Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE HYMNARY: 361. ST. JOHN BAPTIST, by BEDE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE HYMNARY: 361. ST. JOHN BAPTIST, by                
First Line: Hail, harbinger of morn
Last Line: While time endureth and when time is o'er.
Alternate Author Name(s): The Venerable Bede (beda)
Subject(s): John The Baptist, Saint (1st Century)


HAIL, harbinger of Morn:
Thou that art this day born,
And heraldest the Word with clarion voice!
Ye faithful ones, in him
Behold the dawning dim
Of the bright Day, and let your hearts rejoice.

John; -- by that chosen name
To call him, Gabriel came
By God's appointment from his home on high:
What deeds that babe should do
To manhood when he grew,
God sent His angel forth to testify.

Yet in his mother's womb,
To Him Who should illume
With light the nations John his witness bore:
And when he came to birth,
John first proclaimed to earth
That witness, and is glorious evermore.

There hath none greater, none,
Than Zachariah's son
Ris'n among those that are of woman born;
A prophet, he may claim
More than a prophet's fame;
Sublimer deeds than theirs his front adorn.

Enough: can human speech
Unto his glory reach,
Meetly may mortals herald forth his praise,
For whom, in time of old,
God bade His seer unfold
The mighty work ordained in after-days?

"Lo, to prepare Thy way,"
Did God the Father say,
"Before Thy face My messenger I send,
Thy coming to forerun;
As on the orient sun
Doth the bright daystar morn by morn attend."

Praise therefore God most High;
Praise Him Who came to die
For us, His Son That liveth evermore;
And to the Spirit raise,
The Comforter, like praise,
While time endureth and when time is o'er.





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