Creator of the world, to Thee

Creator of the world, to Thee

Author: C. Coffin (1736); Translator: J. M. Neale (1849)
Tune: ST. GREGORY (German)
Published in 21 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 Creator of the world, to thee
an endless rest of joy belongs;
and heavenly choirs are ever free
to sing on high their festal songs.

2 But we are fallen creatures here,
where pain and sorrow daily come;
and how can we in exile drear
sing out, as they, sweet songs of home?

3 O Father, who dost promise still
that they who mourn shall blessèd be,
grant us to weep for deeds of ill
that banish us so long from thee:

4 but, weeping, grant us faith to rest
in hope upon thy loving care;
till thou restore us, with the blest,
their songs of praise in heaven to share.

5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
the God whom heaven and earth adore,
from men and from the angel-host
be praise and glory evermore.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #113

Author: C. Coffin

Coffin, Charles, born at Buzaney (Ardennes) in 1676, died 1749, was principal of the college at Beauvais, 1712 (succeeding the historian Rollin), and rector of the University of Paris, 1718. He published in 1727 some, of his Latin poems, for which he was already noted, and in 1736 the bulk of his hymns appeared in the Paris Breviary of that year. In the same year he published them as Hymni Sacri Auctore Carolo Coffin, and in 1755 a complete ed. of his Works was issued in 2 vols. To his Hymni Sacri is prefixed an interesting preface. The whole plan of his hymns, and of the Paris Breviary which he so largely influenced, comes out in his words. "In his porro scribendis Hymnis non tam poetico indulgendunv spiritui, quam nitoro et pietate co… Go to person page >

Translator: J. M. Neale

John M. Neale's life is a study in contrasts: born into an evangelical home, he had sympathies toward Rome; in perpetual ill health, he was incredibly productive; of scholarly tem­perament, he devoted much time to improving social conditions in his area; often ignored or despised by his contemporaries, he is lauded today for his contributions to the church and hymnody. Neale's gifts came to expression early–he won the Seatonian prize for religious poetry eleven times while a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1842, but ill health and his strong support of the Oxford Movement kept him from ordinary parish ministry. So Neale spent the years between 1846 and 1866 as a warden of Sackvi… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Creator of the world, to Thee
Latin Title: Te laeta, mundi Creator
Author: C. Coffin (1736)
Translator: J. M. Neale (1849)
Source: Tr.: Compilers of Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861, also
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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The Cyber Hymnal #1078
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CPWI Hymnal #113

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