Advent Hymns and Carols
This is just a sampling of Advent carols available on this web site, something to get you started. I have begun to add the phrase "For Advent" at the top of appropriate web pages, which, if you search for that phrase, will yield many results. A broader search for the word "Advent" will retrieve a good many more pages.
Note that the phrase "Translation of" is often more precisely "Inspired by."
Some hymns, such as Day of Anger, That Dread Day, are for Second Advent (the Second Coming), and were sung during the Advent season in past years.
Other hymns, such as those for the Annunciation or concerning St. John the Baptist, are also suitable for the Advent season.
Finally, there are other hymns, such as Joy to the World, that are not ordinarily associated with the Advent, but appear on the Advent lists in some hymnals.
The Advent of our God - Chandler
The Advent of Our God - Packer
The Advent of Our God at Hand - L C. Earle, 1883
The Advent of our King - from Hymns Ancient and Modern
Behold! The Baptist's Warning Sound (Translation of Charles Coffin, Jordanis oras prævia (1736)
Behold the Bridegroom Cometh - Moultrie
Behold the Bridegroom Cometh - Brownlie
Behold the Bridegroom Draweth Nigh
Behold the Bridegroom! Hark The Cry
Blest Be The King Whose Coming - Version 1
Brief Life is Here Our Portion
Bright Builder of the Heavenly Poles (Britt)
Bright Builder of the Heavenly Poles (Primer, 1685)
Bright Maker of the Starry Poles
Celestial Word, To This Our Earth (Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
Christ is the Worlds True Light
Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies
Christian Children Advent Bids You
Christian! Seek Not Yet Repose
Come Thou Precious Ransom Come
Come, Thou Redeemer of the Earth - Version 1, Neale Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
Come, Thou Redeemer Of The Earth - Version 2 - Another version of the Neale Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
Come, Thou Savior of of Our Race - Reynolds Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
The Coming Of Our God - Woodward
Comfort, Comfort Ye My People - 1
Comfort Comfort Ye My People - 2
Creator Of The Starry Height (from Monk and Steggall; Translation from the Latin Conditor alme siderum)
Creator of the Starry Pole (From the Latin Creator alme siderum. Revised from Conditor alme siderum)
Creator of the Stars Above (Primer, 1706)
Creator of the Stars Above (Husenbeth)
Day of wrath, O day of mourning (Translation of Dies iræ, dies illa)
Day Of Wrath! That Day Of Burning
Day of Wrath, That Day Whose Knelling
Day of Wrath, The Heart Dismaying
Gabriel's Message Does Away - Version 2
God is Working His Purpose Out
Great God what do I see and hear
Great Maker of the Glittering Stars
Hark! A Gladsome Voice Is Thrilling
Hark! A Mystic Voice Is Sounding
Hark, A Thrilling Voice is Sounding (A translation of Vox clara ecce intonat)
Hark, An Awful Voice is Sounding
Heavenly Word Proceeding Forth, The (Neale Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens, often adapted)
High Word of God (Biggs Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens); Alternate Title: High Word of God, who once didst come
Jesus Came — the Heavens Adoring
Jesus Shall Reign Whereer the Sun
Joy to the World - Watts
Joy To The World - Version 1
Joy To The World - Version 2
Lift Up Your Heads Ye Gates of Brass
Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates - Version 1 (Catherine Winkworth translation of Macht hoch die Tuer, alt.)
Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates - Version 2 (Catherine Winkworth translation of Macht hoch die Tuer)
Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending, Charles Wesley (Inspired by the middle portion of Dies iræ, dies illa, as were the six following hymns)
Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending, Thomas Olivers
Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending, Martin Madan's Compilation
Lo! He Comes! Let All Adore Him, Thomas Kelly
Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger, Richard Mant
Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger - From Christmas Carols 1833
Lo! He Cometh, Countless Trumpets, John Cennick
Lo! Now A Thrilling Voice Sounds Forth
Lo, The Baptist's Herald Cry - Williams
Lo! The Desert-Depths Are Stirr'd
Lord Her Watch Thy Church Is Keeping
Lord of the Boundless Curves of Space (Lyrics are copyright. See #405 in The New English Hymnal)
Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Make Broad The Path (George Ratcliffe Woodward; Translation of Macht hoch die Tuer)
The Mighty Gates of Earth Unbar (Translation of Macht hoch die Tuer; Altered from Mercer's Psalter and Hymn Book)
O Come, Redeemer of Mankind - Morgan Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
O Thou Redeemer Of Our Race - Palmer Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Version 1 See: Notes on Veni, Veni, Emmanuel and The Great O Antiphons
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Version 2
O Come, Redeemer of Mankind - Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light (Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light (The Hymnal 1982, Hymn #63, copyright 1982; translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
O Heavenly Word of God on High (New English Bible Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens, Hymn #2, copyright 1986)
O North with all thy vales of green
O Quickly Come, Dread Judge of All
O Saving Victim, Opening Wide (Caswall and Neale Translation of verses 5 and 6 of Verbum supernum prodiens)
O Thou, The Maker of Each Star, Alfred, Lord Braye, 1883.
O Thou, Who Thine Own Father's Breast (Translation ofVerbum supernum prodiens)
O Word, That Goest Forth on High (The Hymnal 1940, Hymn #8, copyright 1940; translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
On Jordan's Bank The Baptist's Cry - 1 (Translation of Charles Coffin, Jordanis oras prævia (1736)
On Jordan's Banks, The Herald's Cry - 2
On Jordan's Bank, The Baptist's Cry - 3
On Jordan's Bank The Baptist's Cry - Chandler
Once He Came in Blessing (Translation of Johann Roh (?-1547), Gottes Sohn is kommen, 1544)
Our God Approaches From The Skies - Williams
Redeemer of the Nations, Come - Price Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium (Copyright, The Hymnal 1982, #55)
Redeemer of the Nations, Come – Translator Unknown of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
Redeemer of the Nations, Come - Winkworth Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
Rejoice, All Ye Believers - Findlater (Translation of Ermuntert euch, ihr Frommen)
Rejoice, All Ye Believers [The translation is an altered form of Sarah Findlater’s, which appeared in Hymns from the Land of Luther by her and her sister, Jane Borthwick, 1854, first series.]
Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers (Translation, altered, of Ermuntert euch, ihr Frommen)
Rejoice, The Lord Is King! - 2
Savior Eternal! Health and Life of the World
Savior Of The Nations, Come - Version 1 (Reynolds Translation of Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland, 1524)
Savior of the Nations, Come - Version 2, an adaptation of the Reynolds Translation of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
Saviour Of The Nations, Come - Pre-1908 translation from the Moravian Church of Veni, Redemptor Gentium
Sleepers, Wake! A Voice Astounds Us, Carl P. Daw, Jr. (1944-) (Under Copyright)
Sleepers, Wake! The Watch-Cry Pealeth, Frances Elizabeth Cox (1812-1897, 1864), alt.
Slumberers, Wake, The Bridegroom Cometh!, The Rev. J. H. Hopkins (1820-1891)
Supernal Word, Proceeding From (Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand
That Day of Wrath and Grief and Shame
That Day of Wrath, That Dreadful Day
The Church Of God A Kingdom Is
The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns
The Lord Will Come and Not Be Slow
The Mighty God the Lord Hath Spoken
The Period Is Come, And Lo, To-day (Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
There's a Voice in the Wilderness Crying (Words by James Lewis Milligan, 1930, Under Copyright)
Thy Father's Bosom Thou Didst Leave (Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens; Chandler, 1837)
Thy Kingdom Come! On Bended Knee
To Earth Descending, Word Sublime (Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
Up! Awake! From Highest Steeple, George Ratcliffe Woodward (early 1900s)
Wake, Awake, The Night Is Flying, Catherine Winkworth (1858)
Wake, O Wake! With Tidings Thrilling, Francis Crawford Burkitt (1906)
Wake The Startling Watch-Cry Pealeth, Frances Elizabeth Cox (1812-1897, 1864), original
Wake! The Startling Watch-Cry Pealeth, Frances Elizabeth Cox (1812-1897, 1864), alt. from J. H. Hopkins, with music.
Watchman, Tell Us Of The Night
What Is The Crying At Jordan (Carol Christopher Drake (1933-), Under Copyright)
When Came In Flesh The Incarnate Word
Zion's King Shall Reign Victorious
Zion's King Shall Reign Victorious - Version 2
Zion's King Shall Reign Victorious - Version 3
Notes:
Also see the Advent Hymns list from Oremus; links were not updated after the most recent remodel of this site.
Additional Advent hymns that I'm looking for:
A few more years shall roll
Come, The Savior of Mankind (also known as "Now Come, Savior of the Heathen")
Creator of the starry height
From glory to glory advancing, we praise thee, O Lord
Hark! the voice eternal
Herald, sound the note of judgment
High o'er the lonely hills
Long ago, prophets knew
Lord Christ, when first thou cam'st to men
Lord, in this thy mercy's day
Now Come, Savior of the Gentiles
Now Come, the Heathen's Savior
Now Come, the Savior of Mankind
Now Come, the World's Savior
Now Comes the Gentle Savior
O Christ the Lord, O Christ the King
O day of God, draw nigh
Word Descending From Above (Translation of Verbum supernum prodiens)
I am also going to be looking for additional translations of Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, the German carol based on the parable of the ten virgins: Matthew 25: 1-13:
Julian lists the following additional translations in Common Use (1892):
Sleepers Wake, A Voice is Calling - W. Ball
Wake Ye Holy Maidens, Wake Ye - Philip Pusy
Wake, Arise! The Call Obeying - A. T. Russell
Wake, Arise! The Voice Is Calling - Anonymous
Wake, Awake, For Night Is Flying - Canon W. Cooke
Wake, Oh Wake: Around Are Flying - A. T. Russell ("recast ... not for the better" according to Julian)
Wake! The Watchman's Voice Is Sounding - R. C. Singleton
Others not in Common Use, according to Julian:
Awake, Arise, It Is The Warning
Awake, Arise, The Voice Gives Warning
Awake! Awake! The Watchman Calls - Miss Fry
Awake, The Voice Is Crying
Hark! The Trump of God Is Sounding - Dr. H. Mills
Up! Awake! His Summons Hurried - J. D. Burns
Waken! From The Tower It Soundeth - Mrs. Bevan
Source: John Julian, The Dictionary of Hymnology (1892, 1907).
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