Scripture Verse

The martyrs of Jesus. Revelation 17:6

Introduction

Words: Un­known au­thor, 12th Cen­tu­ry (O be­ata be­ator­um). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by John M. Neale, 1851.

Music: Al­ta Tri­ni­ta Be­ata in Lau­di Spi­ri­tu­ali (Flo­rence, Italy: 14th Cen­tury). Adapt­ed by Charles Bur­ney, 1782 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Charles Burney (1726–1814)

Lyrics

illustration
The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904)

Blessèd feasts of bless­èd mar­tyrs,
Saintly days of saint­ly men,
With af­fect­ion’s re­col­lect­ions
Greet we your re­turn again.
Mighty deeds they wrought, and won­ders,
While a frame of flesh they bore;
We, with meet­est praise and sweet­est,
Honor them for­ev­er­more.

Faith un­blench­ing, hope un­quench­ing,
Well-loved Lord, and sin­gle heart,
Thus they, glo­ri­ous and vic­to­ri­ous,
Bravely bore the mar­tyr’s part.
Blood in slaugh­ter poured like wa­ter,
Torments long and hea­vy chain,
Flame, and axe, and la­ce­ra­tion,
They en­dured, and con­quered pain.

While they passed through di­vers tor­tures,
Till they sank by death op­prest,
Earth’s re­ject­ed were elect­ed,
To have por­tion with the blest.
By con­tempt of world­ly plea­sures,
And by migh­ty bat­tle done;
Have they mer­it­ed with an­gels,
To be knit for ay in one.

Wherefore made co-heirs of glo­ry,
Ye that sit with Christ on high,
Join to ours your sup­pli­ca­tion
As for grace and peace we cry,
That, this wea­ry life com­plet­ed,
And its ma­ny la­bors past,
We may mer­it to be seat­ed
In our Fa­ther’s home at last.