O COME, O COME EMMANUEL

A HYMN FOR SAPIENTIATIDE

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

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

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny!
From depths of hell thy people save,
Ad give them victory o'er the grave.

O come, thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery,

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine Advent here!
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Desire of Nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid thou our sad divisions cease
And be thyself our King of Peace.

Translated by John Mason Neale, 1851