1.

The Bridegroom cometh! overhead

The shout descending wakes the dead!

Go forth to meet the King,

The gates just entering!

Virgins, white-robed, with lamps haste eastward forth to meet Him,

Haste ye, O haste to greet Him!

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

2.

Earth's mournful bliss I left, and toys

Of wanton life, and foolish joys:

To Thee alone I cling:

Thou art my Life, my King:

Grant that I may, O Blessèd, ever close to Thee,

Thy royal beauty see!

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

3.

Thou art my wealth: for Thee I fled

All worldly lure; and upward sped;

And come in spotless dress

Of Thine own Righteousness,

With Thee to enter in the bridal chamber gates,

Where perfect bliss awaits.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

4.

Saved from the dragon's myriad wiles,

By which the simple he beguiles,

I bore the dreadful fire,

And wild beasts' savage ire;

Waiting till Thou from Heaven, O Hope of all creation,

shouldst come to my salvation!

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

My home and country for Thy sake,

And maiden dance, I did forsake,

And mother's pride and race,

And thoughts of rank and place;

For Thou, O Christ the Word, art all in all to me:

I long for naught save Thee!

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

6.

Hail! Christ the Life, unchanging Day,

Accept this humble virgin lay:

To Thee our song of praise

With heart and voice we raise!

In Thee, O Thou perfection's flower, O Word Divine,

Love, joy, mind, wisdom, shine.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

O Bride, triumphant now in light,

And clad in robes of purest white,

Sweet-breathing, sinless, free,

Ope wide the gates to me:

Sit we in self-same company near Christ above,

And sing thy marriage, Love!

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

8.

Ah me! some virgins vainly pour

Their sobs and cries outside the door:

Their lamps are quenched, and they

No burning light display:

Their error they would mend: but ah! they come too late,

And closèd is the gate.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

For they a foolish part had played,

And from the sacred pathway strayed;

Oil, they had purchased none:

Ah! wretched and undone!

Forbidden with dead lamps the home of bliss to see,

They wail their misery.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

10.

Lo! goblet filled with sweetest wine:

Drink we, O virgins, 'tis Divine;

And forth-set for our need:

Lo! this is drink indeed;

This for the guests, who to the marriage bidden are,

The Bridegroom doth prepare.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

First type, O Blessèd One, of Thee

In Abel shining bright we see:

To heaven he lifts his eyes,

Blood-dripping, and thus cries:

"Me, by my cruel brother slain, receive, O Lord,

O Thou the Eternal Word."

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

12.

Joseph, another type of Thee,

Won highest prize of purity:

Whom Thou wouldst own Thy child:

He scorned to be beguiled

By, shameless woman; stripped, he yet her wrath defied,

And straight to Thee he cried:

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

A lamb for sacrifice is sought:

A lamb-like victim Jephthah brought:

For rash-made vow he cared,

Nor virgin daughter spared:

A type, O Blessèd One, of Thy humanity,

She poured her soul to Thee:

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

14.

In valour Judith holds high post:

The leader of the oppressing host

She smote by beauty's lure,

Herself a type all pure:

He headless lay; and unto Thee the conquering maid

Her love in song displayed:

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

The Judges twain, by passion's flame

Enkindled, and all dead to shame,

Would chaste Susannah bind

To their unhallowed mind:

To their proposals base she gave a just reply:

And raised her voice on high:

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

16.

'Twere better far that I should die,

Than traitress be to marriage tie,

And yielding to your will

Both soul and body kill:

Base men! God's fire of wrath eternal would me seize:

Save me, O Christ, from these!

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

And he who thousands washed from sin,

Of Thy true light the bringer-in,

For virtue's cause alone

Is into prison thrown

By wicked king: and staining now the ground with gore,

He cried to Thee the more:

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

18.

And Thy blest Mother, spotless maid,

Was thought her vows to have betrayed,

When travailing with Thee,

O Lord of purity:

And found with child of transcendental heavenly birth,

She raised her voice from earth:

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

Thy saints, all eager that they may

Behold the glories of the day

Of Thine espousals high,

With holy gifts draw nigh:

For Thou, O Word, hast called them, Thou the angels' King:

White-robed to Thee they sing.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

20.

O holy Church, O heavenly Bride,

With hymns, attending at Thy side,

We yet on earth below

Thine honour thus forth-show:

All snow-white thou, all beauteous spouse of Christ above,

All purity, all love.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

Past are corruption, sickness, pain;

Nor tears shall ever flow again;

For troubles all have fled;

And death himself is dead:

And sin and folly with dark dismal train are gone,

Since grace in glory shone.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

22.

No longer Paradise of men

Is void; for there God wills again

That man should safely dwell;

Yea, man the same who fell

Beneath the serpent's wiles: now in the promised rest,

Immortal, fearless, blest.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

Thou now to heavenly places raised,

By all the virgin choir art praised,

O Bride of Heavenly King:

And song all new we sing:

With lighted torch in hand, with snow-white lilies crowned,

Thy praise in Christ we sound.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.

24.

Father of heaven, supreme in might,

Dwelling in pure eternal light

With Thine own Son most dear,

Admit--for we are here--

E'en us within the gates of life, to sing Thy love

In Thy blest courts above.

THE REFRAIN.

With holy feet, and lamps bright burning,

I go to meet my Lord returning.