Personent Hodie, and translations thereof

[ancientandmodern]

The problem with hymns translated or otherwise adapted from the Latin is that, once one comes to sing them in English, no one can agree on the Right Version. This is a problem that arises with other hymns, of course - Hills of the North springs to mind - but where there is one unquestionably 'original' text, and several competing adaptions, everyone you talk to grew up singing a different one[1]. When it comes to the following, I have no idea which to refer to, so for the sake of convenience I shall simply call it by the Latin Personent Hodie. At least there's no argument about the tune.

Here it is in Latin (not the Holst arrangement, whatever it says on the video. Ah, perhaps there is a debate about the tune...):

Personent hodie
voces puerulae,
laudantes iucunde
qui nobis est natus,
summo Deo datus,
et de virgineo ventre procreatus.

In mundo nascitur,
pannis involvitur
praesepi ponitur
stabulo brutorum,
rector supernorum.
perdidit spolia princeps infernorum.

Magi tres venerunt,
munera offerunt,
parvulum inquirunt,
stellulam sequendo,
ipsum adorando,
aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo.

Omnes clericuli,
pariter pueri,
cantent ut angeli:
advenisti mundo,
laudes tibi fundo.
ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.

A good cheerful hymn, this, if taken at a fair speed - and, really, there's no reason not to. This isn't about the terrifying God who comes in cloud and majesty and awe; this is about God who comes to us as a human, God we can relate to, God who knows what it's like to be us. It's a joyful hymn: we're coming out to welcome him.

This is the version we sang at church this morning, obviously without the full band and massed choirs fol-de-rol of Songs of Praise. 'Long ago, prophets knew' starts at 5:13, after a totally different hymn and an interview with a Boys' Brigade lady - which you are of course entirely free to watch, but which I must confess I skipped, there being something about Songs of Praise that sets my teeth on edge.

Long ago, prophets knew
Christ would come, born a Jew,
come to make all things new,
bear his people's burden,
freely love and pardon.
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
when he comes,
when he comes,
who will make him welcome?

God in time, God in man,
this is God's timeless plan:
he will come, as a man,
born himself of woman,
God divinely human:
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
when he comes,
when he comes,
who will make him welcome?

Mary, hail! Though afraid,
she believed, she obeyed.
In her womb God is laid:
till the time expected,
nurtured and protected:
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
when he comes,
when he comes,
who will make him welcome?

Journey ends! Where afar
Bethl'em shines, like a star,
stable door stands ajar.
Unborn Son of Mary,
Saviour, do not tarry!
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
Jesus comes!
Jesus comes!
We will make him welcome!

While I still haven't managed to fit in a composer or lyricist who is still living (unless you count John Rutter, who did the arrangement in the top video there), we're inching closer to it with this hymn. Ancient as the tune is, the words are more modern, being by the excellent F. Pratt Green, who has not been dead for so long as some of my other choices - 1903-2000, his dates. His hymns are always substantial, in the best sense of the word.

I chose this one partly on the strength of the first line, with its mention of the prophets - for, with the Second Sunday of Advent, we remember the prophets, and look forward with them to the coming of Jesus - but actually it's an excellent piece all round. Jesus the human, Jesus the Jew, Jesus who had a time and a place in history, whose ancestry was the Patriarchs and whose heritage was the writings of the prophets. The second verse is an admirably succinct expression of the Incarnation - perhaps the most incomprehensible and wonderful doctrine of them all. Verse three looks forward to the week after next, and the last verse to Christmas itself, but here the star shines from within the stable, not above it. God in time, God in man. God on earth. God with us.

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[1]The text that I sang at primary school is this one, by Percy Dearmer:

God is love: his the care,
tending each, everywhere.
God is love, all is there!
Jesus came to show him,
that mankind might know him!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing a loud, loud, loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

None can see God above;
we can share life and love;
thus may we Godward move,
seek him in creation,
holding every nation.
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing a loud, loud, loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

Jesus lived on the earth,
hope and life brought to birth
and affirmed human worth,
for he came to save us
by the truth he gave us.
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing a loud, loud, loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

To our Lord praise we sing,
light and life, friend and King,
coming down love to bring,
pattern for our duty,
showing God in beauty.
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing a loud, loud, loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

It isn't particularly relevant to the Second Sunday of Advent, though. ;-)