Scripture Verse

This same Jesus, Which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven. Acts 1:11

Introduction

Words: Un­known au­thor (Würz­burg, Ger­ma­ny: 13th Cen­tu­ry) (Tu Chris­te nos­trum gau­di­um, part of the long­er Ae­ter­ne Rex al­tis­si­me). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Da­vid T. Mor­gan in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875, and his Hymns and Oth­er Po­et­ry of the La­tin Church, 1880.

Music: As­cen­dit John Stain­er, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Mor­gan (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
John Stainer (1840–1901)

Lyrics

O Christ, our joy, gone up on high
To fill Thy throne above the sky,
How glo­ri­ous dost Thou shine!
Thy so­vereign rule the worlds ob­ey,
And earth­ly joys all fade away
In that pure light of Thine.

To Thee in pray­er Thy people bow;
O may our sins Thy par­don know,
The cleans­ing of Thy grace;
Then lift our hearts to Thee above,
On wings of faith­ful­ness and love,
To seek Thy ho­ly place.

So, when the sud­den call shall sound,
And with Thy robe of clouds around
Thou, Christ, shalt come once more,
Thyself our judge may’st turn away
The pe­nal­ty our sins should pay
And our lost crowns re­store.

Ascended up from mor­tal sight,
Jesu, we praise Thee in the height,
Our joy, our great reward;
Whom with the Fa­ther we con­fess
And with the Ho­ly Spi­rit bless,
One ev­er glo­ri­ous Lord.