All Hail, Ye Little Martyr Flowers

For The Holy Innocents
See: The Hymns Of The Holy Innocents
The Feast day of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs, is December 28

Version 2
Compare: All Hail Ye Infant Martyr Flowers (Neale and Helmore), with notes
Sweet Flowerets of the Martyr Band (Henry W. Baker) - Version 1
Sweet Flow'rets Of The Martyr Band (Henry W. Baker) - Version 2

Words: Salvete, Flores Martyrum, Cathemerinon ("The Hymns of Prudentius"), Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-405)
Translator: Athelstan Riley, 1906

Music: Sarratt, C. G. E. Ryley
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML
Meter: LM

Source: The English Hymnal (London: Oxford University Press, 1906), #34, p. 58.

1. All hail, ye little martyr flowers,
Sweet rosebuds cut in dawning hours!
When Herod sought the Christ to find
Ye fell as bloom before the wind.

2. First victims of the martyr bands,
With crowns and palms in tender hands,
Around the very altar, gay
And innocent, ye seem to play.

3. What profited this great offense?
What use was Herod's violence?
A Babe survives that dreadful day,
And Christ is safely borne away.

4. All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesus, virgin-born, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet
Ao Father and to Paraclete.

See and play the Noteworthy Composer score if you have installed the NoteWorthy Composer Browser Plug-in

Only tested by Noteworthy for Netscape, Opera, and IE Browsers (Versions 4 or 5)
In my experience, it also works with Firefox.

If you would like to help support Hymns and Carols of Christmas, please click on the button below and make a donation.

Related Hymns and Carols