Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Let all the world

Let all the world in every corner sing, 
My God and King! 
The heavens are not too high, 
His praise may thither fly; 
The earth is not too low, 
His praises there may grow. 
Let all the world in every corner sing, 
My God and King! 

Let all the world in every corner sing, 
My God and King! 
The Church with psalms must shout, 
No door can keep them out; 
But above all the heart 
Must bear the longest part. 
Let all the world in every corner sing, 
My God and King! 

George Herbert (1593-1633)

O taste and see

O taste and see how gracious the Lord is: 
blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34 v.8

Easter

Rise heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise without delays, 
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise with him may'st rise, 
That, as his death calcined thee to dust, 
His life may make thee gold, and much more just. 

Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part with all thy art. 
The cross taught all wood to resound his name who bore the same. 
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key 
Is best to celebrate this most high day. 

Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song pleasant and long: 
Or since all music is but three parts vied and multiplied, 
Oh let thy blessed Spirit bear a part, 
And make up our defects with his sweet art. 

George Herbert (1593-1633)

Love bade me welcome

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey’d Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack’d anything.

“A guest,” I answer’d, “worthy to be here”;
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord, but I have marr’d them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
 So I did sit and eat.

George Herbert

The Blessed Son of God

The blessed son of God only
In a crib full poor did lie;
With our poor flesh and our poor blood
Was clothed that everlasting good.
Kyri’eleison.

The Lord Christ Jesu, God’s son dear,
Was a guest and a stranger here;
Us for to bring from misery,
That we might live eternally.
Kyri’eleison.

All this did he for us freely,
For to declare his great mercy;
All Christendom be merry therefore,
And give him thanks for evermore.
Kyri’eleison.

Miles Coverdale, after Martin Luther

The Call

Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:
Such a Way, as gives us breath:
Such a Truth, as ends all strife:
Such a Life, as killeth death.

Come, my LIght, my Feast, my Strength:
Such a Light, as shows a feast:
Such a Feast, as mends in length:
Such a Strength, as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:
Such a Joy, as none can move:
Such a Love, as none can part:
Such a Heart, as joys in love. 

George Herbert (1593-1633)

This is the truth

version 1

This is the truth sent from above, 
The truth of God, the God of love; 
Therefore don’t turn me from the door, 
But hearken all, both rich and poor. 

The first thing that I will relate, 
That God at first did man create; 
The next thing which to you I tell 
Woman was made with him to dwell. 

Thus we were heirs to endless woes 
Till God the Lord did interpose; 
And so a promise soon did run: 
That he’d redeem us by his Son. 

And at this season of the year 
Our blest redeemer did appear, 
And here did live, and here did preach, 
And many thousands he did teach. 

Thus he in love to us behaved, 
To show us how we must be saved; 
And if you want to know the way, 
Be pleased to hear what he did say. 

version 2

This is the truth sent from above 
The truth of God, the God of love;
Therefore don’t turn me from your door 
But hearken all both rich and poor.

The first thing which I do relate 
Is that God did man create, 
The next thing which to you I’ll tell, 
Woman was made with man to dwell.

Then after this ’twas God’s own choice 
To place them both in paradise, 
There to remain from evil free, 
Except they ate of such a tree.

And they did eat, which was a sin, 
And thus their ruin did begin;  
Ruined themselves, both you and me 
And all of their posterity.

Thus we were heirs to endless woes, 
Till God the Lord did interpose, 
And so a promise soon did run 
That he would redeem us by His Son.

Herefordshire Carol

Wither's Rocking Hymn

Sweet baby, sleep! What ailes my dear? 
What ailes my darling thus to cry? 
Be still, my childe, and lend thine ear 
To heare me sing thy lullaby. 
My pretty lambe, forbeare to weep; 
Be still, my dear; sweet babie, sleep! 

Thou blessed soul, what canst thou fear? 
What thing to thee can mischief do? 
Thy God is now thy Father dear, 
His holy spouse thy mother, too. 
Sweet babie, then, forbear to weep; 
Be still, my babe; sweet babie, sleep! 

Sweet babie sleep, and nothing fear, 
For whosoever thee offends 
By thy Protector threatened are, 
And God, and angels are thy friends. 
Sweet babie, then, forbear to weep; 
Be still, my dear; sweet babie, sleep! 

17th centruty words