O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni Emmanuel) (descant: Hill)

O come, O come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
that into exile drear is gone
far from the face of God’s dear Son.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Wisdom from on high!
Who madest all in earth and sky,
creating man from dust and clay:
to us reveal salvation’s way.
O come, O come, Adonaï,
who in thy glorious majesty
from Sinai’s mountain, clothed with awe,
gavest thy folk the ancient law.
O come, thou Root of Jesse! draw
the quarry from the lion’s claw;
from those dread caverns of the grave,
from nether hell, thy people save.
O come, O come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
that into exile drear is gone
far from the face of God’s dear Son.

Words Cologne 1710, based on the Tune VENI EMMANUEL ancient Advent Antiphons Melody ‘adapted from a French Missal’
Tr. T.A. Lacey (1853–1931) by Thomas Helmore (1811–1890) and others Descant David Hill (b. 1957)