Laus matutina (John Stainer)

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Music files

• CPDL #15582:      NWC Sibelius4

Editor: John Henry Fowler (added 2007-12-01).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 25 kbytes       Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Based on the edition from CyberHymnal - File Sizes: PDF: 25 KB, 2nd PDF: 22 KB, MIDI: 2 KB, NWC: 1 KB, Sib4: 31 KB.

General Information

Title: Laus matutina
Composer: John Stainer

Number of voices: 4vv  Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Hymns     Meter:   11 10. 11 10
Language: English
Instruments: piano/organ
Published: Tune: Laus Matutina, John Stainer (1840 - 1901); Lyrics: Greg­o­ry I (540-604) (Ec­ce jam noc­tis ten­u­a­tur um­bra). The trans­la­tion be­low, which ap­peared anon­y­mous­ly in Hedge and Hunt­ing­ton’s Hymns for the Church of Christ (Bos­ton, Mass­a­chu­setts: 1853), may have been in­spired by W. J. Cope­land’s trans­la­tion “Lo, Now the Melt­ing Shades of Night Are End­ing” (Hymns for the Week, 1848).

Description:

External websites:

Cyber Hymnal entry for Hymn tune "Laus matutina":

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/n/w/nwduskys.htm

Original text and translations

English text

1.

Now, when the dusky shades of night, retreating

Before the sun’s red banner, swiftly flee;

Now, when the terrors of the dark are fleeting,

O Lord, we lift our thankful hearts to Thee.

2.

To Thee, whose Word, the fount of light unsealing,

When hill and dale in thickest darkness lay,

Awoke bright rays across the dim earth stealing,

And bade the even and morn complete the day.

3.

Look from the tower of heaven, and send to cheer us,

Thy light and truth, to guide us onward still;

Still let Thy mercy, as of old, be near us,

And lead us safely to Thy holy hill.

4.

In vain to labor, unless Thou be with him,

Man goeth forth through all the weary day;

In vain his strife, in vain his toil unceasing,

Unless Thy staff bring comfort on his way.

5.

Thou, who hast made the north and south, watch o’er us;

Thou, in Whose Name the lonely ones rejoice,

Still let Thy cloudy pillar glide before us,

Still let us listen for Thy warning voice.

6.

So, when the morn of endless light is waking,

And shades of evil from its splendors flee,

Safe may we rise, the earth’s dark breast forsaking,

Through all the long bright day to dwell with Thee.

Lyrics: G reg­o­ry I (540-604) (Ec­ce jam noc­tis ten­u­a­tur um­bra). The trans­la­tion be­low, which ap­peared anon­y­mous­ly in Hedge and Hunt­ing­ton’s Hymns for the Church of Christ (Bos­ton, Mass­a­chu­setts: 1853).