What Terror Every Bosom Shakes

At Matins, Octave of The Ascension
And for Second Advent

Words: Sensus quis horror percutit? Latin Hymn by Jean Baptiste de Santeüil (1630-1697), Cluniac Breviary, 1686, with notes
Translation by John David Chambers

Music: Not Stated

Source: John David Chambers, ed., Lauda Syon (London: J. Masters and J. A. Nolvello, 1857), pp. 201-202.

1. What terror every bosom shakes !
The Vault of Heaven in sunder breaks !
Around their Christ, enthroned in cloud,
The bright celestial legions crowd ?

2. Awed by the trumpet's call, to-day
Must haggard death restore its prey ;
Before the Judge, Tribunal dread !
The Angels drive th' awakened dead !

3. At His Right Hand the just are placed,
And to the left the wicked chased ;
The Shepherd knows His flock ; the sheep
He severed from the goats shall keep.

4. Lo ! seated at the Judge's side,
They who their fleshly lusts denied ;
And chose bleak poverty to endure,
With Him Who was for them made poor.

5. The Cross, offence to Jewish eyes,
The Cross, which heathen folk despise,
Which sinners dread, the righteous love,
Flames in the firmament above !

6. Whom to the Tree they dared to nail
Him trembling they behold, and wail !
His countenance His own mall cheer,
But chill the reprobate with fear !

7. Redeemer ! Christ ! Thine own elect
From Earth's polluting wiles protect ;
O sever from the unjust our lot !
And with the lost confound us not !

8. Jesu ! Who Judge of Worlds shalt be,
All Glory we ascribe to Thee ;
Whom with The Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost for evermore ! Amen.

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