184. Hail! festal day! to endless ages known
10.10. with refrain
Salve! Festa Dies (Ascension):
J. Baden-Powell, 1901
Ramaulx:
B. Luard Selby, 1904
Repeat first verse as chorus.
Latin; Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530-609);
Tr. Theodore A. Lacey, 1884
Hail! festal day! to endless ages known, When God ascended to his starry throne. | Now with the Lord of new and heav'nly birth, His gifts return to grace the springing earth. | Now glows the earth with painted flowers' array, And warmer light unbars the gates of day. | Now Christ, from gloomy hell, comes triumphing, And field and grove with clover and leafage spring. | The reign of death o'erthrown, he mounts on high, Sent forth with joyous praise from sea and sky. | 170 Loose now the captives, loose the prison door, The fallen, from the deep, to light restore. | A countless people, from death's fetters free, Own thee Redeemer, join, and follow thee. | Creator and Redeemer, Christ our Light! The One begotten of the Father's might; | Coequal, Coeternal, thou to whom The kingdom of the world decreed shall come; | Thou, looking on our race in darkness laid, To rescue man, true Man thyself wast made. | |