Sing The Universal Glory

For Christmas

Words and Music: Khanta beza bitoria, Old Basque Carol

Words Translated by the Rev. J. O'Connor

Source: Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #102, pp. 22-23.

1. Sing the universal glory
    Lo! The Serpent's triple head
Trampled down in ruin gory
    Fury quench'd and venom shed
Tell the great Messiah's story
    He is come and Hell is fled.

2. Ages in the darkness pining
    Taste and see that light is sweet,
Open to Messiah's shining!
    Mercy blooms around His feet:
Peace and Justice intertwining
    All the prophecies complete.

3. Only God our loss could reckon,
    So from all eternity
Chose His Son our steps to beckon
    Out of hopeless misery,
Pay our price and set His check on
    Greed and wrath and vanity.

4. So as little children descended,
    God of God and Light of Light
With our clay His glory blended
    In a stall one Christmas night;
Had He come arrayed and splendid
    Price had never taken fright.

5. Had He our sweets partaken
    We our ill would less deplore
But He came our souls to waken,
    Make us by ourselves set store.
Taught gainsaid and died forsaken
    Craving love and nothing more.

6. Glory to the Sire Who sent Him
    In the fulness of the time.
Glory to the Son Who bent Him
    To remould us from the slime.
Glory to the Lord Who spent Him
    In His holy Manhood's prime.

Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #102, pp. 22-23.

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