What does this have to do with the song? Not a thing. Image source: alfonso diaz on freeimages.com. |
By: We don't know.
Written in: We don't know that, either. Oldest surviving publication is from 1710 in Cologne, Germany.
I have thoughts: I chose this one for the first day because it's usually associated with Advent, and today is obviously as close as we're going to get to Advent. I only learned this song about ten-ish years ago and loved it from the first time I heard it. (To say I "learned" it is to stretch a point. Without the words in front of me, I still kind of mumble along until we get to a line I know.) Also, this is not a song that was written for altos. Huff.
Verse: This song has verses without number, it seems, with potential alternates for most of them. This is what happens when you translate, and when a bunch of people really like a song and just keep adding to it. This is, according to the Lutheran hymnal, verse seven:
Oh, come, Desire of nations, bindWatch:
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Sources:
Wikipedia
Hymns and Carols of Christmas
Lutheran Hymnal
2 comments:
This is beautiful.
It's such a great song, but I seem to only choose churches that don't really know it. Alas!
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