Bring All Ye Dear Bought Nations, Bring / Victimae Paschali Laudes

Bring Your Richest Praises to the King

Bring All Ye Dear Bought Nations Bring is a translation of the 11th century Latin Easter sequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes, attributed to Wipo of Burgundy (c.995-1048). A priest and writer, he was the Chaplain to the Holy Roman Emperor, Conrad II (c.990 –1039). Victimae Paschali Laudes is one of four remaining medieval sequences that continued to be used in the Catholic Church after 1570 as a result of liturgical reforms by Pius V (1504-1572). In 1670 it was translated into English by Sir Walter Kirkham Blount (d.1717) and published in his book, The Office of the Holy Week: According to the Missal and Roman Breviary. His translation, Bring All Ye Dear Bought Nations Bring is set to the tune: Lasst ins Erfreun, adapted by Pe­ter von Brach­el in 1623. In the Divine Office it is sung on Easter Sunday.

Tune: Lasst Uns Erfreuen

BRING, ALL YE DEAR BOUGHT NATIONS BRING by Walter Blount 1670 (Public Domain)

1. Bring, all ye dear-bought nations,
bring your richest praises to the king,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
That spotless Lamb, who more than due,
paid for his sheep, and those sheep you,
Alleluia.

2. The guiltless Son, who bought your peace,
and made his father’s anger cease,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Then, life and death together fought,
each to a strange extreme were brought.
Alleluia.

3. Life died, but soon revived again,
and even death by it was slain.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Say, happy Magdalen, oh say,
what didst thou see there by the way?
Alleluia.

4. ‘I saw the tomb of my dear lord,
I saw himself and him adored,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
I saw the napkin and the sheet,
that bound his head and wrapped his feet.’
Alleluia.

5. ‘I heard the angels witness bear,
Jesus is ris’n; he is not here;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Go, tell his followers they shall see,
thine and their hope in Galilee.’
Alleluia.

6. We, Lord, with faithful hearts and voice,
on this thy rising day rejoice.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
O thou, who power o’came the grave,
by grace and love us sinners save.
Alleluia.
 
Gregorian Chant

VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES

Victimae paschali laudes
immolent Christiani.

Agnus redemit oves:
Christus innocens Patri
reconciliavit peccatores.

Mors et vita duello
conflixere mirando:
dux vitae mortuus,
regnat vivus.

Dic nobis Maria,
quid vidisti in via?

Sepulcrum Christi viventis,
et gloriam vidi resurgentis:

Angelicos testes,
sudarium, et vestes.

Surrexit Christus spes mea:
praecedet suos in Galilaeam.

Scimus Christum surrexisse
a mortuis vere:
tu nobis, victor Rex, miserere.
Amen. Alleluia.