with the song children sing
to the Lord, Christ our King,
born on earth to safe us:
him the Father gave us.
Ideo, Ideo, Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo!
His the doom, ours the mirth;
when he came down to earth
Bethlehem saw his birth;
ox and ass beside him
from the cold would hide him.
Ideo, Ideo, Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo!
God's bright star, o'er his head,
Wise Men three to him led;
kneel they low by his bed,
lay their gifts before him,
praise him and adore him.
Ideo, Ideo, Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo!
On this day angels sing;
with their song earth shall ring,
praising Christ, heaven's King,
born on earth to save us;
peace and love he gave us.
Ideo, Ideo, Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo!
Piae Cantiones, 1582, tr. Jane M. Joseph (1894-1929)
("Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo!" is Latin for "Therefore, glory to God in the highest!")
Photo: "Living In a Christmas Tree", Christmas 2006 aboard the Lady Mick, by Doug Mill
'Tis blessed to bestow, and yet,
ReplyDeleteCould we bestow the gifts we get,
And keep the ones we give away,
How happy were our Christmas day!
~Carolyn Wells