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| 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.
