Scripture Verse

Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. Luke 1:31

Introduction

illustration
The Annunciation
Michelangelo Caravaggio (1571–1610)

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Ve­nan­ti­us For­tu­na­tus (530–609) (Quem ter­ra, pon­tus, ae­the­ra). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by John M. Neale in The Hym­nal Not­ed, 1854.

Music: St. Am­brose (Feill­ée) in Mé­thode du plain-chant, by Fran­çois de la Feill­ée, 1782 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Puer No­bis Nas­ci­tur Trier ma­nu­script, 15th Cen­tu­ry (🔊 pdf nwc)
portrait
John M. Neale (1818–1866)

Lyrics

The God whom earth, and sea, and sky,
Adore, and laud, and magnify,
Who o’er their threefold fabric reigns,
The virgin’s spotless womb contains.

The God whose will by moon and sun
And all things in due course is done,
Is borne upon a maiden’s breast,
By fullest heavenly grace possessed.

How blest the mother, in whose shrine
The great Artificer divine,
Whose hand contains the earth and sky,
Vouchsafed, as in His ark, to lie!

Blest, in the message Gabriel brought;
Blest, by the work the Spi­rit wrought:
From whom the great Desire of earth
Took human flesh and human birth.

All honor, laud, and glo­ry be,
O Je­su, virgin-born, to Thee!
All glo­ry, as is ever meet,
To Fa­ther and to Paraclete.