From East to West

Representative Text

1 From east to west, from shore to shore
Let ev'ry heart awake and sing
The holy child whom Mary bore,
The Christ, the everlasting king.

2 Behold, the world's creator wears
The form and fashion of a slave;
Our very flesh our maker shares,
His fallen creatures all to save.

3 For this how wondrously He wrought!
A maiden, in her lowly place,
Became, in ways beyond all thought,
The chosen vessel of His grace.

4 And while the angels in the sky
Sang praise above the silent field,
To shepherds poor the Lord Most High,
the one great Shepherd, was revealed.

5 All glory for this blessed morn
To God the Father ever be;
All praise to You, O Virgin-born,
And Holy Ghost eternally.

Source: Lutheran Service Book #385

Translator: John Ellerton

John Ellerton (b. London, England, 1826; d. Torquay, Devonshire, England, 1893) Educated at King William's College on the Isle of Man and at Trinity College, Cambridge, England, he was ordained in the Church of England in 1851. He served six parishes, spending the longest time in Crewe Green (1860-1872), a church of steelworkers and farmers. Ellerton wrote and translated about eighty hymns, many of which are still sung today. He helped to compile Church Hymns and wrote its handbook, Notes and Illustrations to Church Hymns (1882). Some of his other hymn texts were published in The London Mission Hymn Book (1884). Bert Polman… Go to person page >

Author: Coelius Sedulius

Sedulius, Coelius. The known facts concerning this poet, as contained in his two letters to Macedonius, are, that in early life, he devoted himself to heathen literature; that comparatively late in life he was converted to Christianity; and that amongst his friends were Gallieanus and Perpetua. The place of his birth is generally believed to have been Rome; and the date when he flourished 450. For this date the evidence is, that he referred to the Commentaries of Jerome, who died 420; is praised by Cassiodorus, who d. 575, and by Gelasius, who was pope from 492 to 496. His works were collected, after his death, by Asterius, who was consul in 494. They are (1) Carmen Paschale, a poem which treats of the whole Gospel story; (2) Opus Paschale,… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: From east to west, from shore to shore
Title: From East to West
Latin Title: A solis ortus cardine
Author: Coelius Sedulius (c. 450)
Translator: John Ellerton
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

A SOLIS ORTUS CARDINE


CHRISTUM WIR SOLLEN LOBEN SCHON


VOM HIMMEL HOCH

Initially Luther used the folk melody associated with his first stanza as the tune for this hymn. Later he composed this new tune for his text. VOM HIMMEL HOCH was first published in Valentin Schumann's Geistliche Lieder in 1539. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used Luther's melody in three places in his wel…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #1625
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 12 of 12)
Text

Common Praise (1998) #155

TextPage Scan

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #193

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #267

Hymns and Psalms #99

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Lutheran Service Book #385

Text

Lutheran Worship #43

TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #192

Sing a New Song #89

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #1625

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal 1982 #77

Text

The New English Hymnal #20a

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #20b

Include 28 pre-1979 instances
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