O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

For Advent

Version 2
Compare: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Version 1 (with notes)
Draw Nigh, Draw Nigh, Emmanuel (Neale)
Come, O Immanuel, Come

Words: Veni, Veni, Emanuel (the "O" Antiphons),
Authorship Unknown, 8th Century Latin;
Published As A Hymn in Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 7^th Edition, Köln, 1710.

Translated by Thomas Alexander Lacey (1853-1931), 1906

Music: "Veni Emmanuel," Based on a 15^th Century French Processional,
Arranged by Rev. Thomas Helmore  and harmonized by Rev. S. S. Greatheed in
Hymnal Noted, Part II (London: 1856)
and
Accompanying Harmonies to the Hymnal Noted-Part II (London: 1858)
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML
Melody Only: MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Meter: 88 88 88

See: Notes on Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

Isaiah 59:20
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion,
and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob,
saith THE LORD.

Source: W. J. Birkbeck, et al., eds., The English Hymnal (London: Oxford University Press, 1906), #8, pp. 12-13.

1. O come, O come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel
That into exile drear is gone,
Far from the face of God's dear Son.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

2. O come, thou Branch of Jesse! draw¹
The quarry from the lion's claw;
From the dread caverns of the grave,
From nether hell, thy people save.

3. O come, O come, thou Dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light;
Dispel the long night's lingering gloom,
And pierce the shadows of the tomb.

4. O Come, thou Lord of David’s Key!²
The royal door fling wide and free;³
Safeguard for us the heavenward road,
And bar the way to death's abode.

5. O come, O come, Adonai,
Who in thy glorious majesty
From that high mountain clothed in awe,⁴
Gavest thy folk the elder Law.

Notes:

1. Or: Root of Jesse Return

2. Or: O come, thou Key of David, come, Return

3. Or: And open wide our heavenly home; Return

4. Or: From Sinai's mountain, clothed in awe, Return

Sheet Music "Veni Emmanuel" "Adapted by Thomas Helmore from a French Missal" From W. J. Birkbeck, et al., eds., The English Hymnal. London: Oxford University Press, 1906, #8.

See and play the Noteworthy Composer score if you have installed the NoteWorthy Composer Browser Plug-in "Veni Immanuel" - SATB O_Come,_O_Come,_Emmanuel "Veni Immanuel" - Melody Only O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Melody Only tested by Noteworthy for Netscape, Opera, and IE Browsers (Versions 4 or 5) In my experience, it also works with Firefox.

Editor's Note:

Also found in Percy Dearmer, R. Vaughan Williams, and Martin Shaw, eds., Songs Of Praise. London: Oxford University Press, 1931, #66.

The compilers of The New English Hymnal (1986) give seven verses (in a different order than above), slightly reworded the second verse, and added the following:

2. O come, thou Wisdom from on high!
Who madest all in earth and sky,
Creating man from dust and clay:
To us reveal salvation’s way.

7. O Come, Desire of Nations! Show
Thy kingly reign on earth below;
Thou Corner-stone, uniting all,
Restore the ruin of our fall.

These two verses correspond to original verses 1 and 6 of "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel." They give attribution to T. A. Lacey and "the compilers."

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