Sight, touch, and taste are all deceived in their judgment of you,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur                            But hearing suffices firmly to believe.
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius; I believe all that the Son of God has spoken;
Nil hoc verbo veritatis verius.                           There is nothing truer than this word of truth.

O memoriale mortis Domini                                O memorial of our Lord’s death!
Panis vivus, vitam praestans homini.                 Living bread that gives life to man,
Praesta meae menti de te vivere,                      Grant my soul to live on you,
Et te illi semper dulce sapere.                            And always to savor your sweetness.

Jesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,                     Jesus, whom now I see hidden,
Oro fiat illud quod tam sitio:                                I ask you to fulfill what I so desire:
Ut, te revelata cernens facie,                              That the sight of your face being unveiled
Visu simbeatus, tuae gloriae.                              I may have the happiness of seeing your glory.

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Jesus I adore thee, Word of truth and grace,
Who in glory shineth light upon our race.
Christ, to thee surrendered, my whole heart is bowed.
Alpha and Omega, thou true Son of God.

Taste and touch and vision to discern thee fail;
Faith that comes by hearing, pierces through the veil.
I believe whate’er the Son of God hath told.
What the truth hath spoken that for truth I hold.

Word of God incarnate, Lord of life and light,
Teach me how to love and worship thee aright.
Holy Spirit, ever ‘bide within my heart,
Speaking thy commandments, telling all thou art.

Wondrous revelation, verity and grace.
Lo, in glory’s heav’n I see thee face to face.
Light of endless light whom heav’n and earth adore,
Fill me with thy radiance, now and evermore.

Christ Victorious Christ, Now Reigning

Stephen Caracciolo, accessing the many and varied images of Christ as set forth in the lections for Christ the King Sunday (years A,B, & C).

Christ victorious; Christ, now reigning;
Christ, your Lord and King, commands!
Shouts of triumph, praise unceasing,
“Holy, holy to the Lamb.”
Alleluia, alleluia, Christ by heav’n and earth adored.
Alleluia, alleluia, Righteous King and mighty Lord.

Christ the Image; Christ, the Dawning;
Christ the first of God’s commands.
All things through him, all things for him,
Stars and all of heav’n’s expanse.
Alleluia, alleluia, Light and Source and Holy One.
Alleluia, alleluia, Christ who was and is to come.

Christ the Victim, Christ, the Healing;
Love anoints his hands and feet.
Christ the dying; Christ the rising,
God’s own sacrifice complete.
Alleluia, alleluia, Hail the Chosen One of God!
Alleluia, alleluia, Great Redeemer, saving Lord.

Come Almighty, claim your kingdom.
Call a nation for your own.
Come with beauty, pow’r and blessing.
Gather all your people home.
Alleuia, alleluia, Christ the Banquet, Christ the Song.
Alleuia, alleluia, Christ the glory, Christ alone.

Come Unto Me All Ye That Labour

Based on Matthew 11:28, Stephen Caracciolo

Come unto me all ye that labour,
All those weary and heavy laden.
Come and I will give you peace.

Goodbye, Old Paint

American Traditional

Goodbye, Old Paint, I’m a leavin’ Cheyenne.

My foot’s in the stirrup, my pony won’t stand,
I’m a-leavin’ Cheyenne, I’m off for Montan’.

I’m ridin’ Old Paint, I’m leadin’ Old Dan,
Goodbye, Little Annie, I’m leavin’ Cheyenne.

Old Paint’s a good pony, he paces when he can.
Good morning, young lady, my horses won’t stand.

Oh, hitch up your horses and feed ‘em some hay,
And seat yourself by me as long as you stay.

Oh, when I die, take my saddle from the wall,
Put it on my pony and lead him from the stall.

Tie my bones to his back, turn our faces due west,
And we’ll ride the prairie that we love the best.

Hush! My Dear, Lie Sill and Slumber

Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Sing lullaby, sing lullaby.

Hush! My dear, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard thy bed!
Heav’nly blessings without number
Gently falling on thy head.

How much better thou’rt attended
Than the Son of God could be.
When from heaven he descended.
He became a child like thee.

Mayst thou live to know and fear him,
Trust and love him all thy days:
Then in heaven dwell thou near him,
See his face and sing his praise.

Let My Prayer Rise Before You As Incense

Psalm 141

Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

O Lord, I call to you, come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.

Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord;
and guard the door of my lips.

Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evil doers.

But my eyes are turned to you, O God;
in you I take refuge, O Lord.

Make We Joy Now in This Fest

Anonymous 15th Century macaronic poem mixing English and Latin

Make we joy now in this fest,
In quo Christus natus est. [in which Christ is born]
Eya, eya. [ah, ah]

A Patre Unigenitus [the Only-begotten of the Father]
Is through a maiden come to us.
Sing we of him and say ‘Welcome!
Veni Redemptor gentium.’ [come, Redeemer of the Nations]

A solis ortus cardine [from the rising of the sun]
So mighty a lord was none as he,
And to our kind he hath him knit
Adam parens quod polluit. [which the father Adam defiled]

Maria ventre concepit, [Mary conceived in her womb]
The Holy Ghost was aye her with.
Of her in Bethlem born he is,
Consors Paternit luminis. [sharing in the light of his Father]

People, Look East

Eleanor Farjeon (1881–1965)

People look east, the time is near
For the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People look east and sing today,
Love, the Guest, is on the way.

Furrows be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there.
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in time the flow’r may flourish.
People look east, and sing today,
Love, the Rose, is on the way.

Stars keep the watch when night is dim,
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People look east and sing today,
Love, the Star, is on the way.

Angels announce with shouts of mirth
Him who brings new life to earth.
Set ev’ry peak and valley humming
With the word the Lord is coming.
People look east and sing today,
Love, the Lord, is on the way!

Sans Day Carol (Now the Holly Bears a Berry)

19th Century Cornish

Now the holly bears a berry as white as the milk,
And Mary bore Jesus, who was wrapped up in silk:
And Mary bore Jesus Christ, our Savior for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.

Now the holly bears a berry as green as the grass,
And Mary bore Jesus, who died on the cross:
And Mary bore Jesus Christ, our Savior for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.

Now the holly bears a berry as black as the coal,
And Mary bore Jesus, who died for us all:
And Mary bore Jesus Christ, our Savior for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.

Now the holly bears a berry, as blood is it red,
Then trust we our Savior, who rose from the dead:
And Mary bore Jesus Christ, our Savior for to be,
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly.

A Song of Creation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,