Office Hymns: Evensong: Epiphany

Epiphany

3

Why, impious Herod, shouldst thou fear - Hostis Herodes impie - Dearmer

Why, impious Herod, shouldst thou fear
Because the Christ is come so near?
He Who doth heavenly kingdoms grant
Thine earthly realm can never want.

Lo, sages from the East are gone
To where the star hath newly shone:
Led on by light to Light they press,
And by their gifts their God confess.

The Lamb of God is manifest
Again in Jordan’s water blest,
And He Who sin had never known
By washing hath our sins undone.

Yet He that ruleth everything
Can change the nature of the spring,
And gives at Cana this for sign—
The water reddens into wine.

Then glory, Lord, to Thee we pay
For thine Epiphany today;
All glory through eternity
To Father, Son, and Spirit be.

4

O blest Creator of the light - Lucis Creator optime – Neale

O blest Creator of the light,
Who mak’st the day with radiance bright,
And o’er the forming world didst call
The light from chaos first of all.

Whose wisdom joined in meet array
The morn and eve, and named them day:
Night comes with all its darkling fears;
Regard Thy people’s prayers and tears.

Lest, sunk in sin, and whelmed with strife,
They lose the gift of endless life;
While thinking but the thoughts of time,
They weave new chains of woe and crime.

But grant them grace that they may strain
The heavenly gate and prize to gain:
Each harmful lure aside to cast,
And purge away each error past.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.