Love-Unknown (John Ireland)

From ChoralWiki

Music files

• CPDL #15442: NWC Sibelius4

Editor: John Henry Fowler (added 2007-11-15).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 22 kbytes   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: SATB version from CyberHymnal - File Sizes: PDF: 22 KB, MIDI: 2 KB, NWC: 1 KB

General Information

Title: Love-Unknown
Composer: John Ireland

Number of voices: 4vv  Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Hymns     Meter:  12 12. 88
Language: English
Instruments: piano/organ
Published: Tune: Love Un­known, John N. Ire­land, 1918; Lyrics: Sam­u­el Cross­man, The Young Man’s Med­i­ta­tion, 1664.

Description:

External websites:

• Cyber Hymnal entry for Love unknown

Original text and translations

English text

1.

My song is love unknown,

My Savior’s love to me;

Love to the loveless shown,

That they might lovely be.

O who am I, that for my sake

My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?

2.

He came from His blest throne

Salvation to bestow;

But men made strange, and none

The longed for Christ would know:

But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,

Who at my need His life did spend.

3.

Sometimes they strew His way,

And His sweet praises sing;

Resounding all the day

Hosannas to their King:

Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,

And for His death they thirst and cry.

4.

Why, what hath my Lord done?

What makes this rage and spite?

He made the lame to run,

He gave the blind their sight,

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these

Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.

5.

They rise and needs will have

My dear Lord made away;

A murderer they saved,

The Prince of life they slay,

Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,

That He His foes from thence might free.

6.

In life, no house, no home

My Lord on earth might have;

In death no friendly tomb

But what a stranger gave.

What may I say? Heav’n was His home;

But mine the tomb wherein He lay.

7.

Here might I stay and sing,

No story so divine;

Never was love, dear King!

Never was grief like Thine.

This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise

I all my days could gladly spend.

Lyrics: Sam­u­el Cross­man, The Young Man’s Med­i­ta­tion, 1664.